Team Mama Idea: How to Run a Successful Concession Stand + TEN Best Selling Items!

Concession stands are without a doubt one of the greatest fundraisers in sports. I mean people have to eat, right? That being said, they do require quite a bit of work. But don't worry mama, I've got you covered!


Here are my tips to help you take your concession stand game to the next level.

• Plan ahead. Where will you set up? How large of a crowd are you expecting? Will you have access to a grill? The better prepared you are, the better the end result.
• Take a trip to your local wholesale club. Buying in bulk will save you both time and money.
• Round up volunteers. You want to have at least 2 people working per shift. We have 3 during No. 1's high school basketball games, and let me tell you, there are times when we could use a 4th... especially for those Friday night Varsity games! Using a SignUpGenius is my favorite way to keep track of volunteers- it'll even send them a reminder a couple of days before.
• Keep prices fair. Remember, you want people to buy from you. Not from the drive-thru or convenience store down the street!
• Make a "menu". Be sure to list all available items, including prices. Set out a couple for customers and keep one for you and your crew. This is a huge time saver!!
• Assign roles. Your goal is to get people through the line as quickly as possible. The best way I've found to do that is by forming an assembly line. (i.e. If there are three of you, one can take orders, the second can handle the money, and the third can be the runner aka get the food).
• Have fun. Working concessions doesn't have to be stressful. I actually enjoy it! You can sign up to work with a couple of your Sports Mama bffs and even meet some new people.

And now, as promised. I asked hundreds of Sports Mamas in the Confessions of a Sports Mama Facebook Group for their best sellers, and the winners are (in no particular order):

1. Hot dogs. There's just something about a good ol' hotdog wrapped in aluminum foil that is almost impossible to resist. They are inexpensive and easy. They can be grilled (outdoors over charcoal or indoors on a George Foreman), boiled, or even cooked in the crockpot!
2. Chic-fil-A sandwiches. I'm not sure that anything sells quicker than these! I mean, who doesn't love Chic-fil-A? Your local restaurant will be more than willing to answer any questions you may have and may even offer a discounted fundraiser rate!
3. Pizza. Order it ahead of time, especially when ordering a large quantity. Once it arrives, individually wrap each slice in a piece of foil- it'll not only help to keep it warm, it'll also make distribution a breeze. You can never go wrong with cheese and pepperoni!
4. Noodle cups. Kids love those things!
5. Water. Because what concession stand doesn't sell water.
6. Gatorade. These are always great to have, especially for athlete's needing to rehydrate post-game.
7. Hot chocolate. Perfect for those cold, late night games!
8. Popcorn. Another best seller. No fancy popcorn machine? No worries! Our school sells the individual, microwaveable bags. We pop them fresh to order. That buttery smell reels customers right in. We can't keep it in stock!
9. Nachos. You can keep it simple by offering only cheese or go all out and offer chili or even walking tacos. The possibilities really are endless!
10. Candy. Skittles, Starburst, and Ring Pops are always fan favorites!

*** Honorable mentions. Fries, burgers, chicken tenders, and pickle pops (I had never heard of a pickle pop before. You learn something new every day!).

I hope you find these tips helpful! What are your best sellers?






*** Looking for more fundraiser ideas? I can help with that! Click HERE for my top TEN, tried and tested ideas!

Team Mama Idea: High School Football Banquet Ideas

No. 1's first year of high school football officially ended yesterday. Even though they haven't been in pads for over a month, the season doesn't officially end until the banquet. I was so excited that I was asked to help coordinate décor. You Sports Mamas already know that I'm all about that #pinterestlife!


The banquet was held in our school's cafeteria. Here's how we decorated the tables.

Each table got three napkins (in our school colors!) which we opened up and placed strategically. On top of the napkins, we sprinkled football themed confetti as well as candy.

But the stars of the show were without a doubt the centerpieces!

They were easy to make (I made 45 of them with the help of two of my fellow football mamas!) AND cost efficient! So what's in the middle you ask? Why a cheap roll of toilet paper, of course! I mean dollar store cheap. Genius, huh?!?


All you need to make them yourself is tissue paper, ribbon, pipe cleaners, pictures, and the TP. You begin by simply wrapping the roll in tissue paper and securing the top with the ribbon. The ribbon can be curled using a pair of scissors. You then stick a pipe cleaner in the middle and attach a photo to the top of it. I found that bending the top of the pipe cleaner helped tremendously with stability. That's it! And the best part of all is that the players can take them home afterwards!


We also made each team (Freshman, JV, and Varsity) a 20X30 photo collage poster.

The players weren't the only ones who had their faces put on posters...

The coaches did too! And not just any photos either... photos of them playing football ... in high school! Seriously, how cool is that?! It was definitely the highlight of the night! Players, parents, and even the coaches themselves took turns trying to figure out who was who. SO fun!


For dinner, we catered a simple, yet delicious barbeque menu. There was pulled pork, pulled chicken, baked beans, macaroni and cheese, and coleslaw. Yum! And what would a banquet be without cake, or cakes!

We decorated both ends of the dessert table with balloons using helmets as weights. I absolutely love how they looked!

For coaches gifts, I ordered each one a personalized t-shirt. It had the team picture on the front and their name on the back. Coach Hubby also made them all a DVD of our season highlights!

And we couldn't forget about our awesome managers! I found these beautiful orange roses at my local grocery store and it was love at first site.

I made a cute little bouquet for both of them with the leftover tissue paper and ribbon, and added a gift card and team photo to go along with it.

A great time was had by all.

My boy receiving the Coaches Award wasn't too bad either!

Until next season.


GO SPARTANS!!!






*** Check out these takes on the centerpieces made by some of the awesome mamas in our Confessions of a Sports Mama Facebook Group!

Photo shared by Mindy G.

Photo shared by Ashley K.

Sports Mama Tip: 2018 Holiday Gift Ideas!

The Holiday season is upon us once again, Sports Mamas! Our tree and stockings are up, I'm pinning new cookie recipes, and my boys' wish lists have been made.


Here are some of the items they are asking for this year:




No. 1 (15 years old)

• AirPods

• NBA jerseys

• Hoodies

• Football back plate

No. 2 (13 years old):

• Uggs

• Windbreaker

• PSN gift cards

• Jeans, "ripped" ones specifically

No. 3 (10 years old):

• NBA 2k19

• Sneakers

• Books

What are your athletes asking for this year? Let me know in the comment section below!

10 Signs You're Probably a Basketball Mom

After football and soccer comes BASKETBALL! No. 1 will be playing for his high school team and both No. 2 and No. 3 will be playing rec ball through our local youth club. I can't wait! It was 33 degrees during yesterday's soccer game... 33 degrees. No, thank you!

Here are TEN telltale signs that you're probably a basketball mama too...

1. You never leave home without your stadium seat, that just so happens to be in your team colors. Ain't nobody got time for bleacher butt!
2. 99.9% of your Instagram posts end with #ballislife.
3. You have more water bottles lying around in your car than you do people in your family to actually drink from them. So that's where they all went!
4. You know your way to all of the gyms within a 50 mile radius of your house. Who needs Waze? Get yourself a basketball mom instead!
5. Summer tourneys are your family vacations. How else would you be able to squeeze in a four day trip to the beach without missing a single game or practice?!
6. Your non-basketball mom friends look at you like you're crazy when you tell them you're charged an entry fee to watch your own child play!
7. You can't wait for your baller's annual checkup with their pediatrician to find out just how much (fingers crossed!) they've grown. Is he 6'5 yet, doctor??
8. Your charm bracelet collection has been taken over by those brightly colored, admission wristbands. Pink, purple, orange, green. Name it, you've got it!
9. You know so much about sneakers that people think you work for Foot Locker; When they come out, how much they cost, what NBA players are wearing them.
10. You also know that a good pair of slides are just as essential as their sneakers, even if they are only worn on the way to and from games!

Good luck this season, Mamas!




*** Click HERE for my basketball mama survival tips and HERE to see what I carry in my basketball mama bag!

A Tribute to Football Moms Everywhere

Dear Football Mamas,




Thank you for registering us to play, season after season.

Thank you for helping us to make weight for weigh-in.

Thank you for buying us all of the necessary equipment to ensure that we're as safe as possible.

Thank you for taking us to all of our practices.

Thank you for making sure the fridge is full when we come home starving afterwards.

Thank you for filling our water bottles.

Thank you for washing our uniforms.

Thank you for waking up even earlier on the weekends than you do during the work week to drive us across town for our games.

Thank you for cutting up oranges for halftime and buying snacks to feed our teams.

Thank you for watching us play.

Thank you for always being our biggest cheerleaders, win or lose.

Thank you for wiping away our tears when we feel like we haven't played our best.

Thank you for helping heal our cuts, bumps, and bruises.

Thank you for always having a smile on your face.

Thank you for always being there for us, no matter what.

Thank you for putting your life on hold, for ours.

You're the real MVPs!

Love,




Football Players Everywhere








*** A huge thank you to the awesome mamas in our Facebook Group for submitting all of these wonderful photos! ***

Team Mama Idea: How to Make Senior Night Extra Special!

This past Friday was Senior Night for our high school football team! I don't have a Senior (yet!), but that didn't stop me from volunteering on the committee. If you've been following me along this #sportsmomjourney for some time now, you know I just couldn't help myself.

Here's what we did to make the night extra special for them.

We began by making each Senior player and manager a big head.

Click here for step by step instructions, with photos! We used X-ACTO knives instead of scissors/box cutters as mentioned in the tutorial.

Each player also got a Sports Illustrated magazine cover photo!

We used a template from a past Senior parent. He apparently used Microsoft Power Point to create them. We then printed and laminated each one.

We also spelled out the word SENIORS, followed by the numbers '19  along the fence down by the field using 12oz. orange plastic cups. I found the cups at my local party store.

I think we used close to 250 cups! Moral of the story, buy waaay more cups than you think you'll need. You can always return any unopened ones!


The big heads and SI posters are usually displayed on the fence as well, however, Mother Nature was not on our side at all. It rained cats and dogs all.day.long.

The boys also gave their mothers a flower with a hand written thank you note attached to it.

I would have been a sobbing mess. Talk about all the feels!!!

Thank you, Seniors. You will be missed!




What does your school do to celebrate this special night? Let me know in the comment section below or in the Confessions of a Sports Mama Facebook Group.




***  11/9/19 Here are a few pictures from this year's Senior Night:

And even more ideas from the awesome mamas in our Facebook Group! Have you joined us yet??

Photos submitted by Mindy G.



*** Click HERE and HERE for my most recent Senior Night ideas!!! Be sure to also check out these spirit pins (Personalized as well as Photo Option!), DIY Personalized Football Signs, and Senior Mom Jerseys! ***