Team Mama Idea: Organize a Senior Player/Mama Photo Shoot!

No. 1 is a SENIOR, mamas!!! He was in the sixth grade when I started this blog...CRAZY!

I'm team mama for the Varsity team, and my fellow football mamas and I have been dreading planning for this moment for what seems like the past 4 years. I have an entire board dedicated to Senior season on Pinterest. One of the things I just had to have was a photo of the boys with their mamas!

 

I mean seriously, doesn't it just make you want to smile and cry at the same time?!

Here are my tips for organizing your own:

• Choose a date and time. I chose the same date that the high school was taking their team photos. All of the players would already be there...in their uniforms. If you aren't as lucky, I'd suggest doing it at a practice or before a game (with the approval of the coaches, of course!). 
• Choose a location. Make it unique to your sport! Your team doesn't play outdoors? Take it inside. Don't forget to consider things like lighting and how busy it gets on that day/time.
• Hire a photographer. They don't have to be professionals. Know someone who loves to take pictures? Reach out to them! All they can do is say no. You could even do it yourself by bringing a tripod and setting the timer feature on your own camera (or phone!).
• Invite all the mamas. I asked Coach to send out an email to the team with details. No. 1 also sent a text to the players. Will they all be able to participate? Probably not. But it's worth a shot! They're all riding the emotional roller coaster right along with you. Remember that you will never be able to accommodate everyone's individual schedule, so don't stress too much.
• Set the dress code. Or not. I love a more uniformed look so I asked all of the mamas to wear a white top. Everyone has one somewhere in their closet! Another cute idea would be to wear their jersey, if they have additional ones.
• Enjoy. We all had such a great time; getting to know unfamiliar faces and reminiscing about our boys as itty bitty Freshman. They may not admit it, but the boys were happy to see their mamas too...especially the ones who aren't able to volunteer as much as some of the others.
• Share! I couldn't wait to get the photos back. So I know the other mamas couldn't either. I put them up on our website and shared them to our social media platforms as well. I also plan on having them printed and framed and handing them out at our Senior banquet!

Sending hugs to all of you Senior Mamas out there! Don't forget to join the Confessions of a Sports Mama Facebook Group to connect with thousands of Sports Mamas, just like yourself!