8 Things I've Learned as a College Football Mom

No. 1's college football season is about to kick off in 17 days! We'll be making the eight-hour truck from Virginia to Ohio to cheer our boy and his team on. I seriously cannot believe that football is back!

This will be my third year as a college football mom, so I'm no longer a rookie. Here are EIGHT (in honor of my boy's number) things I've learned along the ride:

1. It's a full-time job. You thought high school football was a lot? Collegiate athletes (specifically D1 players) have jam-packed schedules; literally from sunup to sundown. A typical in-season day for No. 1 begins with 7am breakfast, followed by practice from 8-11am, lunch, 3pm lift, meetings from 4-7pm, followed by a walk-through until 8pm, dinner, rest and repeat. Once school starts in two weeks, class and homework will be thrown in. And yep, your professors still expect your work to be turned in on time... game week or not!
2. Summers are short. See above. No. 1 was home for less than 20 days this Summer. I never want him to feel left out of our family vacations, so I am always sure to schedule them around his availability. 
3. Everyone is talented. There's a reason only 7% of high school athletes go on to play in college. You're competing with the best of the best. Work hard, be patient. Your time will come! Which brings me to number 4.
4. Redshirting is a blessing in disguise. Of course your child wants to play as soon as they get to college. They were probably always on the field (or equivalent for their sport) in high school. They wouldn't be collegiate athletes if they weren't! BUT, you will learn very quickly that the size, age, and experience of those you are competing against is drastically different. As a 19-year-old Freshman, my son had 24(24!)-year-olds on his team. (Think re-classing, redshirts, etc.) He was redshirted (as were 99%) of the Freshman on his team. This ultimately gives him an extra year of eligibility AND schooling. Looking back, it's definitely a win-win situation.
5. It's a lot of travel. For the athletes AND their families. Even though No. 1 didn't play his Freshman year, he still traveled with the team as a signal caller. Hubby and I decided early on that if he traveled, we would too. Gone are the days of playing your local hometown teams. You will be traveling to several different states. Plan early! As soon as that schedule is released, start booking your hotel stays. The closer to game day it gets, the higher the rates will be. Not only that, but rooms sell out!!
6. Those post-game 10 minutes are everything. EVERYTHING. After each away game, the families gather near the busses to await our players. That is when you can sneak in that big mama bear hug. There is nothing I look forward to more. They make every single mile worth it!
7. Find your tribe. Because just like in youth and high school sports, it takes a village. We have an amazing group of families that we tailgate and cheer with. For home games, we also do post-game tailgates and feed our boys as well as any other teammates who are hungry. Such a great tradition!
8. It goes by fast! I'd say even quicker than high school. At least it feels that way! I feel like I was just crying my eyes out and dropping him off for Freshman year. How can this possibly be year 3?! So savor every moment, mama. Take it all in. The good, and the not so good. Remember that only 7% of high school athletes are playing at this level. Never let a day pass without letting them know just how proud you are of them!

Wishing you all a healthy, successful season! GO RED FLASH!!!

Sports Mama Tip: How to Mail Your Collegiate Athlete Homemade Treats!

Two posts in a week?! I'm on a roll! Just wanted to jump on here really quick and share an idea with you all, especially for the mamas with collegiate athletes.

We never stop missing our kiddos; no matter how old they get. And whether they like to admit it or not, they miss home too. They miss us, their siblings, their room, pets, and of course homemade food! Because let's be honest, those dining halls get old. Quick!

I recently started mailing No. 1 baked goods. One of his absolute favorite things I make are rice krispie treats. I use this recipe here. It calls for more butter than the original recipe, as well as vanilla extract. The recipe also has you stir in whole marshmallows at the very end and cautions against packing them down very tightly. They come out ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS!

Perfectly sweet, moist, and fluffy. I have to stop myself from digging in the pan one too many times!

So how did I get them from VA to PA, you ask? I mailed them!

Once they were completely cooled, I cut them into squares. I then individually wrapped each square in saran wrap. And finally, I put each individually wrapped treat in a freezer bag.

And added a little handwritten note, of course!

I then headed over to my local post office and mailed them. Two days later and he had homemade rice krispie treats! And I had a happy boy!

According to google, they should stay fresh for up to five days. I advised him to put them in the fridge *if* he still had any on day four. And that was a BIG if.

College kid not a rice krispie treat fan? No worries! Two of my sports mama BFFS were telling me that they've mailed their boys cookies and brownies (one of them mailing all the way to Florida!). No complaints whatsoever!

I posted about them in the Confessions of a Sports Mama Facebook group and received even more tried and tested ideas:

• protein balls
• muffins
• candied pecans
• oreo truffles
• homemade tortillas
• blondies

I will definitely be trying some many of them! Speaking of the Facebook group, have you joined us yet? 57,000+ real sports mamas, just like yourself!

I hope you found this post helpful. Do you mail your collegiate athlete something not mentioned above? I'd love to hear about it!

Sports Mama Tip: College Football Game Day Must-Haves!

Long time no see blog. Life is still busy, per usual. We moved No. 1 into his college dorm room a little over a month ago. He had to report early for football camp. No. 2 is a Senior and No. 3 is a Freshman. My baby... a Freshman! I'm still working full time, momming, on the Board of our High School Football Booster Club, and trying my best to keep up with all things Confessions of a Sports Mama (including our Facebook group which by the way has over 30,000 members now!). Speaking of, have you joined us yet?

This past week I attended No. 1's first college football game!!! Talk about all the feels. It was 5 hours and 45 minutes away from home, so I wanted to be sure that I was as prepared as possible. There was absolutely no turning around if I forgot something. So I asked for help in the group, and of course, they came through!

Here is a list of our college football game day must-haves, in no particular order. Except for the first.:

• Clear stadium bag. Just about all other types of bags (backpacks, fanny packs, purses) are banned in most stadiums. The only bag you are allowed to bring in? A clear bag no larger than 12" x 6" x 12". I found mine on Amazon. You can even find some with colored handles, for those of us who want to match them to our team colors.
• Hand sanitizer. I always carry it. Pretty self explanatory. Came in super handy after meeting/shaking hands with parents, especially during the tailgate.
• Sunscreen. Who likes to be sunburned? And because you already know that you're going to be sitting in direct sun if you're at an away game. Isn't it funny how that always happens?
• Sunglasses. Refer to the previous must-have.
• FAN. Paper fan. A battery operated fan. A piece of mail. Anything to fan yourself with. Game day is HOT. Especially in the beginning of the season.
• Portable phone charger. Game days are long. Nothing worse than a dead phone.
• Poncho. Because Mother Nature. And because umbrellas are a no-go in most college stadiums.
• Wallet. To purchase food/drinks from the concession stand. Or to buy some new team swag (can we ever have enough?). One mama suggested carrying cash too, just in case the credit card machines go down.
• Spirit items. Cowbell. Pom poms. Streamers. We are their number one fans after all!
• Positivity. College football can be an emotional roller coaster. Remember, they aren't in high school anymore. Coaches are playing to win, not to make everyone happy. Cheer loud. Be proud! Only 7% of high school athletes make it to this level!

Something I missed that you don't leave home without? Please let me know. I'm still learning the ropes!

GO TEAM!