Sports Mama Tip: Travel Basketball Backpack Essentials

I've already written a What's In My Basketball Mama Bag post, but what should your travel basketball player pack in THEIR bag???


No. 1 is currently using the Nike Hoops Elite Backpack. They were ordered as a team. It's water resistant, has a mesh sleeve that can fit up to a size 15 (15!) pair of sneakers, a vented wet/dry compartment which allows him to store any dirty clothes, and not to mention pretty cool looking!

Here's what goes inside:

• Basketball sneakers. Most travel players wear slides aka sandals or non-basketball sneakers to and from the games. Comfort is key.
• Shooting shirt. Gym temperatures are so unpredictable. It may be a little too cool to walk around in just a jersey while waiting for the game to begin. If it's really cold out, you can throw in a sweatshirt.
• Knee Pads. They're used to protect their knees should they go down, but I'm pretty sure most kids these days mainly wear them for looks.
• Mouthpiece. Chipped teeth can happen in basketball too!
• Headband. To keep the sweat out of their eyes and/or the hair out of their face.
• Water Bottle. Self explanatory. Hydration is crucial! I usually add some powdered Gatorade mix to it. Much cheaper than buying bottled Gatorades!
• Hand sanitizer. This is definitely me being a mama bear. My *hope* is that he'll use it when snacking in between games.
• Cellphone. Because he's a teenager. And because sometimes I can't make it due to scheduling conflicts with No. 2 and No. 3. This allows me to reach him for game updates, should I need to.
• Snacks. Tournaments can be LONG. They will get hungry, it's a given. I make sure he has a mixture of fruit, granola bars, and something sweet.
• Cash. Sometimes they need more than snacks. Especially when there are hours in between games. I like to be sure he has a little money should he need to buy a hotdog or something more filling from the concession stand.

I hope you found this post helpful! If you have any other suggestions, please feel free to share them in the comment section below.

Go Stars!!!






*** Click HERE to read my AAU Tournament Survival Tips!

Soccer Mama Survival Tips

Ah, soccer season! Time to soak up the sun and have some FUN! I only have one child playing soccer this Spring, but I have spent more years of my "mom life" as a soccer mama than any other type of sports mama.


Here are some of my favorite, tried and tested tips for making the best of the season:

• Buy an outdoor chair. When you're not jumping up and down cheering, you'll be doing quite a bit of sitting. Be sure to find one that's comfortable and easily transportable. Mine has a built-in cup holder, perfect for my morning cup of Joe! You can go all out if you'd like and find one with a canopy or even one that reclines! Don't be afraid to invest in good quality, I've had mine for years and years now!
• Dress for the weather. You're going to be outside, most likely without a single bit of shade. Be sure you are prepared. If it's cold, layer up. If it's raining, take an umbrella. If it's sunny, grab your favorite pair of shades and some sunscreen. You don't want to be looking like Larry the Lobster the next day!
• Pack a soccer mama bag. Click HERE to read what I'm sure to carry with me to each and every game. You name it, I probably have it in my bag. It's better to be over prepared than under prepared!
• Invest in a good camera lens. If you plan on taking action shots, this is a must. Soccer fields are HUGE. There's just no way your standard 18-55mm lens will get the job done. I purchased mine second hand from Craigslist and I absolutely love it. Not a single scratch in site. Just be sure to do your research first.
• Pack extra water. This is crucial! My boys have been known to run out of water before the end of the game...especially when it's 80+ degrees out. You want to be sure that they stay well hydrated. When it's going to be really hot out, you can freeze the water the night before. We'll sometimes even pack a small cooler to take with us.
• Re-up on your Febreze! Y'all already know that Febreze is my BFF. There is a whole lotta sweating that goes on in soccer. Have you ever smelled post-game shin guards or goalie gloves? Or better yet, your post-game kid?! YUCK! Spray away, mama. Spray away!
• Have fun! One day you'll wake up and no longer have anyone to drive to practice (or games!). So cheer loud, take pictures, share them with friends and family, and most importantly be their number one fan! Win or lose! The world is already full of enough critics.

Good luck this season!




*** Do your kids play other sports? If so, click HERE to read my Football Mama Survival Tips or HERE to read my Basketball Mama Survival Tips.

What's In My Sports Mama Bag? Soccer Edition!

It's soccer season!!! Time to dust off that outdoor chair and grab your favorite pair of shades!

Here's a look inside of my soccer mama bag:

• Planner. I don't go anywhere without it. One of the attorney's I work for won't even place anything on top of it, ha! He calls it "the holy grail". And that's exactly what it is; if mama doesn't know what's going on, no one does.
• Sunscreen. Simple. Ain't nobody got time for sunburn!
• Bug spray. Or bug bites! No. 2 plays on natural grass, so there's bound to be something flying around.
• Sunglasses. Who doesn't want to keep the sun out of their eyes...AND look cute while doing it?!?
• Mini first-aid kit. You just never know. Better to be over prepared than under prepared.
• Icepack. Coaches usually have them, but I like to pack an extra one just in case.
• Chapstick. My lips are still chapped from the Winter. I like to apply chapstick pretty frequently, especially when I'm outdoors. My current favorite is the Burt's Bees Tinted Lip Balm in the color Hibiscus. It's the perfect "your lips but better" color.
• Water bottle. Soccer players aren't the only ones that get thirsty! Their mamas do too. (As do their fathers and siblings who forget to bring their own!)
• Snacks. Someone always swears they're starving...even if we just left home 15 minutes ago.
• Cell phone. Because what are we without them? Not to mention that they take some pretty decent videos if you forget your camcorder.
• Hand sanitizer. I'm a germaphobe. I confess. A pretty big one at that. That's why!

If you carry something in your bag that I don't, I'd love for you to share it with me!


Good luck to your soccer stars this season!




*** Click HERE to see inside of my basketball mama bag (as well as where I purchased my custom tote bag from!) and HERE to see inside of my football mama bag.***

Thankful Thursday- March 23, 2017

• It's SPRING! Finally! Though it's currently only a "whopping" 28 degrees (brrrr!) with an expected high of just 47 degrees today. Boo. I'll take it though! Good days are ahead. Saturday is going to be a sunny, mild, beautiful 74 degrees! I'm thinking that calls for a pedi! Wouldn't you agree?
• Comfiest sneakers ever. I've recently become of a bit of a sneaker girl. Gasp! Years ago, you couldn't pay me to wear a pair (unless I was working out). I'm finding myself reaching for sneakers more and more these days. My newest pair are Nike Free RN Flyknits. Let me just tell you...they are THE comfiest pair of shoes I have ever owned. Seriously! Go out and get your a pair, girl!
• Outdoor homework. Guess what No. 3's homework was this past Monday? To plant cabbage! How awesome is that?!? I loved seeing him get his hands dirty (well, not too dirty. He used my gardening gloves. Ha!). I wish more assignments were like this. Children need to spend more time outdoors and less time in front of screens. It also gives him some responsibility; making sure to water his cabbage, that it receives enough sunlight, weeding it. There is even a $1,000 scholarship being awarded to the child who grows the largest cabbage. And if you know my boys, you know that they are all competitive. He is determined to win!
• First tournament, first win! No. 1 is playing AAU basketball this Spring and Summer. His team had their first tournament this past weekend and WON!!! A big win, might I add. They went 4-0, never trailed in a single game, and won them all convincingly. They beat one of the teams 56-8...holy cow! You'd never know it was their first time playing together. They all looked good! Hopefully, this is just the beginning. We have our second tournament this weekend. Fingers (and toes!) crossed. Go Stars!
• Today is my FRIDAY! Woot woot! I took tomorrow off to spend with my mom before she heads back home and it just so happens that my boys have the day off from school as well. No plans have been set in stone just yet, but we're looking at a trip to the nail shop, bowling, and hiking as possibilities. I can't wait!

What are you thankful for today?

Team Mama Idea: Basketball End of Season Ideas

Basketball season has come and gone! At least non-AAU basketball which is a whole different animal. We'll talk about that sometime soon, I'm sure.


Although I was never officially "crowned" team mama (none of the boys' teams had one), I tried to help out where I could. For No. 3, I ran our TeamSnap and took pictures here and there. I also took up the collection for his Coach's gift. His coach has been nothing short of amazing with the team. Coaching 8 silly and super energetic, third grade boys (who also happen to have some of the shortest attention spans I've ever seen!) is no easy task!


We presented him with an Amazon gift card as well as a framed picture of a basketball, signed by all of the boys on the team. I found the picture on Pinterest as well as these cute, FREE printable gift card holders. Just download, print on cardstock, and attach with the gift card of your choice-that's it!

Coach absolutely loved his gift! He said it would be going up in his office.

No. 3 earned a new medal to add to his collection! (Click HERE to see how I organize them).

And the end of the season just wouldn't have been complete without cupcakes! I bought blue liners and decorated them with orange sprinkles to match our team colors.

I decorated the other half of the cupcakes like basketballs for No. 2's team. Click HERE to read my original post, if you'd like to know exactly what I used.

How awesome is the thank you card the parents gave Coach Hubby?! I absolutely love it! The mama who coordinated the coaches gifts said she had it made at Walgreens. I will definitely be using her idea in the future!

Speaking of awesome, check out my shirt y'all! I'm obsessed.

Not that two basketball games, baking, and cosmic bowling with a bunch of eleven year old boys counts as staying in bed.

Until next season!

5 Bad Sports Parent Habits to Break...Now!

We all have probably been guilty of at least one of these at one point or another. However, don't be "that" parent. Break the cycle, now. Your kids, their coaches, and fellow sports parents will thank you later.

1. The drop-off parent. You know, the one that uses the two hour practice as free babysitting? I get that we all have lots to do and not a lot of time, however, try and make it to a few of their practices if you can. You will stay up to date on team news, meet some pretty cool parents, and possibly even see why it is that your kid didn't get as much playing time this week as they did last week.
2. The non-volunteering parent. I've said it before, and I'll say it again (and again!), it takes a village. There are so many ways to get involved with your child's team/league. Volunteer to bring snacks after the game, volunteer to work the score board, volunteer to help with chains at home games, volunteer to work the concession stand. It should never have to fall on the same people, no matter how much they are willing to do! After all, your player looks forward to the halftime oranges just as much as the rest of the kids on his team.
3. The side-line coach parent. Yeah, you know who I'm talking about. The one that thinks the real coach has the wrong starting line up. Or the one who yells his own plays from the bleachers. Or the one who tells a child to go left, even though coach specifically told him to go right. Just don't do it. If you want to coach, do it the right way. Sign up at the beginning of the season, attend the meetings, complete the required background check just like everyone else did. It's confusing and flat out not fair to your child to have to choose between listening to his father or his coach. 
4. The my kid is the best parent. We all think our children are the greatest, that's what us parents do. However, shouting it out during the middle of the game because coach just benched your all-star is not the place. Take all of that energy and practice with him behind the scenes. They can't control the minutes they play, but they can control the play in the minutes they get.
5. The no clue what time the game (or practice!) is parent. Chances are the team has some type of share site that will even send you reminders the day before the game. If not, I'm pretty sure coach emailed you the schedule at the beginning of the season. Save it. Print it out. Write it in your planner like I do. Tie a string around your finger. Do whatever you have to do to be sure your athlete arrives on time. Not only is his coach waiting for him, his teammates are as well. There's nothing worse than having to run right onto the field without having done a single warm-up...can we say cramp waiting to happen?

At the end of the day, the money we spend, the countless time we invest, and the gas our truck guzzles running all over town is all for one thing, them. Let's not ruin it!

That's it... unless you have one that I missed!


End rant.

Team Mama Idea: Basketball Breakfast Kabobs

I'm snack mama again, y'all! Being that today's game was at 9am (yawn!), I wanted to be sure that I included somewhat of a breakfast(y) component. Here's what I came up with:

Basketball breakfast kabobs! Strawberries, grapes, donut holes, and a marshmallowy treat...what's not to like?


Want to make them yourself? Here's all you need:

• Strawberries
• Grapes
• Donut holes
• Marshmallows (large)
• Orange color mist
• Black edible color marker
• Skewers

I did all the prep work last night (wash and cut the fruit, color the marshmallows, and draw on the basketball lines).

I waited to assemble them until about an hour before the game to ensure that the donut holes and marshmallows didn't get soggy from the fruit.


TADA!!

I also included a traditional snack as well as drinks to go alongside the kabobs.

They were a big hit with the team AND the parents! No. 3 even said that I was "the best snack mom". Totally makes the extra work worth it!

GO HOYAS!!!


***Click HERE to read my most recent early morning snack idea or HERE to read my previous basketball snack ideas, including a free printable!