Sports Mama Tip: 5 Ways to Volunteer That Don't Require a Ton of Time

An interesting topic came up yesterday on my never ending football mama group chat. We got onto the discussion of volunteers, specifically how it seems to always be the same people volunteering for everything; sports, school, etc.


After sending several eye roll gifs back and forth (true story!), our group chat moved in a different direction. One of my favorite mamas said, "I think people want to help but don't know how or are afraid to step on toes. I remember my first season I was worried about stepping on Mindy and Vanessa's toes-but I was being silly.". And you know what? I completely understood her. In fact, I replied telling her that I'm kind of at that place with No. 2's team. Now his team mama is just as sweet as she can be, and has never given me a reason to feel that way, but I still do.


That chat was the inspiration for this post. I know there are probably so many others who feel the same way; so many others who want to volunteer but may not have the time to coach or be team mama; or so many others who want to volunteer, but quite simply just don't know how.


If you fit into those one of those categories, this post is just for you.


Here are 5 great ways to volunteer that do not require too much time:

1. Be the snack patrol. You can volunteer to organize post-game snacks and drinks for the team. Whether you send out an electronic sign-up sheet or do it the good ol' fashion way, your team mama will appreciate you... and so will those hungry and thirsty little (and maybe, not-so-little!) players!
2. Work the concession stand. This is a way to volunteer to help not only your child's team, but the entire club as a whole. Pick a date that works for you, donate a few hours, and flip those burgers mama!
3. Head up coaches gifts. This is a FANTASTIC way to help! Especially when your team mama is the coach's wife. It can feel a little awkward for some to ask for money to spend on their husband. Click HERE for some of my favorite end of season gift ideas!
4. Be the team photographer. This is a great idea for those that already love being behind the camera. Volunteer to take game pictures and then post them to your team's share site. Click HERE for some of my photography tips!
5. Work the chains (or the equivalent in your sport). Our football club requires 3 volunteers (aged 16 and over) to work the chains at all home games. The game cannot and will not begin without them. The best part is that you literally get to stand on the sidelines. There is not a better seat in the house!

Like I've said a million times before, youth sports definitely take a village!


I hope you found this post helpful. Please feel free to share any other volunteer ideas you may have in the comment section below.

Happy volunteering!

Team Mama Idea: 6 Personalized Coaches Gift Ideas!

"A good coach can change a game, a great coach can change a life"- John Wooden.


Being married to a youth sports coach, I know first-hand just how much work and effort (all volunteer!) goes into the job. They spend countless hours (both on the field and off) dedicating their time and knowledge to our young children. For this reason, I am always sure to reward my boys' coaches with a little something at the end of the season as a token of our appreciation.


Here are some of my favorite gift ideas (with links to where you can get them yourself!):

• Personalized Beer Glasses

• Personalized Sports Balls

(Basketballs were ordered from this (new to me) shop)

• Personalized Whistle

• Framed Photo Ball, Signed By Team



• Gift Card With Sports Themed Holders



• Personalized Team Photo Card

I hope you found these gift ideas helpful. Let me know your favorite coaches gift ideas in the comment section below!

Sports Mama Update: Here's what we gave No. 1's Freshman basketball coach. The poster collage was made by a student. He loved it!!

*** Have an amazing Team Mama that you'd like to thank as well? Click HERE for ideas!

Team Mama Idea: Throw a Team Tailgate!

Peanut butter and jelly. Chocolate chip cookies and milk. Banana splits and cherries. FOOTBALL AND FOOD! Some things just belong together!


Coach Hubby and I host team tailgates following the last practice before every home game. We like to do these to encourage team bonding, for both players and parents alike! It also rewards them for a job well done during the week. Not to mention it eliminates the always dreaded question, "what's for dinner?". Ugh. Seriously. Why must they want dinner every single day? *insert overly exaggerated eye roll*


Here are my tips for throwing an awesome tailgate:

• Plan ahead. This is probably my biggest tip. Don't wait until the day before. That's a sure way to end up running around like a chicken with your head cut off! About a week before, begin to plan out the menu for the tailgate, the location, check the weather, etc.

• Have a well rounded (kid friendly!) meal. I always begin planning the menu with the "main course" in mind. Some of my favorites are (crockpot) hot dogs, chili, tacos, pizza, and pulled bbq sandwiches. To accompany the main dish, I make sure we have fruit, chips, dessert, and drinks.

• Ask for volunteers. This is a must! You don't want all of the work (and cost!) to fall on you. I will usually bring the main dish and depend on volunteers to bring the rest. The absolute easiest way I've found to be sure that your volunteers don't all bring the same thing is by using SignUp Genius. Don't forget to add condiments, plates, and napkins to your list of needed items! Your volunteers will be sent a reminder email a couple of days before.

• Allow others to help you. I contemplated grouping this tip with the previous one, but decided that it belongs on it's own. The type of help I'm referring to here is physical help; set up, pick up (i.e. pizzas), food serving, clean up. There is no I in team. It takes a village!

• Get everyone involved. I am always sure that we have enough food for the players, coaches, little siblings, AND their parents. You don't want everyone else sitting around watching them eat.

• Remember the little things. Trash bag(s), plastic gloves for serving, hand sanitizer, folding table, serving spoons. You know, the things that are easily forgotten.

• Have fun! Kick back, relax, and enjoy the moment. Listen to the team tell funny stories, watch the little siblings chase one another around the field, share a mama drink with one of your football besties.

This is football. Football is family!

I hope you find these tips helpful and even use some of them when throwing your next tailgate. GO TEAM!

Sports Mama Tip: Hassle Free, Crockpot Hot Dogs

Kiss the days of having to tote around a small grill or a million individually foil wrapped hot dogs goodbye! My favorite way to prepare hotdogs for a sports team is in the crockpot! Yes, you heard read right. YOU CAN MAKE HOT DOGS IN THE CROCKPOT!!!

Why do I like making them in the crockpot? Let me count the ways! For starters, it's super easy. All you need is a crockpot and hot dogs. Here's what you do:

1. Remove the hot dogs from their packaging and place them into your crockpot. You can stack them or stand them upright. Your preference. I have fit up to 50 hot dogs in mine!
2. Place the lid on your crockpot. No need to add water! Cook them on high for two hours or low for four hours. That's it. The slow cooker will do all of the work!
3. Remove them with tongs when ready to serve.

Could it get any easier?!?

Another reason I prefer making them this way is because they are portable, which makes for easy traveling. You can even cook them at the field, so long as there is an electrical outlet.


They also stay warm. Once they are finished cooking, simply set your crockpot to the "warm" setting and walk away until ready to serve.


And finally, no more soggy buns! There is nothing worse than soggy bread. I keep them in the crockpot until the very last minute possible. They go from crockpot to bun to mouth. Yum!

I hope this tip was helpful. Next time you have an army to feed, buy some hot dogs and whip out that crockpot!

Sports Mama Review: isplack Colored Eye Black

I love supporting my boys and their teams in any and every way possible! From attending each and every game to being team mom to wearing their team colors- I try to do it all.  Nail polish, shirts, hats, jewelry... if it comes in their colors, I probably have it!


Colored eye black is one of my absolute favorite ways to show my team spirit. It's quick, easy, and inexpensive. Not all eye black is created equal, so isplack is the way I go.


What makes iSplack different from other eye black? It is waterproof, sweat proof, and contains NO harmful chemicals. I use it on my 12 and 13 year old's faces (as well as their teammates!), so being healthy and safe for their young, sensative skin is a must!


As previously mentioned, my boys switched football teams this season. A new team means new colors! isplack comes in fourteen different colors, so I knew that they'd have the exact blue and orange that I was looking for. Electric Orange and True Blue were the perfect match!

The colors are very vibrant, the texture is super creamy (reminds me of a high-end lipstick!), and it is extremely easy to apply.


The boys were so excited to wear it yesterday! In fact, one of No. 2's teammates even said, "we better win since we have this war paint on!". And they won, alright. 19-0! Ha!

A whole football game (and a bunch of sweat!) later...

and their colors were still on!


Don't worry, mamas. Players aren't the only ones who can rock it!

I'm wearing the color Pure Maroon in the top photo, and the bottom two are in Power Pink (which by the way is THE perfect pink to use next month to support Breast Cancer Awareness!).

isplack's colored eye black retails for $8.99 and can be purchased on their website, at your local Dick's Sporting Goods, or on Amazon.

This product is a MUST for Sports Mamas of every sport!

What are you waiting for? Get your colors on!!!










*** Disclaimer: isplack was kind enough to send me their product in the colors True Blue and Electric Orange, however, all thoughts and opinions are solely my own.***

Weekend Snapshots: Getting My Artsy Fartsy On!

Over the last week, I've managed to get a few arts and crafts done despite having to work full time, chauffer the boys back and forth to both football and soccer practices, nurse No. 2's ankle back to health, deal with a nasty stomach bug of my own (ugh!), not to mention every other thing us mamas do on a daily basis.


I made two shirts. Well, I didn't literally make them. I purchased rhinestone transfers from Etsy and ironed them on.


I made a football shirt.

And a soccer shirt!

Bling bling, baby! Quick shipping, great quality, and super easy to do. I absolutely LOVE how they came out!


I also gave some of my old cowbells a little makeover.

My original plan was to get rid of them since we changed clubs this season and have new colors. Then I remembered that I had a can of orange spray paint sitting around. Seriously, is there anything a little spray paint (and glitter tape!) can't fix?!? I can't wait to give them to some of my new football mama friends!


Have a great week, mamas!

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

It's the most wonderful time of the year... FOOTBALL SEASON! Ready or not, it's here! And I don't know about you, but I'd rather be ready, than not.

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

• Planner. If you've read some of my past sports mama bag posts, you're probably noticing that I have a new one. It's about half the size of my old one, but still does the same job. No. 1 and No. 2 are on two different teams this season and No. 3 is playing soccer. There's just no way I can store their schedules (plus my own!) in my mama fogged brain!
• Cowbell. Because this is football! Click HERE to read a full review on the one I am using this year.
• Stadium seat. 99% of their games are played at local high schools, so no need to bring a chair. However, bleachers are not the most comfortable (not to mention that they can get super hot or be wet).
• Eye black. One of the best AND easiest ways to show your team spirit. My favorite brand is isplack - long lasting, fourteen colors to choose from, and contains no harmful chemicals.
• Touchdown Jar! Don't know what a touchdown jar is? Click HERE to read all about it!
• Camera. I take hundred of photos at each and every game and then upload them to our team page. Even if you're not ready to tackle being the official team photographer, I still suggest you taking photos with a real camera over your cellphone. There is just not comparison when it comes to the quality.
• Mini first-aid kid/icepack. Most coaches will have them, but I still like to carry my own- just in case.
• Snacks/water. Game days can be long. Especially when they're away games. Between time traveling to and from the game, and the allotted game time, someone's bound to be hungry... myself included!
• Money. Because sometimes those concession stand hotdogs smell WAY too good to resist!
• Hand Sanitizer. I never leave home without it.
• Cell phone. I use mine for directions when going to unfamiliar fields, to take videos, and even to access our team roster and post score updates on TeamSnap. How cool is that?

Anything you carry in your football mama bag that I don't? Let me know in the comment section down below!

*** Click HERE to read what I carry in my soccer mama bag and HERE for my basketball mama bag!***