10,000 STRONG... and Counting!

We did it, Sports Mamas! WE DID IT! Our Facebook Group hit 10,000 members last week!!! 10,000! So amazing.

So why should you join, if you haven't already? Let me tell you why. It doesn't matter whether you're a football mama, a soccer mama, a basketball mama, a baseball mama, a swim mama, a wrestling mama, or a dance mama. All Sports Mamas; rookie, seasoned and retired are welcomed.

It's a fun, positive place to share personal tips, tricks, experiences, victories and defeats. We share photos, stories, and ask questions.

No judgement passed. Just support!

But don't just take it from me. Here's what our Mamas have to say.

• A place where you can "brag" about your athlete's accomplishments and victories without embarrassment or feeling bad.
• Good advice from other moms.
• Shared experiences... we appreciate each other because we know.
• Seeing the accomplishments of kids you've followed online and will probably never meet in person but feeling so happy for that kid because as a mom, you know how happy that mom is.
• Such an amazing place for us Sports Mom's to come together.
• Have never felt more belonging or "at home" in a FB group before!!

So if you're ready to be part of this awesome, private, women only, Sports Mom community, click HERE to join us today! If you're already a part of it, thank you. Thank you. THANK YOU!

Team Mama Idea: DIY Candy Leis for Senior Night!

Another Senior Night is in the books for No. 1! We celebrated our Senior basketball players last week during the final home game of the season. I can't believe how fast time is going.

I wasn't Team Mama for a change so not only did I get a chance to relax, but I was totally surprised as well!

There was this cute balloon display, which also served as the perfect photo backdrop.

Each Senior had a banner.

Our Team Mama made special programs which included photos and bios of each of our Seniors. The team managers each got a beautiful bouquet, us Mamas got roses (in our school colors, of course!), and our boys got leis!!!

In Hawaii, leis are given for many celebratory events, especially graduations and birthdays. To honor our Seniors on Senior Night, our Team Mama made them candy leis!

I absolutely loved them! So unique and special. And guess what? She was sweet enough to give me the instructions to share with you all! So if you're interested in making a candy lei (or several!) for your next celebratory event, keep on reading.

What you'll need:

• fun-sized candies 
• cellophane
• curling ribbon
• scissors 
• tape

What you do:

1. Roll out your cellophane (about 7 inches wide) and lay out the fun-sized candy bars on top to see how long you'd like to make the lei. (She used approximately 10 candies). Be sure to leave enough space between candy bars to tie the ribbon.
2. Cut the cellophane to size and fold it over the candy bars, enclosing the candy into the cellophane. 
3. Tape ends of cellophane, creating a tube.
4. Cut 10 pieces of curling ribbon (approximately 10 inches long) and begin tying the ribbons between each candy bar. Leave a 2 inch space at the beginning and end of each cellophane tube.
5. To close the lei, tuck the 2 inch cellophane end into the other and tie a ribbon to close it.
6. Curl the ribbons between each candy using scissors.

After the game our boys had pizza and cupcakes.

 

Hard to believe that No. 1's basketball career is coming to an end. Seems like just yesterday he was shooting the ball into No. 2's baby swing... bittersweet, for sure! 

We'll miss you Class of  '22!!!

*** Special thanks to our Team Mama, Kristin S. for her help with this post! Also to Paolo Films for the 5th pic.

Sports Mama Tip: Recruiting Process 101

2.2.22.... February 2, 2022.... One of the best days of my life aka National Signing Day. No. 1 did it, mamas! He signed his National Letter of Intent to continue his academic and football career at the next level. I HAVE A COLLEGIATE ATHLETE!!!

No. 1's been playing the Quarterback position since he was 8 years old. In fact, he was only 12 when I started this blog, crazy! We didn't really begin the recruitment process until his Junior year. He is our oldest and the first collegiate athlete on both sides of the family, so we really had no guidance. If we did, we would have known to begin much sooner.

I don't want you all to make the same mistakes we did, which is why I decided to write this blog post. Now I am by no means claiming to be an expert in this area, however, I did learn a lot along the ride. And thankfully, it all worked out. No. 1 achieved his goal of receiving an athletic scholarship at the Division 1 level!

Here are my 10 tips to help you navigate the recruitment process:

1. GRADES. This is my MOST important tip. Get that GPA as high as you possibly can. One of the first things that a college coach will ask you is what your GPA is. Don't wait until your Junior and Senior year to start. It will be very hard to do at that point. A's and B's, little to no C's! People are often misinformed when they read the NCAA eligibility guidelines. They see that they only need a 2.3 for D1 and a 2.0 for D2. That is the bare minimum to be eligible to play yes, but you still have to be accepted to the college. It doesn't matter how good you are!
2. Visit the NCAA Eligibility Center. Create a free account. There is no need to upgrade to the paid account until you are sure that your athlete will be playing at the Division 1 or 2 level. Be sure that you are on track to meet all of the requirements to be eligible; including GPA, core courses, and test scores.
3. Film. Make sure your athlete has film. This is one of the biggest ways that your athlete will be evaluated. If your high school or club team doesn't record games, you do it. Film is your best marketing tool. You don't need a fancy camera, you can even record on your iPhone. Don't wait until they're on Varsity to start. Your kid is on the Freshman or JV team? Get film! You want to be on coaches radars sooner, rather than later.
4. Social Media. Social media is huge! Almost all of my son's contact with coaches came via Twitter. Have your athlete follow schools they're interested in, as well as the coaches. Make sure your athlete's handle is professional; it should be their name not something like "Flashy Dude 21". List their position, measurements, and GPA in the bio. Have them toot their own horn. Upload your film and share your accomplishments. Get chosen as a team captain? Share it! Earned a scholar athlete award? Share it! Broke a school record? Share it! Share, share, SHARE! 
5. Camps. From our personal experience camps at specific colleges you are interested in are the way to go, not combines. Combines turned out to be more of money grabs. College coaches are rarely at combines. Focus your time and energy where it can potentially pay off.
6. Do NOT pay for a recruiting service. I repeat, DO NOT PAY FOR A RECRUITING SERVICE! It is totally not needed. Google is your best friend, mama. Use it. Google the colleges you are interested in, find the contact info for the coaches (head and position) and send them your film. Film is what will draw them in.
7. Be realistic. Not everyone is a Division 1 athlete, and that is ok. Only 7% of high school athletes go on to a play a sport in college, with less than 2% going on to play at the D1 level. Do not discredit Division 2 and 3 schools, or even JUCOs. Playing in college, at any level, is a huge accomplishment!
8. Respond to all coaches. This ties in with number 7. No. 1 had contact with coaches from all 3 divisions and responded to each and every one of them. You never know where they can end up. My neighbor played Division 1 soccer. She was originally recruited to play Division 2 soccer, however that Coach ended up moving up to Division 1 and took her with him. The athletic world is very small. Don't burn your bridges!
9. Let your kid lead the way. This is their future, not yours. Coaches want to hear from them, not you. The purpose of calls and visits is for the college coach to get to know the athlete better. They want to see/hear how they conduct themselves; their maturity level, their plans for the future, if they will be the right fit for their program. You can definitely help them, just take a backseat. Help them come up with a list of colleges, proofread their emails before sending out, remind them to check and respond to their messages.
10. Enjoy the ride. No one said it would be easy, but they did say it would be worth it. Everyone's ride is different. Some kids have 20+ offers, some have 1. Some have full rides, some have PWOs. Try not to stress too much. The process will be over before you know it and you will be wishing for the time back. I promise.

I hope you found this post helpful! For daily #sportsmomlife inspiration, be sure to join the Confessions of a Sports Mama Facebook Group and connect with thousands and thousands of REAL Sports Mamas, just like yourself!

I Will Miss Those Friday Night Lights...

High School football has come and gone for No. 1. I honestly can't believe it. I still remember his first youth game; he scored two touchdowns, one of which sent us into overtime. His first game on the Freshman team; he played quarterback, safety, and was the punter AND field goal kicker (we won 20-0!). And of course his first Varsity start, he threw for 375 yards and 6 touchdowns...in 30 something degree weather!

It's so very bittersweet.  

I will miss driving him and his teammates to and from practice; hearing them talk and laugh about what happened, rolling down all the windows trying not pass out from the smell of their pads.

I will miss waking up while it's still dark outside to take them breakfast to eat after 6am walk-thrus. The looks on peoples faces when they walk past me and the 75 bananas in my grocery cart. True story! I struggle to wake up for work, but somehow could always pull myself out of bed for the team. Hearing them whisper "we have the best team moms EVER" definitely helped!

I will miss feeding the team and coaches their pre-game meals. Man, can those boys put away some food! Them coming together to say "Thank you, Moms!" when finished. Luckily, I always recorded it so I can look back and reminisce whenever I feel like it.

I will miss spending time with my favorite football mama BFF's. Selling spirit wear together, our trips to Costco, our craft nights, coordinating our game day outfits. Cheering, laughing, and crying in those stands together. Loving each other's boys the way we love our own.

I will miss those Friday nights, under the lights. The band, the cheerleaders, the colored smoke as the boys run out of the big helmet. The student section chants, hearing Sweet Caroline being played on the loud speaker, and ringing my cowbell of course.

I read a quote online and I couldn't agree more; "Football is not a lifetime sport... but high school football IS a once in a lifetime experience".

Youth sports; The days are long, but the years are short. WAY TOO SHORT. 

Enjoy every moment, Mama. You'll be touring colleges before you know it.

Team Mama Idea: DIY Photo Cupcake Toppers + NEW Senior Night Ideas!

It happened, Mamas. Senior Night for No. 1 was this past Friday. And guess what? I actually made it through without crying! I know, I know. HOW?!? Well, for starters I was crying on and off all week long. I was also running around like a chicken with my head cut off making sure that everything was set and that everyone knew where to be, and what to do. And finally, I spent waaaay too long doing my makeup to cry and forever look a hot mess in pictures. #FORREALS

Senior Night actually began at 4pm for the team (3pm for us mamas). We arrived earlier than we normally do to set up for our pre-game meal. We wanted to make it extra special for our 16 Seniors, so we decided to set the table for them. We found a bunch of football themed supplies, as well as plates and a table cover in our team colors at our local party store.

We let the Seniors choose what they wanted to eat this week, and of course they chose Chick-fil-A. I mean, can you blame them?! We picked up assorted chips and fruit to go alongside the chicken sandwiches. 

And for dessert...

They had individual bundt cakes, with these super cute, photo toppers!

They were one of my favorite details of all! Sure, you can order them. But it's more fun (and cost effective!) to make them yourself! 

Here's how.

What you need:

• Wallet sized photos (2 for each player)
• Foam board
• Scissors
• X-Acto knife
• Glue
• Cake topper sticks

What you do:

• Cut your photos. I decided to round the edges a bit. If you have a pair of those scissors that cut decorative edges, they'd be perfect for this!

• Trace photos onto your foam board. You only need to trace one photo for each player as the toppers are double sided.

• Cut out the shapes you traced using an X-ACTO knife. Then glue them on to the foam board.

• Once you've glued your photos on both the front and back, stick one of the cake toppers into the bottom of the foam board- no glue needed!

That's it! So simple yet they were totally one of the stars of the show!

Here's a look at how the rest of the night went.

My football mama BFF ordered this amaaaaazing balloon display.

Did I exaggerate?!? It was a show stopper! So many people stopped to take photos in front of it. 

We decorated the fence at the bottom of the stands with banners and balloons.

Each Senior had a fathead (click HERE to learn how we made them) as well as a poster.

Us Senior Mamas got cowbells with our boys' numbers on them!

As well as an orange rose with a hand written thank you note from our player... sniff sniff.

We also wore our sons' jerseys. SO fun!

The night was absolutely perfect. The sky was the most beautiful it had been all season long!

I can't believe it's come and gone so quickly.

Once a Spartan, always a Spartan! WE LOVE YOU, SENIORS!!!

I hope you found this post helpful. For daily sports mama inspiration, be sure to join the Confessions of a Sports Mama Facebook Group!

*** Click here and here to read my previous Senior Night Ideas!

Team Mama Idea: Decorate Your Athlete's Locker for Senior Night!

Happy Tuesday, Sports Mamas! I hope you all are well. I just wanted to jump on quickly and share this fun idea. There's no tutorial as it's pretty self explanatory.

You guessed it! LOCKER DECORATIONS! Many schools have this tradition. Moms make their athlete a poster and get together the evening before Senior Night and decorate the locker room. Here are some creative ideas from some of the awesome moms in the Confessions of a Sports Mama Facebook Group!

Shared by Elizabeth C.

Shared by Mandy A.

Shared by Stacey B.

Shared by Beth M.

Shared by Sydney D.

As you can see the possibilities are endless! You can simply hang a poster. Or you can go all out and hang streamers, balloons, and include gifts as well. 

You don't have to be a Football Mama to do this. It can be done for any sport that uses a locker room; soccer, volleyball, basketball, etc. 

Can't wait until Senior Night? Do it for Homecoming!

I hope this posts inspires you. For even more inspiration be sure to join myself and the 3,000+ REAL sports mamas, just like yourself in our Facebook Group!

Team Mama Idea: DIY Wooden Photo Collage Letters!

Senior Night for No.1 is next week!!! I can't believe it, mamas. Seems like he was just a Freshman yesterday. And a 55lb anklebiter two weeks ago. *sniff sniff*

Us Senior Mamas are getting together on Thursday for a craft night. We're making fatheads, posters, and these super cute wooden, photo collage letters!

I got the idea from Christina P., one of the awesome mamas in the Confessions of a Sports Mama Facebook Group. By the way, have you joined us yet?? It's a private group for Sports Moms to connect and ask questions, share ideas, victories and defeats. We're over 2,500 strong...and growing! Here is the photo she shared that I used as inspiration.

Her daughter made one for each of her teammates. How sweet is she?!

Want to make one (or 10!) yourself? Then just keep on reading!

What you'll need:

• Large wooden letter (we found ours at Michaels)
• Mod Podge (we went with the Matte finish)
• Foam Brush
• X-Acto knife
• Scissors
• Photos (I used a total of 12 4x4 photographs, however, every letter will be unique.)

What you do:

• Lay your photos out. You will notice that I printed way more than I needed. I wasn't sure how many I'd need, so I erred on the side of caution. 
• Place them on top of your letter, one by one, until it is covered and you are happy with their placement. Use your scissors to cut them down, if needed. Do not worry if there is some overhang; we will take care of that later.

• Once you are completely happy with the placement of the photos, glue them down using your foam brush and Mod Podge, one at a time. 
• Once the glue has dried (I waited an hour), flip the letter over and trim off any excess using your X-Acto knife.

• The final step is to seal the photos with a thin layer of your Mod Podge. I waited until the next day to do this step, just to be safe. You simply put a little on your foam brush and brush over the entire letter. Do not worry, it dries clear. I promise! This will ensure that your photos do not come up at the edges and will give you a nice matte finish. 

That's it! Super easy and super cute! I'm not even gonna lie. I got a tad bit emotional as I was looking through the photographs. I really cannot believe how fast it has all gone.

Youth sports; the days are long, but the years are short. Way. Too Short. Remember to enjoy each and every moment, Mama.

*** Check out these letters made by some of the Mamas in our Facebook group using the instructions above!

Shared by Beatriz C.

Shared by Stacey B.