5 Must Haves for Every Sports Mom

Are you a new sports mom or feeling a little rusty? Check out this list of must haves for every sports mom that will make this season the easiest yet!

My son has played almost every sport: football (twice), baseball, soccer (three times), and basketball. Lacrosse, golf, swimming, tennis and other sports are not easily accessible in my area, so I won’t count those.

If you are anything like me, preparation is key to surviving mom life! Especially when you add sports to the mix.

Here’s my list of 5 Must Haves for Every Sports Mom.

1. Extra equipment for the player

On good days, my son packs his soccer bag at night: soccer ball, cleats, socks, shin guards, t-shirt, shorts, home jersey, away jersey, uniform shorts, deodorant, water bottle, etc. Every morning, he grabs it along with his bookbag on the way out the door to catch the bus. I’ve had first-hand experience a few times of him leaving something out of the bag and calling me at work to pick it up. Thankfully, my mom is semi-retired and usually helps us out if it’s something he can’t live without (like cleats). On occasion, I’ve had to bring a game uniform piece to the game, because it was left out of his soccer bag. It would also be a good idea to leave an extra soccer bag in the car with all of the same necessities just in case. When my son played baseball, I even considered hiring a  baseball swing trainer.

2. Activities for younger kids

When my son played recreational soccer, the practices were around 6-7:30 pm. So, that meant I had over an hour to keep my daughter occupied. Sometimes we would go to the park, sometimes we would go to the grocery store, and other times we would just play games, read, or listen to music in the car. I always felt like it was a waste of time to drive home, get into something, and then have to leave to go back and pick him up. So, we also stayed close by the field. It was great having things on hand like books, games, crayons, markers, activity books, coloring books, a blanket, music, small soccer balls, and other toys in the car for younger ones to enjoy. When my son first started playing sports, he was seven and she was a toddler.

3. Places to sit

I always have a folding chair in my trunk, a blanket in my car, and a jacket. Never know when one of those might come in handy. I would also add that chairs, blankets, stadium seats, cushions, etc. are a great idea to have in your car. You never know whether you will be at a field with bleachers, a stadium, or no seating. It’s always a good idea to be prepared.

4. Umbrella

Since we’re in this transition from Spring into Summer and our games are at 5pm, the sun is bound to be an issue at most of our games, depending on where we are seated. It’s always good to have an umbrella in your car in case it rains. But, I also bring my umbrella to the field to protect our view from the heat and glare of the sun. It’s also helpful for windy days, too.

5. Snacks for everyone

Now that game time is 5pm, right after work and after school pickup, my daughter and I find that we are starving waiting on practices to end or games to start. Her favorite snacks are:

• pretzels
• Cheez-its
• Craisins
• dried fruit
• apple sauce
• fruit cups
• granola bars
• crackers
• carrots
• apples
• Cuties (clementines)
• grapes
• Lunchables (crackers, cheese, deli meat)

Drinks for you and your spectators

Usually, I’ll bring bottled water. I love having drinks available in the refrigerator or freezer (at home or work) that I can grab on my way out the door to practices and games.

About a month ago when we were eating out at a local pizza restaurant as a family, my daughter ordered a fruit juice drink. I had never heard of the brand before, but my daughter loved it so much, she brought the bottle home.

So, when I had the opportunity to try out a new fruit juice drink last week (and noticed that it was the same brand that was sitting on my kitchen counter), I jumped at the chance.

Fruit Shoot is a kids’ fruit juice drink made for adventures. Count on Fruit Shoot for whatever adventures your family enjoys during this season, or even on a day-to-day basis.

With the lifestyles of on-the-go families – whether this means running from school to soccer practice, going on a picnic, or even partaking in a family outing or vacation.

As kids are still in school and often living busy, active lives, Fruit Shoot is grab-and-go and has a re-sealable cap to keep up with all your family’s daily activities this spring.

Fruit Shoot comes in a variety of regular and no sugar added flavors – with 20 calories or less and three grams of sugar including:

• Apple (no added sugar)
• Berry Burst (regular and no added sugar)
• Orange (regular and no added sugar)
• Strawberry & Raspberry (regular and no added sugar)
• Wild Berry Grape (no added sugar)

Fruit Shoot® is made with real fruit juice from concentrate. It is also free of artificial flavors and high fructose corn syrup, so moms can feel good about buying it for their family. Plus it comes with a re-sealable cap, so you don’t have to deal with any messes. You can just let your kids be kids. Find Fruit Shoot in your area.