My Life as a Sports Mom & Why I Wouldn’t Trade it for the World

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The soccer season is starting. I can kiss any free time I had this winter goodbye, because I’ll now be in the car running kids to practices pretty much every day of the week, some of those practices being an hour away. On the weekends, with three kids, we’ll have multiple games, so as I wrote in my post the other day, we’ll be tag teaming…and often one kid will end up with a teammate, depending on the weekend’s schedule. Clumps of dirt and little black turf balls will find their way into every corner of the house, no matter how hard I try to keep it clean. And the already never ending piles of laundry will become mountains of dirty clothes!

How appealing does that all sound? 

In spite of my oh-so-lovely description, I love being a sports mom and wouldn’t trade this time for the world, for a lot of different reasons…some of which have to do with my kids, and a couple of which have more to do with me!

Personal growth. I love what sports have done for my kids’ personal growth. Every kid needs to find something they truly love, whether it’s sports or another activity. It’s great to watch the sheer joy on their faces when they are doing something they really love. They gain confidence and self assurance, as well as a feeling of belonging. It’s truly fun to watch your children come into their own!

Friendships. My children have made friends from so many different places. My daughter plays on a team that is made up of kids from all different towns…many of whom we found old pictures of from back when she played against them in town travel. What fun it was to look at those pictures from years ago when they were so much younger! Those old relationships made it easy for her to make friends with the girls on her new team, because she knew so many of them from past years! Some of my oldest son’s closest friends are kids he played soccer with when he was in elementary school, probably in large part due to the fact that his coach really made an effort to create a  “family” from their team. The kids and the parents became good friends as a result. In fact, I would count some of those parents among my closest friends to this day as well…despite the fact that our kids go to different schools, play on different teams, and in some cases even do different sports altogether. What a blessing those friendships have been!

Fitness is like second nature. Studies show that kids who are active when they are young are not only healthier now, but also healthier later in life. And when kids find a sport they love, they’re likely to continue it. I know many adults who play in adult leagues, or pickup games. I hope that my kids will do the same.

Team spirit. Kids who play sports learn how to play as a group. They learn how to give and take. My husband coached for years and he taught the kids well. He always told them the assist was as important as the goal. Anytime the goalie would get upset because something got by, he would always tell that goalie, “It got past the midfield and the defense before you. We’re a team.” We’ve been lucky with our kids’ coaches like that. The focus has always been on the team rather than the individual player. When kids learn how to play as a team, it encourages comraderie and bonding, and there’s nothing like the team spirit that results from that! It’s a wonderful thing to watch high fives on the field and the hugs (for the girls) when they score.

I love watching my kids play. It’s been amazing to watch that transformation from “daisy picking” to real athleticism. There’s a huge difference between watching your first grader play versus your tween or teen. When my kids were playing U6 or U7 soccer, it was more about me having a chance to talk to other moms than watching the game, I’ll admit. But at that point, the kids were just running around the field after the ball with no rhyme or reason. There’s a big difference these days. They actually have real skill now, and win or lose, it’s truly fun to watch them play.

The photos. Photography is a hobby for me, and you’ll rarely find me at an athletic event without a camera. My kids’ teams are well documented throughout the season! Since I tend to take a lot of pictures throughout the games, I’ve had the opportunity to really work on my photography skills. I’ve improved a great deal over the years. Check out my post on Sports Photo Tips for Sideline Parents for some of what I’ve learned.

These years are going to go by fast. Too fast! Before we know it, our children will be off to college and families of their own. So even though it’s hectic and chaotic and can be overwhelming at times, I still enjoy it. And one day, I know I’m going to miss it!