SPORTS MOM MUST HAVES
We just spent a weekend in Ohio for a tournament and after 6 years of Tracen playing soccer I think we’ve got our “family kit” down to a tee. As a parent with multiple kids, we are not in the stage of life where you just bring a chair and sit, especially with travel sports and siblings! Over the years we’ve gone from 1 to 2 kids on the sidelines. We have one with sun sensorys and another we have to keep from running on the field!
As we transition from winter/indoor soccer to spring/outdoor soccer what we bring doesn’t change too much. We keep our car pretty much always packed for sports so we can just hop in the car and go. Outside of toys & snacks because heaven forbid you sit there for 90 minutes and not eat, these are our go tos that have made our lives easier whether playing inside or outside.
Sport umbrella-We got this when the boys were little for the beach and it’s held up for YEARS. It’s great for sunny or rainy games and has 50SPF
Stanley Water Jug-move over 40 ounce Stanley, this is a 2 gallon one, great for a family, the team or in the summer when you have the whole neighborhood over and you don’t want them in your house asking for water every 2 minutes.
Love seat chair-when our single camping chairs broke, my husband went on the hunt for new ones and this is great! It has two seats and the middle is like a 3rd seat for our 2 year old. Folds up pretty flat and has a strap to carry. They also make a triple one too! We bring this camping or set up in the backyard if we have people over too.
Wearable sleeping bag poncho-Michigan is the most unreliable when it comes to weather. It could rain then be sunny and windy all in one 90 minute game. Outdoor spring season starts in April and it can be real cold, this thing keeps you SO warm and cozy!
Neck Fans-on the opposite end of the spectrum of freezing springs are hot ass summers. On really hot days these have come in handy. Sky also is very sensitive to the sun and heat so he uses these frequently
Wagon- I remember when we got our wagon, it was the first tournament he ever had and EVERYONE had a wagon. No I mean like EVERYONE. I thought they were weird, then I realized it was so nice to not have to carry everything yourself you could just pile your wagon as high as possible and not break your back. Like everything else this has multiple uses, we use this for talking walks with Jude, gardening, camping, etc.
Playpen-I only got this after having Jude to contain her but Sky and some of the other soccer siblings like hanging out in it too. We also use this camping and it has a 50SPF sunshade that you can throw on top of it for added protection. I’ve sat up straight in it with multiple kids as well, so there is plenty of room.
I love that all of these things we can use outside of soccer so we get our use out of them all year long. Sidenote, do I need one of those weather pods, I’m leaning towards yes, stay tuned!