A couple of months ago, my 12 year old daughter began practices for her 7th year of organized softball. I have seen this kid swing a lot of bats.
We have also watched her and her brother from the sidelines for track meets, golf matches, soccer, baseball and basketball games, but softball holds a special place in my heart. Maybe that’s because it was the first sport she ever played.
Maybe it’s because I’ve watched her grow from a tiny 5 year old, playing in the dirt of the infield to standing on the mound sending fast-pitches across the plate. Of course, for every strike-out she’s pitched, there has been a walk.
Maybe it’s the smell of the fresh cut grass on the fields where her summer league plays, or the feel of the warm, June sun on my face. Though, I can’t forget the times we’ve huddled under the shelter houses as torrential rains fell from the sky or the blazing heat of July tournaments either.
Come to think of it, for every cold drink that has refreshed me while watching her on the field, there has been a heavy cooler to lug from the parking lot. For every lawn chair I have sat in, there is a broken one that was shoved into one of the steel trash cans behind the dugout.
Softball spans two seasons. Ohio seasons. March to July in Ohio is like Alaska to the Death Valley. We go from coats and blankets to flip flops and snow cones (and, recently, back to coats again).
In every way, watching my daughter play softball is a case study in opposites.
One way or another, it all equals out. For every grounder that gets past the infield, there is a pop-up caught by an outfielder. For every girl forced out, there is a base stolen.
Being a Sports Mom means making sure there is equal proportion in everything she does, on and off the field. Whether it’s getting homework done so she can get to practice on time or the fine line between cheering for teammates and good sportsmanship, there has to be balance.
In no area is this more apparent than in nutrition and hydration for my young athlete. If my daughter hasn’t had the right amount of protein or if she didn’t properly fuel and hydrate before game play, I see it in her performance. Likewise, too much to eat or not drinking the right fluids can have the same effect.
I insist that she eat a light snack with complex carbs and protein (1/2 a natural peanut butter sandwich on whole wheat bread) and that she hydrate about an hour before a game. During play, she can chew gum and drink water or Gatorade (the amount depends on her level of fluid loss). Sometimes there is a bag of peanuts laying on the bench and that’s okay too. But, finding the balance is vital.
This is just one reason I’m thankful for Gatorade Moms. It is a perfect site for us parents who are looking for nutrition information for optimal conditioning and health, inspiration from other moms who know what it’s like to share the sideline and advice from experts. It’s like a Mom’s dugout!
Through Gatorade, I was even able to speak with Stephanie Hamm, the mother of Mia Hamm who is widely recognized as the best women’s soccer player in the world. Before Mia became the youngest women to ever play for the U.S. National Team at the age of 15, she was a kid trying out different sports, being shuttled back and forth to practices and whose mother was trying to find balance just like me.
I love having the opportunity to work with companies whose products I really believe in and Gatorade is one of them. There is no high fructose corn syrup, it replaces electrolytes, it hydrates and it tastes good. I drink it every time I work out too.
BlogHer believes in Gatorade and the Gatorade Moms site so much that they wanted me to not only have you check out the valuable content, but also give one lucky reader a $100.00 gift card to Dick’s Sporting Goods!
Here are the rules:
No duplicate comments.
You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:
a) Leave a comment telling me what is the biggest challenge you face in trying to balance your kids’ sports or your own exercise routine. Is it hard to find time for healthy meals? Have you had to deal with injuries? Is it hard for you to cheer for your child without being too critical? Do you have kids who have to be in two places (or more) at the same time?
b) Tweet about this promotion and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post
c) Blog about this promotion and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post
d) For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry
This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older and runs from 6/1/2011 to 6/30/2011. For additional chances to win, visit the BlogHer Prizes & Promotions section.
Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail.
You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.
And for all of you Sports Moms, good luck finding the balance!
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Comments
Jodi
Injuries have definitely been hardest for me. I’m good at the weird ones like cracked facial bones and torn cartilage.
Emily
Honestly, the worst thing for me is Saturday morning practice. Saturday is my one day to rest and I don’t like getting up early to sit at a field!
shelly
Argh…I have all of those problems…2 kids that have to be in different places at the same time (and a husband that is not so helpful on Saturday mornings!!), MY running group meets on Saturday mornings, too, so I have to skip my own exercise for their practices/games. We eat fast food WAY TOO MUCH!! And I guess we don’t have any injuries, except the ones I may inflict on my husband if he doesn’t start helping more!!
Lisa
This is the first year I have had to struggle with being in two places at once. We have had to shuttle from one place to another and being out for at least 4 hrs each weekend day. And I also struggle with a QUICK healthy meal that the boys can eat before practices (which sometimes start at 5:30 thus having to eat at 4:30 so they don’t hurl it all up on the field!). And isn’t it amazing how much more everything costs when you have TWO playing organized sports!?
Mami2jcn
Finding time for sit down meals is difficult. I’m all about convenience when we’re in a rush. It helps to have raw veggies cut up and ready to go.
Mami2jcn
tweet-http://twitter.com/mami2jcn/status/76032047189213184
Laura Warner
I’m rushing from work so Dad is in charge of pre game snacks…. we have a different idea of what is healthy.
Jennifer
The biggest challenge for me is fitting in my workout routine around her practice schedule. Summer practice starts at 7:00, which means I have to get up at 4:00 to get my run in before I start the shuttle routine. But every lost moment of sleep is worth it for both of us!
PsychMamma
My biggest challenge with my 5 yo daughter is her chronic lung disease and cerebral palsy that limit what’s she’s able to do. We work to find ways to involve & challenge her that are manageable with her conditions.
For my own exercise? The challenge is just making time to do it between all my daughter’s special medical care requirements, doctor appointments, therapy, and activities. Whew! This up is why my own exercise rarely happens. *sigh*
Thanks for the chance to enter!!
Headless Mom
I’m challenged by just finding time to exercise. I’m not much of a morning person, but later in the day I can’t seem to find the time to do it.
karenM
Biggest challenge is getting homework completed, not enough time before practice and too tired after practice. We do have a routine down now that has worked so far. karenmed409 at comcast dot net
Jennifer W.
The biggest challenge is finding the time to eat healthy, family meals. A 6:00 baseball game means we have to be to the park by 5:30, which means we have to leave the house at 5:15…and my son doesn’t walk in the front door til 4:40. He has time to change and grab a snack before we leave the house. 6:00 games aren’t over til 8:00, so it’s 8:30 by the time we pack up and get home. We eat a LOT of mac ‘n cheese, sandwiches, hot dogs, waffles, fish sticks, etc. during baseball seasons!
MLG
Biggest Challenge: Sports practices that are never held at the same time twice in a row, then figuring out whether to eat dinner before or after. 2nd biggest challenge: making sure the car is packed with everything we need, including that icy cold water bottle, maybe two.
sandra
finding the time to do all of it
Miss
I think the hardest thing for me this baseball season has been the mid week games. Being used to Saturday’s being sports days, the mid week games are just a pain in the butt!! On the flip side, watching my son fall in love with baseball has made every game worth it.
Miss
Here you go sweets – http://twitter.com/#!/JustOneMiss/statuses/77448391126302721
xo
beth
It’s hard for me to be consistent with exercise, especially now that my 10 month old son is on the move. There’s always nap time, but I seem to find something more enjoyable to do then!
Tabathia B
I find it hard to stay committed and find a right time to exercise for me so I try to walk daily
tbarrettno1 at gmail dot com
Tabathia B
tweet
http://twitter.com/#!/ChelleB36/status/78226564214566912
tbarrettno1 at gmail dot com
kakaty
Time. It’s hard for me to find classes/practices for her that start after work and not at 4:00. And time also for me to workout. It’s a huge juggling act!
kakaty
tweet: http://twitter.com/#!/kakaty/status/78275106740248576
Kathy
So glad I have a daughter that has no interest in baseball…….just dancing……and as for exercise….really?
We are more concerned about what kind of peanut butter name brands here.
Nancy
My daughter has been in cheerleading all year and is starting tumbling this summer, so getting my exercise time in has been hectic. I usually end up studying while she’s at practice, but but I’m packing my tennis shoes and running this week. We’ll see how long this lasts. Being in Vegas, we’ll still be in the 90’s at 8 p.m. when she finishes!
Mamma needs a new pair of shoes (oh and so does she — she’s starting soccer in the fall!
Nancy
My Tweet, my sweet.
http://twitter.com/#!/SpinningMyPlate/status/78282044530098176
Lanette
Sadly, my biggest challenge right now is helping my son to find an organized sport that he likes..he is 8 years old. He loves ALL sports but only if he is playing the way he wants to play. Put him on a team where he actually has to listen to a coach and he is “bored” after a few practices. We make him “stick it out” until it is torture for us as the parents. Anyway, yeah, that’s my challenge!
Jessie C.
Keep up with the schedule is the biggest challenge. Traffic and tight schedule drive me crazy!
Jessie C.
http://twitter.com/tcarolinep/status/78307372078084096
dina
findind the time. 3 games plus 2 practices a week leaves no time for me.
Managed Chaos
Meal planning has always been my downfall, whether we’re in sports season or not. It’s also difficult to find the time/energy to fit a workout in around my kids’ schedules and my full-time job.
Managed Chaos
Just tweeted: http://twitter.com/Managed_Chaos/status/78439352862117888
Susan M.
I know I should want her to play (soccer) because SHE loves it, but I’m finding it hard to balance her wishes against my husband’s (to coach his daughter’s soccer team). It makes him incredibly happy and the fact that she’s sort of “meh” about the sport makes me want to let her quit, but…just try it for one more season, right?
Michelle McCort
as a mother of two toddlers, our biggest challenge is getting them to actually TRY the healthy foods that i spend all week planning, shopping, preparing and offering…..right now my biggest source of exercise is scraping food off the plates into the trash can!
Lori Fabian
My biggest challenge is trying to balance her life with my job. I find it very difficult to have her at her practice/game on time, since I am usually rushing home from work, not even going into the house, but calling from the car for her to come out, so we can get there 5 – 10 mins late. Often times food is the last thing on my mind for her until I get there and realize what she has eaten. Hopefully someday soon I won’t have to work as late and we can stop this vicious cycle.
Sheeny
Our children are mostly grown now but at one time we had a daughter playing on 2 different softball teams, a son playing soccer and another son playing baseball. If it didn’t come in a bag we didn’t eat.
Unless you count the hot dogs from the concession stands. I’m surprised we didn’t gain 20 lbs. So healthy eating and washing uniforms at midnight are my big challenge.
Joan
The biggest challenge is encouraging their interests and finding time at the end of the day for mine. For me it’s gotta be EARLY EARLY EARLY. The rest of the day is about them.
Xtina Chen
I don’t have my own kids but seeing my cousin with her kids, I”d say her biggest challenge is just leting them have fun. She is super competitive and obviously wants her kids to do well…but she seems to forget that it’s also aobut having fun.
Xtina Chen
I tweeted!
https://twitter.com/#!/xxxtinachen/status/78975853802950656
Sara Grimshaw
I have to exercise at night. I have a 15 year old son that does morning conditioning, football in the afternoon and baseball in the evening. A 13 year old daughter that swims in the morning and does track in the evening, a 3 year that gets dragged along to everything. I also have a husband who coaches high school football and track (the rival team of my son)and is never home in the Spring and Fall…..do I sound whiny? But, I wouldn’t change it for anything. It’s shaping who they are and I LOVE IT.
kay swederski
It’s hard for me to keep track of eveything – and all the running. I don’t get much time for me…
Gina F
My kids are still young, but I see needing to be in 3 places at once in my near future. 4 if you count me getting any exercise in!
Susan Smith
Finding time to exercise is my biggest challenge, I tend to do it late at night when my children are in bed
Susan Smith
https://twitter.com/#!/susan1215/status/79575878388035584
Maria
Is skateboarding a sport? My son hurt his knee. He had surgery, twice. Then came the physical therapy.
MCantu1019 at aol dot com
Mary Beth Elderton
The biggest challenge for me was that his work outs (Tae Kwon Do) were in the evenings,we had to rush out after dinner, then I’d face dishes late after we got back.
lyndsey
oh it’s def hard to find time to make quick AND healthy meals – plus eat as a family!!
tracey byram
My biggest problem is fighting traffic to get Liz to softball practice on time.
Selinda McCumbers
Our hardest challenge has been dinner. We were starting soccer or swimming with only 30 minutes or so for a dinner before hand or waiting until after to eat.
Sandy C
My biggest obstacle has been managing my time – having multiple kids playing sports, and trying not to miss ANYTHING for any of them. It’s not possible, but I do my best.
Tina M
The biggest challenge is finding the time to keep up with the schedule
Tina M
http://twitter.com/#!/HappyTina0115/status/81178206706737152
edgefarms
My son plays baseball year round it seems. Just getting started with all stars! Practicing every night does not lead to eating at home. I never miss a practice or a game.
CatheG
My husband works out of town a lot and I work full time so, running the two kids to a practice (usually different locations), watching thier games or races (running and Nordic skiing), getting my workout in, keeping the house clean, and having sit down home cooked meals together – was almost impossible. Something had to go. Meals were important (we don’t like fast food)…. so please don’t drop in unannounced!! 😉
holly
I am a single mom who tries to keep it all together with two kids 7 and 9. Extra curricular activities are the hardest.
Susan E.
I wasn’t a sports mom but my sister was and we talked often about her biggest challenge which was not letting sports consume my nephew’s life and making sure there was a good balance between academics/learning and sports.
rogsdock[at]gmail[dot]com
Tara P.
My kids are too young to participate in sports, but I try to squeeze in 30 minutes at the gym every night. It’s tough to fit it in – with 2 children, a husband, and an apartment that needs CONSTANT attention, as well as a full time day job, sometimes I want to sit and do nothing rather than get in my daily regiment. Most nights it’s only after the kids are in bed that I get to jog over to the fitness center and pump out 30 minutes on the elliptical trainer. Very important to me to get into shape so I can be around for my kids!
Tara P.
Blog – http://www.sparkpeople.com/mypage_public_journal_individual.asp?blog_id=4314987
Tara P.
Tweet! http://twitter.com/sunshineprit
Not sure how to directly link to the exact status… but it’s there!
hj
My biggest challenge is leaving room for me! I help them be active so much it leaves little time for me to jog like I normally do.
hmcnaron at gmail
Tracy R
Mine is finances…this is the first year in seven that our son could play baseball. The $60 fee wasn’t the problem, it was the cost of cleats, a new mitt, and a new bat. He is an excellent player – pitcher and hitter…then the storm ruined is basketball board and net, I just can’t replace that right now either. I feel like a terrible parent, I am just so stuck, but I did introduce him to frisbee…
Tracy R
http://twitter.com/#!/TracylovesBruce/status/83861893399326720
Paula
My biggest challenge has been starting over. I have 21-year-old twins (boy and girl). The boy plays baseball in college in Iowa and we are in Texas. Hard for him to be so far away but, we also have a 9-year-old boy who is playing baseball. Hard to start over with T-ball and everything once you have made it all the way to college baseball.
Linda W.
Trying to juggle being at hockey year long for my son and my daughters soccer and being her girl scout leader is difficult- scheduling to be in 3 different places at once is the challenge. Also, trying to get to the gym for myself-having one full time and 2 part time jobs is always the biggest challenge. It gets done and i wouldn’t change it for anything!
chris burd
I developed fibromyalgia which kept me down for about a yr . I gradually worked my way back to exercising- slowly and with the help of meds . Most of my exercise come from gardening and landscaping
Carl
great prize
Marcia Goss
My biggest challenge was to make sure the kids had fun. Some parents put so much emphasis on winning that their kids cried when they lost.
Marcia Goss
Tweet.
http://twitter.com/#!/mgoss123/status/84741337617932291
Patricia Treskovich
I have sore knees and sometimes I don’t like to exercise much
Patricia Treskovich
http://twitter.com/#!/pattie43/status/85029535778746368 TWEETED
Sylvie W
I know what I need to do for a well rounded exercise routine and I have it mapped out for the week. The beginning of my workout week starts off fine but with family obligations that crop up out of the blue I end the week with a thud. I will try to compensate by flipping the routine around the next week but at the end of THAT week, things fall to the side. I will need to look for weight routines that hit two muscle groups at once.
Joyce Harrell
Our challenge is trying to divide our time between 3 children. We have to take turns being at their sporting events because they all play the same sports….it is a constant challenge for us.
Gina @ The Crave to Save
I think time is the biggest challenge, however, preparation and planning is so important. Meal planning, schedulng time to exercise, keeping healthy foods on hand…these are all things that can make life a bit easier. Thanks for the giveaway!
gina.m.maddox (at) gmail (dot) com
Mel
It is hard to get healthy meals on the table. (or in the car?) Between juggling work, practices, homework, your own time to exercise- just to name a few. I find if I sit down at the beginning of the week and actually plan and shop for the meals, it helps a lot!
angie
I don’t actually have any kids, but if I did, I would love to hike with them or bike or eco-walk with them to show them that being athletic doesn’t just mean competing but means being healthy and active. Gardening and birding and the arts would be a huge part of their lives too! I hope this is an OK answer!
angie
I tweeted here: http://twitter.com/#!/FotoMacro/status/85749867925872641
burghbaby
My kid can fall down and hurt herself while standing perfectly still on a level part of the ground. Her extreme klutz tendencies are definitely a huge challenge!
Cori Westphal
I’m kind of a night owl, so I tend to make time for myself after everyone else is done for the day in fast asleep! Me time is very important to my physical and emotional health!
coriwestphal at msn dot com
Cori Westphal
Tweet: http://twitter.com/DvinMsM/statuses/85910068402466816
coriwestphal at msn dot com
Tabathia B
It’s hard for me to find time for myself to exercise without being constantly interrupted and then I lose track and just stop or forgot altogether
tbarrettno1 at gmail dot com
Tabathia B
pls delete duplicatecomment
Tabathia B
tweet
http://twitter.com/#!/ChelleB36/status/86231603805814784
tbarrettno1 at gmail dot com
Debra P
It is hard to balance family schedules around activities. debsweeps4@yahoo.com
Tabathia B
pls delete duplicate
kolpin
with work, it’s just hard to find the time to exercise
kolpin4680 at gmail dot com
kolpin
tweet
http://twitter.com/#!/kolpin4680/status/86290439820414976
Donna B.
For me, it’s a matter of time – I’m cramming a 32 hour life into a 24 hour day.
Lee Howell
try to find a sport that everyone enjoys doing at least part of the time. luckily we all like tennis. it’s easy to cheer on kids esp w. the new USTA rules for kids.
Eugenie W
it’s nice if your kids get into team sports so they spend time with friends at the same time and you can share driving duties and talk sports and school and such with other parents.
Stacy
Just getting into a routine is the problem because my schedule varies (thanks to working in retail).
Sandytee
It’s the meals that don’t coincide with practice times that makes it so hard to juggle my time.
Larry
If it wasn’t for sporting events, I would go bonkers.
Gaines Simmons
The hardest balance is finding free time to individually spend with each child. gainessimmons@aol.com