Playing sports was never a thing for me during my childhood. No one in my family was into sports; I was born in New York City, and it was cold for most of the year. I only went outside in the summertime. The only activity I did was recess at school and ride my bike. When I got to high school, I had P.E, I barely passed the class. That is how much I was not too fond of sports or being active. Fast forward twenty years later, when I met the love of my life and got married. He was definitely into sports and a football lover! He was voted MVP, captain of the high school football team, and wouldn’t miss a football game. He spent his free time being a referee and coaching!
I married into one big football family! I loved seeing the dynamics of family and community come together and love a sport so much. My husband even played in the Firefighter Olympics, which was so much fun when we got married! It was my first time attending a football game. He would joke with me and ask, “did you grow up under a rock”?. When our son started flag football my husband was the Coach. I felt clueless on the field. I had no idea if they were winning or losing. I was now “A Football Mom.” Yep! I was just thrown in, and I had to figure it out. I remember the first day at the parent meet-up, everyone was chatting about bringing snacks for the kids and asked for a Volunteer, and I said “sure, I can bring snacks on the first day for the team”. They told me, “Oh since your husband is the Coach, you can be the “Team Mom.” I was secretly thinking, “Um, No way.” I had no intentions of signing up.
I felt sad; I made an excuse and said, “Oh no, it’s okay, I can’t imagine taking on that role this year, my work schedule is crazy this season” I felt so lost because there were a lot of moms with ideas about how all this works. They were actually “A Football Mom”; at least, that’s what I felt.
Everyone on the team, the players, coaches, and even the parents, were so supportive, and I felt like I had just entered a new family. Even though I didn’t know what was happening in the game most of the time, it did not matter. In my son’s eyes, all that mattered was that I showed up to the game. It can be scary or out of your comfort zone when you are doing something for the first time. And for me, that day, it was stepping into my role as “A Football Mom .” I thought I couldn’t live up to the part, I quickly realized that showing up on that field, being supportive, engaged, and just saying, “wow that was a good catch,” was all that mattered. My presence was enough. It was self-realization that I was enough.
As moms, we pressure ourselves and forget how to give ourselves grace and understand it’s okay if we don’t have it figured out. I finally accepted the role as “team mom” next season. Afterwards, I felt more comfortable with the position. Today I want to share a few ways you can accept the team mom role and be fabulous! I am confidently stepping into my new-found role and being okay with exactly where I am.
5 Tips For Being A Team Mom
What is a Team Mom?
The Team Mom acts as the mother figure for everyone else in the group, and is in charge of making things go smoothly for the players and families.
Be Organized – Find the best app that works for you. Attend the meet and greet on the game’s first day. Get all the parent’s phone numbers, and create a group chat. The best way to keep organized is by using a communication app.
Suggested Apps: TeamSnap, SignupGenius, GroupMe, Whatsapp, Social Media, Instagram, Facebook.
Be Prepared: Think about the bag you already packed for your kids; this time, you can use a few extras like extra water, a mini first-aid kit, an ice pack(s), and the team roster/contact information. One thing I always kept a package of two is mouth guards because my husband wouldn’t let them play with our mouth guards.
Make It Fun: This is a great way to include parent involvement. It’s the best part; you get to plan fun things you can do to get the team together, for example, a team meet-up after the game for lunch. Ask parents to bake cookies or get cupcakes after the game to celebrate. You can make a collage with pictures you take and ask parents to send photos too. You can print some on Walgreens photo collage, or a free option, send them a collage or slideshow at the end of the season. It probably won’t get started if you don’t ask; usually, parents are always willing to help once you ask.
Delegate Tasks: Usually, for our teams, one family is in charge of bringing snacks for the team every game day. It usually consists of a ziplock bag, a drink, chips, cookies, and fruit. Kids love this treat after the game; it gives them extra time to chat and hang with teammates. It would be your job to open up the volunteer list to see which family wants to contribute. Ask for help if you are collecting items or money, and ask another mom to assist you if you need help getting a job done.
Be Present:
- Don’t get so caught up that you forget to enjoy the moment.
- Spend time with the kids.
- You Cheer them on.
This position is meant to be fun, not a burden. If you feel burdened, it defeats the purpose and the fun of it, so reach out to the Coach or a fellow mom if you are feeling stressed out. Remember to stay out of any drama with parents and coaches if conversations arise, be sure to know you want to stay clear from any team drama. Remember your why and that football is passion, teamwork, and fun!
Always remember to know your worth because team moms are a big deal, and you are enough doing what you are doing, stepping up to the plate and helping the team. As the team mom, everyone looks up to you for all updates with the team. We are one of the most vital people on the team, right up there with the coaches! I created these five tips to share with other moms thinking about being team moms.
You never know how far our children can go in football; it doesn’t matter if it is a flag, tackle, touch, co-ed, youth, high school, college, or Pro. It’s all football; it brings everyone together like one big family!
Sponsored by the National Football Foundation, Future For Football is an initiative by the National Football Foundation to promote and celebrate the game at all levels. Follow them on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. You can also visit their site for other helpful resources and to find a league near you.
This post is sponsored by Future for Football. All opinions are those of The Broward Mom Collective.
great tips!