Disclosure / Disclaimer: I received this info, free of charge,from FlipGive, for blog posting purposes on this blog. No compensation, monetary or in kind, has been received or implied for this post. Nor was I told how to post about it, all opinions are my own
For some of you, the school year is just a week away, but you may already be handling changes, as sports extra-curriculars may already have started their years!
For those already started too, here are some great tips for the school year!
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| Photo Courtesy of Pixabay |
Let's face it, parents of kids involved in sports have A LOT on their plate during the busy fall season. Driving to practices after school, games on Saturdays, washing seemingly endless amounts of dirty laundry, planning for the entire season calendar (sometimes for multiple kids of different ages across multiple sports), packing snacks and meal prepping. The list goes on, and on, and on...so there are many many reasons to celebrate moms and dads, and their selfless commitment, of time and money, this back-to-school season!
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| Photo Courtesy of Pixabay |
6 Tips for Back to School Extra-Curricular Season!
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| Photo Courtesy of Pixabay |
1. CUT DOWN ON BACK-TO-SCHOOL STRESS,
BY GETTING SPORTS CALENDARS ORGANIZED NOW
Right off the bat, parents of kids who play on school sports teams said they were 33% more stressed about the start of the new school year, than parents of kids who don’t play on school sports teams. One way to help relieve that stress? Treat your kid’s sports schedule like you do your work meetings and weekend social events, and add their practices and games to your calendar and mobile device.
I recommend using different colors for each sport/child, that way you can see at a glance what is on board for the day/week!
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| Photo Courtesy of Pixabay |
2. LEARN THE ROPES: MEET SCHOOL COACHES
& BUILD EARLY RELATIONSHIPS
35% of dads and 11% of moms admit they’ve gotten into a heated argument, at one of their child’s school-related sporting events-- either with a referee, coach, or other parent. Pro tip: If you get to know somebody, you’re less likely to want to punch them in the face or threaten to egg their house because they made a bad call or they took your kid off the field for a much-needed rest.
But it's also important to remember, that even though you have time and money invested, your kids are supposed to be having FUN and ENJOYING themselves. You yelling at coach or referee? That just adds unneeded stress onto your kid!
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| Courtesy of Pixabay |
3. ESTABLISH SLEEPING SCHEDULES
& ROUTINES NOW TO EASE THE TRANSITION
For parents of kids who play school sports, the time commitment associated with their child’s sports involvement is the number one cause of stress, when school sports season starts back up (40%). Cut down on this stress by setting aside ample time for you, AND your kids, to catch up on sleep, when they aren’t scoring goals and hitting homers, and you aren’t shuttling them around town from the field, to the court, to the rink.
Sleep is so underrated, but every sports authority will tell you that kids play better, have better focus and get hurt LESS when they aren't physically (and emotionally) tired. So turn off those devices and catch some much needed rest!
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| Courtesy of Pixabay |
4. ENCOURAGE KIDS TO HAVE FUN
& BE TEAM PLAYERS ON SCHOOL SPORTS TEAMS
It turns out sports moms and dads have very different goals for their youngster’s athletic involvement. For moms, the top goal for their child is to have fun (38%). For sports dads, the top priority for their child is to learn teamwork and leadership skills (34%). With all of these goals in mind this back-to-school season, try and remember that a big part of youth sports is helping your child grow into a well-rounded, respectful adult who knows how to handle wins, losses, and adversity.
Sports really CAN teach our kids tremendous LIFE skills, but only if we model that behavior too! From too much smack talk to fighting parents, we all need to remember why are kids are out there!
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| Courtesy of Pixabay |
5. PROPER MEAL-PREP & SNACKS ARE
CRUCIAL FOR SPORTS PARENTS
It’s no secret that young athletes are growing, and usually hungry, and 95% of parents with kids who play school sports said it’s a top priority for them, to ensure their kids have nutritional meals and snacks, throughout their school day, to maximize their endurance and performance. Some friendly advice--find some healthy, protein-packed snacks that your kids like, and stick with them! A big part of success on the field is routine, and the less your child has to worry about, the better.
Make sure your child has an extra protein bar or two, packets of nuts, some peanut butter and crackers, or fruit, in their backpack, and some powder electrolytes to add to their water bottle, and you can ensure that they will be fueled to play!
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| Courtesy of Pixabay |
6. SEEK OUT CARPOOLS WITH THE MOST
ON-THE-BALL SPORTS PARENTS
Fun fact: a relatively equal amount of sports moms (59%) and dads (58%) said they drive the classic sports parent minivan. FlipGive recommends setting up a back-to-school carpool with parents, who have kids that play on the same team, as your child, in advance of the first day, to cut down on last minute planning, and to avoid the dreaded shame that comes with getting your child to practice late.
Frequent lateness may mean your child doesn't get to play, and there's nothing like being forced to sit the bench because mom.dad forgot you had games and practices. See about swapping 'snack mom' duties with carpooling, and you just might score all the way around!
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| Courtesy of Pixabay |
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| Courtesy of Pixabay So there you have it! We hope you learned a few things, or at least had an idea to help make some changes for YOUR family's schedule this year! |
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