Okay, so I am already going through withdrawal — our soccer season ends on Sunday. I’m going to miss the boys on the team that I coach. Also, the excuse to kick soccer balls in public. In honor of clinching the flight (Go Renegades!), I’m giving away a Gatorade Fuel Pack, along with great sports tips from my favorite sports mom author, Brooke de Lench.
THE FREEBIE
A six-pack of Gatorade and a $50 gift card to Dick’s Sporting Goods.
HOW TO ENTER:
Leave a comment under this blog telling us what sport(s) your kids (or you) play. One winner will be chosen at random by Random.org. The winner will be notified by e-mail and listed under this blog on Monday.
DEADLINE:
Monday, November 22nd, 2010 at 12 noon ET.
OPEN TO U.S. RESIDENTS ONLY. ONE ENTRY PER E-MAIL ADDRESS. (MULTIPLES WILL BE DELETED.) NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED. OFFICAL RULES
ALL COMMENTS ARE MODERATED BY ONE VERY BUSY MOM SO PLEASE BE PATIENT. EVEN IF YOU CAN’T SEE YOUR POST RIGHT AWAY, KNOW THAT WE GOT IT AND WILL POST IT AS SOON AS MOMMA CAN SIT DOWN.
Winner must respond within three (3) business days to claim prize or another winner will be selected.
Helping Your Child Have a Successful Winter Sports Tryout
by Brooke de Lench
The competition for roster spots on winter sports teams seems to be more intense than ever. Tryouts pose a particular challenge to young athletes still playing fall sports. Here are some tips for parents on how they can help their child perform at their best during tryouts:
- Make sure the child’s pre-participation physical evaluation (PPE) is up-to-date. Not only are PPEs important in identifying physical conditions effecting sports participation, such as asthma or a history of concussions, a signed, up-to-date PPE form is required by virtually all schools before an athlete is allowed to play sports. Make sure your child’s doctor signs the correct form and that you make three copies: one for your records, one for your child to hand-deliver to the school nurse, and a third to hand-deliver to the coach/athletic director. Many an athlete has missed the first critical days of tryouts because the PPE form was lost or is outdated.
- Ensure your athlete gets enough sleep. A tired athlete, especially one still playing fall sports, isn’t going to be able to perform at their best during tryouts. You can help by setting a consistent “lights-out” time for turning off the computer, cell phone, MP3, and TV, so your athlete gets the rest needed for peak performance.
- Check to see if the shoe fits. Poorly-fitting or worn-out shoes can trip up an athlete on the way to making the team. Make sure your young athlete is trying out in properly-fitting shoes (or, in the case of hockey, skates), that they have been broken in before tryouts start and that they are providing the proper support. Many an athlete has been sidelined by blisters from practicing hard in brand-new shoes. For athletes playing tennis, basketball or volleyball, shoes should be replaced every month for those playing 5 to 6 times a week and every 3 to 4 months for those playing 2-3 times a week.
- Be pro-active about hydration. Studies show that many athletes are dehydrated before they even start their sport, making it difficult to catch up. Even athletes exercising outside in cold weather get dehydrated. Remember, thirst is not a good indicator of hydration, so encourage athletes to drink on a schedule.
- Fuel Sports Nutrition gaps. Athletes typically have little time in the school day to eat before tryouts, so they start on an empty stomach or choose ineffective sources of fuel based on what’s readily available. And there is often a time gap between the end of a practice or game and sitting down to dinner when, studies show, tired muscles need protein to recover to get ready for the next day.
Brooke de Lench is a youth sports parenting expert and the author of the book “Home Team Advantage: The Critical Role of Mothers in Youth Sports” (Harper Collins) and the founder and Editor-in-Chief of MomsTeam.com: The Parents Trusted Youth Sports Source. She is the mother of triplet sons and lives in the Boston area.
Random.org picked #23. That’s you, Sachia!
Thanks everyone for playing so nicely. There will be no Freebie Friday this week because of the holiday, but it’ll be back again next week.
We love swimming at our community center, but not anything competitive. I like personal goals rather than team sports, frankly.
Terren does Volleyball and Basketball, Jonas is my skateboarder, Laken is my bike rider, and Addison is my official toy thrower (19 months).
My biggest tip is have a calendar for each child but have one family calendar on the refrig so everyone knows where to go and when…multiple sports and kids, locations…etc can be recipe for disaster if not prepared.
My kid had to give up soccer after her started taking that “no, give ME the ball” thing personally. We now play only NON-contact sports.
Like bicycling and look-a-me swimming!
We’re all about Ballet at our house. I suppose that isn’t technically a sport, eh?
We enjoy soccer!
we play tennis and it is so much fun. it is great exercise and it really is a great sport to play with your family!
my oldest plays basketball and my youngest has a gymnastics class!
We are a basketball house, which is funny because none of us are really very tall:)
My boys love basketball
The closest I come to sports is cycling. That counts, right?
We love to swim.
Cycling. Not your traditional sport with a ball, but it’s a sport
I have four kids and they play football, basketball and swimming. In high school, I played basketball.
AWESOME!!
J played soccer last year (he is 6 now) but didn’t like it too much, so we are going to try another sport this summer – his choice!
Thanks for the chance!!
My boys don’t play sports yet, but I’m starting to think about maybe training to run a 5K for my 40th birthday. I’m non-comittal like that. However, right now the Gatorade would be used to re-hydrate after the flu. Stinks!
My kids play basketball, volleyball and softball. Always busy!
My kids just ended their outdoor soccer season. My daughter is playing indoor now and I’m looking to sign them up for basketball.
My son is only two but my husband + I fish and hunt! A GC to Dicks would help me buy him a cool Christmas gift!
My son (and I) play baseball, soccer, and stunt swinging in our back yards.
Both my boys started soccer this year–our last game of the season is Saturday!
My daughter plays soccer (flight champs as well! Go Lions!) and also does mixed martial arts. Watching her compete and concentrate and be a part of a team makes me see a whole different side of her that simply amazes me. It also makes me wish I had the same opportunities when I was younger!
Soccer, soccer, and more soccer. (Well, I still like to call it fútbol.) School season just ended. Varsity finished in state quarterfinals! Fortunately, my older son plays club ball and their first season tournament is this weekend. We’re heading out today, in fact, to buy new warm-up pants for him, the die-hard soccer player, and a snowboard for my younger son, the new boarder. Merry early Christmas to them!
After two non-athletic boys, my third son, Greg, has become a high school athlete, running cross country. He gets incredible joy from running, and I get incredible joy watching him run. I fully expect that he’ll do spring track as well.
My guys play football (also sad to say goodbye to teammates and coaches this season). Baseball in the spring. Basketball. Tackle-the-brother. Bike-with-spokes-missing racing. Dog sledding (with the dog *in* the sled). Real or fake, my guys are into sports!