Nothing makes a parent more proud than their star athlete, especially when you didn’t play sports or played a different one as a kid. When your little athletes join travel leagues or year-round competition teams, the demands are high, and the competition is fierce. Take a look at these tips for parents who travel with their athletes to help you stay organized and supportive.
Find Ways To Keep It Fun
A weekend at the ballpark or sports complex is long for everyone. Even when the kids love what they do, back-to-back competition can be exhausting.
If you can maintain a certain level of fun while the kids are off the field or court, you can keep their spirits and motivation going. Non-competition periods are excellent times to plan team bonding dinners, host pool parties at the hotel you’re staying at, or encourage rest for everyone to recoup.
Bring Your Own Laundry Supplies
You can’t forget to bring your own laundry supplies! Even if your little athlete wears a new uniform for each competition, you’ll want to tackle stains and smells right away to keep their uniforms in top condition all season.
Some sports complexes offer on-site laundry trailers for parents to wash belongings as the weekend progresses, so you don’t have to worry about staying up late to do laundry. By bringing your own soaps and supplies, you can wash your belongings the way you prefer. This cuts back on the need to borrow or buy extra athletic garments or gear.
Pack All Uniform Sets
Even though you will likely have access to laundry, you can’t forget to bring all uniform sets! Your child’s coach may decide to switch everyone’s uniform for the second half of the day or request a new set for the second day of the competition.
It’s best to bring every uniform your child has. Pack every pair of socks relative to the uniform. Your child’s shoes or cleats trap the smell of sweaty feet faster than you’d imagine, and not changing socks throughout the day can put your athlete at risk of athlete’s foot. Bring all your child’s athletic socks, encourage changing periodically, and wash the dirty socks when you can.
Bring First Aid Supplies
The sports complex will likely have a team dedicated to first aid and emergency response. Things can go south quickly regardless of the sporting event and competition level. Run-ins with another athlete, cuts, scrapes, falls, accidents—you name it—can all happen.
It would be a disservice to your team or your athlete to rely on the complex’s response to ailment or injury. Bring your own first aid supplies and carry them in a bag so you’re ready when accidents happen.
Cater to Your Own Interests
One of the best tips for the parent who travels with their athlete is to cater to your own interests. You’re there for them, but you might get bored when your child isn’t performing. That’s the nature of the beast.
Bring a book, earbuds, or something you can do on the go that fills in the gaps. It’s a long weekend, and you have dedicated a lot of time to making it happen, but don’t forget yourself along the way!
