As moms when we’re holding those tiny little babies in our laps we have absolutely no idea what they’ll love to do as they’re getting older. Maybe it’ll be ice skating that really excites them? Maybe they’ll be the world’s next greatest painter? Or maybe they’ll grow up loving to play baseball. :). The later seems to be the case for my boys.
My boys have been playing baseball a combined total of fifteen years {they totally overlapped but it sounds a little more dramatic if I add them up}. I’m not a professional {I feel like I type those words a LOT-ha!} but I can share a few things with you about what I’ve learned through the seasons.
When I signed Nixon up for beginner tee-ball ALL those years ago, I never realized how parents in the stands, other players on the team, and even siblings on the sidelines can really become your family and your second home-away-from-home during baseball season. These people are cheering for your kid and truly wanting the best for him each and every game {and at the same time you’re wanting the very best for all of theirs}.
The list of lessons our kids have learned on the baseball field might be too long to count. They’ve learned how hard work pays off. They’ve learned how to dig deep and truly give it all they’ve got. And as terrible as it feels watching from the sidelines as a mom, they’ve even learned how it feels to fail. My goodness is that a painful lesson to have to watch as a parent. It hurts us way more than it hurts them. But after that fail, they learn how to pick themselves up and come back even harder.
Basically, I could go on and on about the fun times, the great memories, all the triumphs, and the tough lessons too…oooh, did they make them stronger. But I’m really sharing this post with you because BASEBALL SEASON is RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER! Whether it’s your first season of beginner tee-ball or you could retire if we added up all the years you’ve been sitting in the baseball stands, now is the time for us to wipe down our baseball chairs, pull out the coolers, and get ourselves and our families READY for the season.
I thought it’d be a great time to share some of my Baseball Mom-Must Haves! Here we go!
#1-Team Gear-For many years my boys played on the Broncos Baseball Team {different ages, of course}. They used our local high school mascot but with the, “B”, from the Boston Red Sox. This made ordering hats, shirts, and basically anything you can think of with that Boston, “B”, so easy. I could find all kinds of things online. If your kid uses a professional mascot of ANY kind, you’re in so much luck! My favorite places to order shirts were this spot.
And I always ordered hats from this site {they have MLB, NFL, NBA, and many NCAA teams} or this one.
If your team is a little more original, one of the moms on our team ordered her son’s number on our team’s color hat straight from Etsy. I couldn’t find her exact hat and there are so many cute styles…with bling, without, faded colors, bright, etc. So many cute options are available.
For so many reasons…the sun on my face, crazy ballpark hair, sun in my eyes, etc. I almost always have a baseball hat on when I go watch the boys play.
#2 Sneakers-It’s ironic I’m typing this under the picture above because I remember that day. I wore sandals to the ball field and after a long day at the ballpark my feet had never felt nastier. It was on that day I vowed to wear sneakers from there on out. I try to find a pair of shoes that will compliment our team colors and wear them the entire season. These shoes come in a lot of colors {I had them in red/white years ago}. This is another good option. I’m not saying I have shoes that will match exactly but I’m just saying I always have a neutral option or something that matches. I’m not wearing purple tennis shoes for a red and black team. Know what I’m saying?
#3 Sunglasses-You can see me above wearing one of Tab’s extra pairs because I was without a hat OR glasses on this day. I try to travel with an extra in my car nowadays.
#4 Chairs are a MUST! These are nice or these for another great option. {And if you’re a little “extra”, you might wanna consider one of those bucket air cooler fans.}
#5 DRINKS/WATER BOTTLES/COOLER-The boys have their own water bottles {come in many colors}they use during the games. And then the rest of us have waters, sparkling waters, and other drinks inside our handy dandy cooler.
#6 Skorts-{I apologize for the pic} I’ve never been more thankful that athletic/leisure skorts became a thing. They’re a way for us sports moms to look put together but still be as cool as possible on a hot summer day. This is my hat, tank, and similar skort.
#7 Wagon-I don’t have this but it might very well be on my wish list for this season. Every year I think we’ve outgrown it but every season I find myself walking to the field like this…
And I remind myself we really haven’t grown out of the wagon phase at all.
That wraps up my list of MUST HAVES! What are YOUR must-haves for baseball season {or soccer or hockey or whatever your kiddos play in the spring}? Thanks for reading today!
XO
