I have been a soccer mum for some 6 years now...early mornings, freezing cold, grass stains, muddy boots...joy!!
For the last two seasons I have had my eldest 3 daughters playing soccer...mostly at conflicting times at opposite sides of the district! My poor hubby works most Saturdays so sport became added to my to do list!
Now not being a morning person, especially on a Saturday, I would often find myself in a frenzy trying to get 5 kids ready for an epic day of soccer. We would be searching for shin pads, shorts would have gone missing overnight and there would always be one of the girls whose socks would be rolled up in a ball festering in a corner still dirty from the previous weeks game.
So it was time to 'attack' this soccer thing and 'go for goal'
Here's how I have improved my game ;-)
Tip # 1...... Have a 'game plan' ( aka system) ....
This is how my system works....
* On game days and training nights soccer boots, socks and shin pads are to be removed at the front door upon arrival home and left on the front verandah....this will eliminate mud tracked through the house and will keep the odour outside!
* All drink bottles to be emptied out and kept in the cupboard til next week.
* Hit the showers....no better time than the present to scrub that dirt off and soak a few bumps and scrapes! So one after another the girls would shower leaving a pile of shorts, compression gear and jerseys in the bathroom.
* It worked best for me to gather up that pile of clothing in the bathroom, ensure that everything was accounted for, gather the socks from the front verandah and get it all into the wash ASAP!!
* Once washed and dried I kept the soccer clothes in a plastic tub in my linen cupboard.
* Once boots and shin pads had aired and dried out they were kept in a plastic tub which lived near the front door...this kept them all in one place...and kept the odour trapped! Frequent freshen ups may be required with Glen20 or the like...
Tip # 2...... Be prepared....
As I said earlier I am not a morning person!! So if I leave everything til the morning it is inevitable that there will be some sort of 'obstruction' .... or something will be forgotten.....
So now the only thing left til morning is having breakfast and getting dressed. I make sure the girls get dressed entirely in their soccer gear so that we can't turn up to the game to find that shin pads or the like have been left at home!
Like a good old girl scout I have everything else prepared ahead of time and I keep it in the back of my car so we are ready to roll.....
Here is what I have in my tub.....
* sunscreen.....okay I know that soccer is a winter sport but a lot of those trial games and early season games are still in quite warm weather and it is best to be prepared!
* aeroguard....I hate flies.
* snacks and drinks.....with multiple games to get to we spectators need a lot to keep us going!!
* beanies, hats and jackets....coz someone is going to forget.
* blankets....add a wind chill factor to a winters day and you can never have enough blankets. Also needed for those 1.00pm soccer games that are often started in delightful weather but by the time the game ends...well let's just say it's cold!!
* wet weather gear....it is inevitable that at some stage throughout the season you will get rained on.
* games, toys, books, pencils etc... .....because quite frankly there is only so much soccer that Miss 4 and Miss 8 can watch...and that is usually in single digits. It also works well to swap these toys around every few weeks to keep them interested.
* picnic blanket....essential !!
* wipes....because we can't go anywhere without somebody making a mess or spilling something!
So that's my soccer tub that stays in the back of the car for the duration of the season and I just have to add drinks and snacks and mix the toys and games up a bit each week.
It is also great because if hubby is not working and is able to take the girls to their games it can be popped into his car. And lastly is is perfect for impromptu stops at the park too.
So there's my soccer mum tips that keep me 'on the ball' !!!!!
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