Surviving Outdoor Tournaments
All parents need to be commended when they give up their time and energies to sit through their children's sports tournaments. I had good reason to think about this earlier this month when my daughter's softball team had a tournament. The temperatures sored near 90 and the dust rolled in (hadn't had any rain in awhile). I reflected back a how good natured my own parents were when sitting through sports tournaments that my brother and I participated in.
At the kick off of all these tournaments, the kids are totally excited and there is almost a 'fair' attitude. And why should it be otherwise? Brightly colored t-shirts or sometimes full uniforms dot the landscape. And while it may drain your wallet, the cash you put out for hot dogs and soda pop seems to be part of the experience.
You can save a lot of dough over the years by bringing your own food and drink. All you need is an inexpensive cooler for the drinks, cheese sticks, fruit and other items you want to keep cool. Then a tote bag or backpack can house the dry foods like pretzels and peanuts and popcorn. Sometimes your kid's team is eliminated early in the tournament but if you have provisioned well, make a party out of the occasion and celebrate the day.
My tip #3 is that you don't always know what the weather will be at the end of the day so be prepared for just about anything. I don't know how it is where you live but our weather folks aren't all that accurate more than an hour or two out. So pack for all occasions. Some items I include in the 2nd backpack I take is sunscreen, hats, a long sleeved shirt or two and wet wipes. Sometimes if I think it will be hot, I'll even pack one of those mini fans that runs off of batteries.
Even in the most exciting tournaments, there is often a bit of down-time in between games, and siblings that are forced to spend the day at the ball park can get bored really easily. You guessed it, the fourth tip is to be sure to bring along stuff for everyone to do. MP3 players, travel games, magazines, even a deck of cards can help everyone chill out a bit and enjoy some free moments. Another idea for keeping siblings entertained is to download score sheets and give them the job of keeping score during the games.
At the day's end - even if victorious, your kids will tired and dirty and you'll fare no better. Plan ahead so the kids get fed quickly and cleaned. One tactic we use is to pick up some of our favorite food like pizza on the way home. Then I tell my kids that they can't have any pizza until they've cleaned up - that makes the cleaning go fast! Once my children are clean and fed I can relax. Whether it's soaking in a bubble bath or a quick shower and reading a favorite book or watching a classic movie, it's my reward to me as a parent!
About the Author:
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