sportoutdoor

Being the Coach's Wife isn't easy, but somebody's gotta do it! Here are 7 things all of us coaches wives know: Coaching is a huge commitment. Even at the youth level! Our husbands spend endless hours, days, weeks, heck even months preparing for the season. They give it their 100%, for little to no pay at all. During the season, your time with him will be limited. (Refer back to number 1). Then there are practices, meetings, games... He has no favorites. Nope, not even our own kid. In fact, they probably have it the toughest. They live with the Coach. If something is weighing heavy on his heart or mind, you can best believe our kid will hear about it even after leaving the game! Special occasions occasionally have to wait. I can't even begin to tell you how many of our wedding anniversaries were spent at the football field. Instead of pouting about it, try and make the best of it. Surprise him with a card and cupcakes to share with the team! His players become fami...

Both No. 1 and No. 2 will be playing football for their high school this year. My boys are growing up! The season may not officially begin for another month, but that doesn't mean that they are just sitting around twiddling their thumbs. They are working on speed and agility, lifting weights, and eating high protein diets in an effort to put on healthy weight and muscle. I'm petite and Coach Hubby didn't even weigh 140lbs when he graduated high school, so as you can imagine, we don't make naturally big kids! Sure we could drive them through the drive thru a couple of times a day and fill the house with cookies and chips, but that type of weight gain will do nothing but slow them down and decrease their performance as well as their overall health. We are trying to build muscle mass, not fat. And protein is a key part of this journey! Here are eight protein packed snack ideas (in no particular order) that my boys love: Kodiak Cakes. I buy the Buttermilk Flapjack & Wa...

Ah, baseball season... homeruns, sunflower seeds, and dirty pants! (Who decided that white and gray baseball pants were a good idea anyway? I totally blame a dad!)   Do these look familiar, Mamas?     Want to go from that... to this?     If so, then keep on reading!   What you'll need:   Fels-Naptha (can be found at your local Walmart) Oxi Clean   What you do: Wet pants. Scrub Fels-Naptha directly onto stains. Scrub pants together. Fill tub/sink with hot water and a half cup of Oxi Clean. Allow the pants to soak for an hour. After an hour, throw the pants in the washer (warm wash/cold rinse) with a capful of Oxi Clean. Then machine dry. Voila! So fresh and SO clean! Seriously, how amazing is that transformation? I hope you found this post helpful. Play Ball!!! *** A huge thank you to Lorraine V. for making this post possible by sharing her tips (and pics!). For more tips and tricks and to connect with hundreds of other real Sports Mamas...

Let me first start off by saying that I am in no way, shape or form, a medical doctor. Big surprise, I know! However, having three boys involved in organized sports, I have nursed my fair share of aches and pains. From daily practices to weight lifting to the occasional injury sustained during a game, muscle soreness in youth athletes is bound to happen. Here are  eight ways that I help my boys ease their pain: Warm up. One of the easiest ways to prevent muscle soreness is by warming them up beforehand. It doesn't matter whether they're playing football, soccer, or basketball. Warming up loosens their joints and tendons, increases the temperature and flexibility of their muscles, thus prepping their bodies for exercise which in turn reduces the chance of injury. Stay hydrated. Proper hydration is crucial for athletes! Hydration not only helps with energy, it also helps to lubricate their joints. Dehydration is a leading cause of muscles cramps. So be sure that your athl...

Soccer season is here! It's opening day for No. 3's soccer league and we seriously could not have asked for more perfect weather. It's suppose to be 76 degrees today! Hello Spring!!! I volunteered to bring post-game snacks (shocker, I know!). I always try and get my turn out of the way early. Here's what I came up with: I bought Gatorade Zeros (aka sugar free!), Teddy Grahams, and fruit snacks. I had planned to get Cuties, but the ones at my local Target were looking a tad sad. Fruit snacks have to have a little fruit in them, don't they?! I also made these fun labels. They say "WAY TO GOAL!!!" with a soccer ball underneath. (Click HERE for the free, printable template.) I put everything in clear bags. Bagging snacks makes distribution SO much easier! I then stuck the labels on. That's it! Super simple, yet still special. Cheers to the weekend, Sports Mamas! GO PHOENIX!!! *** Want more soccer snack ideas? I've got you, mama! Click HERE...

Last year I wrote a fun post entitled 15 Things Sports Moms Say . I thought it was about time for a part two, SO I enlisted the help of the awesome Sports Mamas in our Facebook Group ! Ready? Here we go! We need instant replay. These referees are missing everything! - Tania C. You're not getting in my car like that! - Kristy O. Work on your homework now, please. You won't have time when you get home from practice. - Kelly V. Quit chasing the butterflies!! - Erica H. I drove all the way here for this?! - Kristy O. OMG. Put your shoes back on! - Debra P. Which dad decided on white pants? - Laura L. Leave those cleats outside! - Alisa K. Did you hear me yelling? - Debbie J. Suck it up buttercup! - Amy R. Put your cleats on or we'll be late.- Kim M. Please don't get hurt, I don't have time to go to the ER today!- Trisha E. You may not be the biggest or fastest, but you can definitely play the smartest! - Erica S. Shake it off! - LaTarah C. I LOVE WATCHING YOU PLAY! - L...

Coach Hubby is coaching No. 3's basketball team this Winter. We don't have the tallest or most talented team, but this group of 10 year olds has been playing their hearts out week after week. So much so that Saturday's game was for a spot in next week's championship game! We got off to a slow start putting us behind by 16 points early on. Our boys continued to push through though and got it within 5 points with just under a minute to go in the fourth quarter. Unfortunately, we committed a foul (we were in the bonus) and missed all of our shots. Ugh! Such a heartbreaker. To brighten sweeten up the rest of their day, I made these fun Oreo cookie basketballs. Seriously, how fun are they?! They were easy, quick, and yummy. Right up my alley! They'd be perfect for birthdays, end of season parties, March Madness, or even post-game snacks. Want to make them yourself? Then just keep on reading! All you need: Oreos (I used double stuffed but regular would work too. As would...