This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Foster Farms. All opinions are 100% mine.
When sports season comes around things get hectic! These 7 Soccer Mom Must Haves will get you ready to cheer on your kiddo and keep them energized for a day of playing hard!
It’s soccer time again and that means Saturdays yelling to cheer on my kids, weeknight practices, and loading up our car with all the essentials. Our first season of the boys playing soccer I felt totally clueless. I didn’t know about team snack, I didn’t know if I should bring a chair to practice or just hang out in my car. I felt like a hot mess.
But we’re a few seasons in now and I’m sharing my 7 Soccer Mom Must Haves to help make sure you’re ready to take on being a soccer mom!
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Can I just say thank goodness for experienced soccer moms who are nice? I totally don’t mean me. Well, I mean I’m nice, but the moms on our boys’ first teams were so helpful in getting us acclimated.
The team moms totally had the snack schedule on lockdown and filled us in on the little things we would have never known to ask.
Then the second season rolled around and Mike got wrangled into coaching Eddie’s team. It was a great experience and I ended up with part-time assistant coach duties.
We both loved watching the kids grow and I made a point to bring extras of everything when packing our game day and practice bags…cause you never know.
7 Soccer Mom Must Haves
Shade
No, we’re not throwing shade. You need shade to stay cool silly! During the boys’ first soccer season we’d take a big golf umbrella with us and huddle up underneath it. It worked fine because the boys never ended up playing their games at the same time.
Their second season, we started taking a 10-foot x 10- foot pop-up canopy tent. It worked out great so we could spread out a little more and invite some of the other parents into the shade. For Eddie’s team, it served as the cool off point of the kids when they were the substitute for the quarter. Totally worth bringing out the tent and setting it up.
Sunscreen
Everyone needs sunscreen! The kids, their coach, parents, and siblings. We usually bring a spray-on bottle and a lotion bottle.
The lotion sunscreen provides a good coat on everyone and the spray helps re-up the coverage as the day goes on.
I hate having the boys come home looking like crispy critters after playing hard all day, and it wears them down faster during the games too. Sunscreen. on. everybody!
Chairs
A set of folding camp chairs lives in our trunk during soccer season. Sure we could bring a picnic blanket and sit on the ground, that’s completely fine. I prefer to be up away from any potential ants and to have a cup holder for water bottles or markers (depending on who’s sitting in the chair, obvs).
Even if you plan to sit on the ground, keep a couple of chairs in your trunk in case grandparents or other family members show up to watch the game and forget theirs. They’ll love you for it.
Snacks
I’d put snacks right up at the top of this list for being a necessity, right after water. Water’s number one.
That being said having snacks that’ll keep the family fueled up all day long is so important on game day. Some weekend we’d only be at the soccer fields for a couple of hours, but most of the time it would be around 4 hours. Getting their early for warm-ups, breaks in between the boys’ games, it all add ups. And when you start around 9 or 10 in the morning breakfast wears off fast.
Most of the teams would have one parent bring a snack and drink for the team to have after the game, which is awesome. But a small treat and sports drink aren’t going to hold them over to lunch or keep them ready to go for a doubleheader. I like to keep a stash of our own snacks so all of us are good to go while the boys are playing hard.
My snack stash typically includes:
- Carrot sticks
- Apple slices
- Grapes
- Foster Farms Bold Bites
- Granola bars
- Cheddar crackers
- Pretzels
- Peanut butter to-go cups
I try to have a good combination of fruits, carbs, veggies, and protein so my husband and I and the boys can grab what they like and still be fueled up. I keep everything pre-portioned in ziptop bags or buy ready to eat snacks for easy access. My husband and I really love the Foster Farm Bold Bites made with whole chicken breast meat. They’re SUPER tasty! We can pop a pouch and get 15 grams of protein with no nitrates or nitrites, and there are no artificial flavors or colors.
Foster Farms Bold Bites come in 5 flavors with big taste and bold seasonings:
- Korean BBQ
- Cajun
- Chile Verde – my favorite!!
- Garlic Parmesan
- Caribbean Jerk
Our boys gravitate towards the Garlic Parmesan since those are flavors they usually eat. I started with the Cajun Bold Bites my first time and I’ll be honest they kicked my butt a little. That being said it tasted good, just a bit spicy for me cause I’m a spice wimp. Then we branched out the other four flavors and they were all great! The Caribbean Jerk had a great combination of spices, the Garlic Parmesan was just what I wanted it to be, the Korean BBQ had a hint of sweetness, and the Chile Verde had a pepper and lime flavor I couldn’t get over. We kept going between pouches trying to pick a favorite. In the end, the Chile Verde won my heart and taste buds. I would totally fight Mike for the Chile Verde pouch any day of the week. Mike liked the Cajun and Korean BBQ equally. I may have to mix them together!
Busy Bag
With two kids playing soccer keeping the one that’s not playing occupied can be tricky. I like to keep a busy bag in our soccer tote to help keep boredom at bay.
We fill a big bag with:
- coloring pages
- crayons/markers/colored pencils
- a book
- silly putty
- a few action figures
- race cars
These little bags are also a great way to keep younger siblings entertained since they’re probably not too invested in watching the game.
Towels & Wipes
Baby wipes are the best for getting sunscreen off your hands when there isn’t a sink close by. They’re also handy for wiping off faces after snacking or cleaning up messes.
I also keep a dark bath towel in our car in case of dives or major spills on the field. Otto made a big dive for the ball one time (to stop a goal) and he went right into a mud pit. It was everywhere. Luckily I had a towel in the car, and now it’s a must-have in my soccer arsenal along with the wipes.
Pro Tip: There’s usually a change of clothes in our bag too in case we go to lunch right after the game. Our kids don’t like being all sweaty or wearing a dirty uniform if we’re hitting a restaurant.
Drinks
Water. So much water! It’s my #1 must bring to every practice and game item. You could forget everything else and be okay if you have plenty of water.
When you’ve lived in the desert for this long you know how important hydrating is and keeping from kids from getting heatstroke when they’re out in the sun all day running around.
We like to add a little flavor to our drink cooler too though, so you can usually find juice pouches and sports drinks mixed in with our water. Skip the soda though!
For more snacking inspiration, follow Foster Farms on Instagram @FosterFarms and on Twitter @FosterFarms.
If you’re a first-time soccer mom or dad, I hope these basics help you feel prepared for spending the day on the soccer fields. If this isn’t your first rodeo, let me know what other essentials you bring each week!
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