Where are all of my Spring Sports Mamas? I see you over there, Soccer Mom in your dry-fit shorts and lifestyle sneakers; looking cute in your team colors, your “Soccer Mom” tank top and custom-made cap with your kiddo’s number on it! You were a little loud at that last game, but that’s okay! Isn’t it great that just when the children start sleeping through the night, we find a reason to wake up at the crack of dawn on weekends to be in Dripping Springs at 7:30am? Aren’t we smart? The best part is when we get to spend our very special day just for us, Mother’s Day, on the Soccer Fields screaming, “RUN!” at the top of our lungs while our shoulders get sunburned and our husbands get a little too competitive and start yelling at the ref. Honestly, there is nothing I’d rather do than spend Mother’s Day on the Soccer Field, cheering for my girl!
Not only is it a game (or two) on Mother’s Day, it’s the TOURNAMENT over the entire weekend; Friday, Saturday, Sunday. So, no weekend getaway to the spa; no quick trip to Gruene, or Round Top or Fredericksburg, no pampering of Mom will be happening. It is waking up with the alarm clock, feeding and dressing the kid, slathering on sunscreen, grabbing water, umbrellas, chairs, snacks, soccer ball, soccer bag, hat, sunglasses…all the things. It is braving I-35 to the field, finding the right field without looking like a lost puppy, setting up all the gear while totally looking like “that parent,” and praying that your kiddo remembers all the practices, the extra practices you encouraged your husband to conduct, the Dribble Up drills and all the little things you’ve done to help your child be successful, are successful.
But, you know what is better than a big bouquet of flowers, or a spa gift card or even a sparkly piece of jewelry for Mother’s Day? Watching your girl break through two defenders and kick the ever-living snot out of that soccer ball like a cannon launching it into the goal! All of the additional practice kicks after practice, telling her to point her toe down, plant her foot and kick from the hip, all of the soccer camps over the Summer, all of the extra running you’ve done together for endurance and strengthening and GRIT…all comes together in one perfect moment! Then, her smile, and her team members’ high-fives, and your husband’s proud smile…priceless. I’m not crying, you’re crying! And I know it’s not just soccer, it’s baseball, and softball and t-ball and volleyball and track and cheer and dance…our weekends are as full as our hearts.
One last thing, this is not a release from giving Moms gifts and appreciation for Mother’s Day! I still expect some sort of pampering and love and a “thank you” would be golden, even though we don’t really do it all for that, do we?
So, how are you spending your Mother’s Day?
