School’s Back… Which Means Fall Sports Are Back Too!

Well, somehow summer is basically over.

I’m not entirely sure how that happened, because I feel like school JUST ended, but here we are. Backpacks are packed, school supplies have been purchased (and will inevitably disappear within the first month), alarms are being set way too early again, and we are officially heading back into our regularly scheduled chaos.

And in our house, back to school also means one very important thing:

FALL SPORTS ARE BACK.

If you have kids in sports, you know that “fall sports” does not simply mean dropping your child off at practice a couple of times a week.

LOL. If only.

It means practices. Games. Tournaments. Early mornings. Late evenings. Weekends spent on sidelines. Eating dinner at completely ridiculous times. Checking the weather approximately 47 times before leaving the house. And somehow having half of your car permanently filled with sports equipment.

At this point, my car is less of a vehicle and more of a mobile sporting goods store.

With soccer especially, we’ve learned that September can basically have all four seasons in one weekend. You leave the house in a sweatshirt because it’s 55 degrees, you’re sweating by the second half, and then suddenly there’s a breeze and you’re freezing again.

So after spending MANY hours sitting on sidelines over the years, I have definitely figured out which things are actually worth keeping around.

THE SPORTS MOM SIDELINE ESSENTIALS

1. A GOOD FOLDING CHAIR

This is probably obvious, but not all sports chairs are created equal.

You want something comfortable enough to sit in through multiple games but also easy enough to carry across an enormous field when your kid’s game is, naturally, on the field FARTHEST from the parking lot.

Amazon pick: GCI Outdoor Sunshade Rocker Outdoor Rocking Chair with Canopy

Bonus points for cup holders and pockets because apparently I need somewhere to store my coffee, water bottle, phone, sunglasses, and the 900 random things my kids hand me.

2. A SIDELINE BLANKET

A blanket lives in my car basically all fall.

It works for cold mornings, sitting on the grass, wrapping around yourself when the temperature suddenly drops, or handing to a freezing sibling who SWORE they didn’t need a sweatshirt.

Amazon pick: DOWN UNDER OUTDOORS Waterproof 350 GSM Fleece or Sherpa Stadium Blanket

Water-resistant on one side is even better because wet grass + regular blanket = mistake you only make once.

3. THE SPORTS MOM TOTE

You need a bag.

Not your purse. Not the kids’ sports bag.

YOUR bag.

Sunscreen. Bug spray. Sunglasses. Snacks. Portable charger. Tissues. Hand sanitizer. Extra socks. Random Band-Aids. Hair ties. Maybe a sweatshirt.

Basically Mary Poppins, but make it soccer.

Amazon splurge pick: YETI Camino 35 Carryall
Amazon budget pick: BAGSMART Puffy Tote Bag

4. A BIG WATER BOTTLE

Between practices and games, we are constantly filling water bottles.

I personally love the big insulated ones because they actually stay cold when you’re sitting outside for hours.

Amazon pick: YETI Rambler 30 oz Travel Mug with Flip Straw Lid

And yes, everyone should theoretically be responsible for their own water bottle.

And yet somehow Mom is still carrying them all. 😂

5. PORTABLE PHONE CHARGER

This one is SO underrated.

Between taking pictures and videos, texting family members where the field is, checking schedules, checking scores and occasionally scrolling on my phone when absolutely nothing is happening 😂, my battery can disappear FAST during a tournament day.

Amazon pick: 45W Fast Charging Portable Charger

I keep one charged in my bag so I don’t have to think about it.

6. WEATHER-PROOF EVERYTHING

Fall sports weather is completely unpredictable, so I like having a little emergency stash in the car.

Think:

• Ponchos – these button up like a coat, making it SO much more convenient
• Small umbrella
• Sunscreen
• Bug spray
• Hand warmers – disposable or rechargeable
• Extra sweatshirt
• Baseball cap
• Beanie

Yes, sunscreen AND hand warmers.

If you live in the Northeast, you understand.

7. SNACKS. ALL THE SNACKS.

I don’t care how old your kids get.

Bring snacks.

Someone is going to be hungry.

Possibly you.

Actually, definitely you.

I like keeping a few nonperishable snacks in my sports bag so even when we’re rushing out of the house—which is basically always—we have something.

A small insulated cooler is also great for tournament days when you’re going to be at the fields FOREVER.

Amazon pick: IGLOO Square Lunch Bag Cooler

8. A WAGON

If you have multiple kids, younger siblings, tournament weekends, or just a LOT of stuff, get the wagon.

GET. THE. WAGON.

Chairs, cooler, blankets, bags, soccer balls—you can throw everything in there instead of attempting to carry 17 things while trekking across a giant sports complex.

Amazon pick: Collapsible Heavy Duty Wagon

I resisted the wagon life for a while.

I was wrong.

9. A GOOD SIDELINE JACKET

This one is technically for Mom. 😂

I love something that is warm but not ridiculously bulky, preferably with pockets because apparently women’s clothing designers still need to be reminded that WE WANT POCKETS.

Amazon pick: Winter Thickened Warm Puffer Coat

For colder weather, a long puffer jacket is basically the sports-mom equivalent of bringing your comforter to the field, and I fully support it.

10. THE RANDOM THINGS YOU DON’T THINK YOU NEED… UNTIL YOU DO

These are the things that eventually end up permanently living in your car:

Extra socks.
Sunglasses.
Hand lotion.
Lip Balm.
Plastic bags for muddy shoes.
Baby wipes—even when you no longer have babies.
First aid kit.
Tissues.
Hand sanitizer.
Hand wipes.
Hair ties.
Safety pins.
Tide pens.
A towel.
Extra phone charger.
Rain jacket for the warmer days.
Cash.

Basically, prepare for a minor apocalypse and you’ll be perfectly equipped for Saturday soccer.

AND HERE WE GO…

As crazy as the fall sports schedule gets, I really do love this time of year.

There is something about the beginning of a new school year, the weather finally starting to cool down, weekend games, coffee on the sidelines, and watching the kids get back out there with their teammates.

Do I occasionally look at our weekend schedule and wonder when exactly we are supposed to do laundry, grocery shop, clean the house, or RELAX?

Absolutely.

But I also know these seasons go way too fast.

So I’ll happily pack the chairs, load up the cooler, grab my coffee, and spend another fall cheering from the sidelines.

Even if the game is at 8 AM.

Okay, maybe I won’t be happy about the 8 AM part. 😂

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