Comment “SPORTS” to get my favorite sports mom gear! I actually need to snag some of this myself… I’m definitely in my travel sports mom era. It hit me when my boys started playing travel soccer in 2nd grade. My first thought: Am I REALLY doing this to MYSELF? To my FAMILY? The money. The family dinners lost. The anxiety of getting there on time (trust me, I’m always late). The constant go, go, go. I had seasons of rebelling. Questioning the validity of youth sports. The seriousness of it all - not to mention the questionable refs, coach calls, playing time, losing streaks, heartbreaks, gas costs, and everything that comes with living out of your car. When it came down to it, there are many things about youth sports, especially travel, that I hate. And honestly, I still hate. But you know what? There’s more about it that I love. And maybe one day on my death bed I’ll shake my hand in the air and roll my eyes at those “wasted years.” But the irony is… I think I’ll miss it. I really have given this thought. And I do believe kids, especially at a young age, need something to work toward. They need ownership of whatever that is (still working on passing that ownership button from us to them). I want my boys to understand what it means to struggle. What it means to compete. That life isn’t fair. That playing time isn’t a given. That you don’t always win. That sometimes the new player beats you out. That boring practices still matter. That you still show up when the game doesn’t go your way. That you push through the “I don’t want to do this.” Because this is the stuff that builds resilience. Character. Grit. The ability to stay when things get uncomfortable. And no, it’s not perfect. But I’d rather my kids learn how to work hard for something that matters than drift through something easy. Loving you through the wins, supporting you in the losses, sitting with you on the long drives and cheering you on in the late nights — and teaching you that effort matters more than comfort. I love you. And this? This is my sports mom era.