I played sports growing up. All sports. Humbly, I was pretty good at just about everything. I earned Varsity letters in three sports all four years of high school. I even earned a scholarship to play basketball at a Division I university. (Go UIC!) Now, however, I am off the field/court/track and am the Team Mom in the stands cheering my own kids on.
My oldest is just six so it’s no like I’m at an Olympic Training Center or anything yet, but I’m finding it hard to sit still and drink my Coke Zero during her games. She just finished soccer season and I focused on getting her to see the importance of always playing hard, always trying hard. She tends to be unfocused and cares more about where her friends are on the field than where the ball is. I don’t care about her winning (though her team did win the league championship), I want her to develop the competitive spirit and will to win that helped me so much. She might not be the best athlete, but I want her to act like it.
Now that soccer is over, I’ve signed the oldest two up for a basketball league (and #3 is in a learn to play basketball session) I’m excited to see them play “my” sport and continue developing their skills. Most of all though, I’m excited for the fun that being part of a team brings. I’m OK with being just the Team Mom these days. It’s a hat I wear proudly.
In fact, being a #TeamMom got me invited to a Disney Parks event in Atlanta this week showcasing ESPN’s Wide World of Sports, runDisney, and their sports showcases. I’m anxious to learn more about how Disney is gearing themselves more and more towards supporting #teammom. Want to know more? Follow along on Twitter at #ontheroadtodisneyparks. Are you on #teammom?
