I know last week I mentioned we were going to talk about baseball this week. However, that’s before I realized today is the Friday before Mother’s Day. So, with that in mind, we are going to push baseball back a week – don’t worry, we are still going there – and talk about Mom’s. Specifically Sports Moms.
Let’s call this my “Ode to Sports Moms.”
It takes a special lady to be a mom from the start. The whole process of producing another human being, caring for it to adulthood, and then parenting an adult (which is a whole different article) is daunting enough; but let’s talk about what it looks like to be a mom of a kid, or kids, who play sports.
And before you come for me, dad’s play a huge role too, but it’s Mother’s Day and we can talk about Dads in June!
I tend to believe that “Sports Moms” are just built different. I can remember when I was a little girl shooting baskets on the hoop in the front yard or catching fly balls with my dad in the back yard…I could tell you that my mom watched lovingly out the back window while cooking up “a mess of something” and pouring us up a pitcher of sweet tea that she brought out on a platter for us to enjoy on the verandah. Very June Cleaver. But, that’s not a Sports Mom.
My mom was out there in her shorts and t-shirt catching in and rebounding. She was pushing me (and maybe yelling at me more than my dad, sorry mom!) I am certain she could have found something more relaxing to do, she always had a very demanding job and likely would have enjoyed sitting on the couch with a snack and a good show. But, she was exactly where she wanted to be; investing in the life of her child.
Like most Sports Moms, my mom was right in the thick of things. She was, and still is, one of the most competitive people I have ever known. Which, I am sure can explain at least part of this deeply rooted competitive gene I carry around every day. Please don’t make me race you with my buggy in the grocery store to prove it! But I digress. As a multi-sport athlete there was always a game or a practice to attend. During the school year it was a little easier because practices and games were built into the system and regular. However, in the summer, with travel softball and AAU basketball we never quite knew what that was going to look like. I played on several teams that required us to travel several hours for practice multiple times per week and games that took us to locations unknown most every weekend.
My mom never missed a beat. And as an adult, former sports mom, and now sports grandma, I have an even deeper appreciation for that sacrifice. Let’s talk about what that looks like. A true Sports Mom is their child’s number one fan, even if their kid is participating in a sport that they know absolutely nothing about or maybe don’t even like, or even if your kid is not so great of an athlete (ie. they suck but still want to play). You can typically identify a Sports Mom in the stands at any sporting event because she is branded with the team logo, her kids number, and is surrounded by a pile of other team branded paraphernalia. She is cheering on the team, not just her kid, and has full buy-in to the program, even if her kid is not the star or regularly “rides the pine” as the old saying goes.
A Sports Mom could typically be confused as a pack mule as she carries all the things; hers, theirs, and probably some other kids stuff from point A to point B. Because a good Sports Mom knows that it’s a no man left behind policy for socks, baseball hats, gloves, water bottles, errant shoes, and any other thing a kid may leave behind on accident…and good Sports Moms have each other’s backs.
Sports Moms are truly a rare breed. They are constantly on the go, champions of the fast food drive through, have an innate knowledge of every clean gas station bathroom in the tri-state area, have all the secrets for removing every stain (known and unknown) from any piece of uniform clothing, and can maintain high function on a hour of sleep, a bag of cheetos, and her favorite energy drink (catch me with a Peechy Keen Monster any day of the week).
Yeah, I’d say “Built Different” pretty much covers it.
So, here’s to you Sports Moms. Whether or not you know it, you are absolutely changing the world for the humans you support and, even if they don’t tell you on a regular basis, your kids see and appreciate you. And even if they don’t, please know that I see you and appreciate you! Having an amazing mom who was always in the trenches fighting beside me was life changing. Being that mom taught me things I never knew about her and about myself. And now having this new perspective is teaching me all the things I wish I had known throughout the journey.
You are the difference maker, Sports Mom, keep fighting the good fight and cheering on your kid. They see you in the stands, and some days, that’s all they need…it’s definitely what they will remember!
Happy Mother’s Day!
Read more from How the Ball Bounces with Bekka in the archives at www.mysaline.com/bounces.
About the author: Bekka Wilkerson is a lifelong lover of all things sports. Raised in a super athletic household it was no surprise when she too began to love sports at a young age. It seems like from the time she could walk she had a softball bat in her hands, but her true athletic passion came from all things Basketball. That love served her well as a Bryant High School Lady Hornet and ultimately earned her a full scholarship to play at the University of Central Arkansas – among many other adventures.
These days Bekka can be found running around Saline County with her husband, Speedy, or chasing one of her grandsons. She is also the Executive Director of The EMpact One Foundation, a Saline County Nonprofit Organization that helps young people stay connected to extracurricular activities through tuition assistance and equipment provisions.
Reach out to Bekka with questions and/or ideas about things you want to see in this column at [email protected] and learn more about The EMpact One Foundation at www.empactone.org.