Sports Mom Diaries: The Good, The Bad, and The Exhausting

Some people spend their weekends brunching, sleeping in, or watching Netflix.

Me? I spend most of mine living out of the trunk of my car with a foldable chair, a cooler full of snacks, Google Maps yelling at me to “make a U-turn,” and a backseat full of sweaty gear that smells like determination. If you're not familiar with the sports mom life, let me warn you, determination doesn't smell nice.

If you're new here, I'm Lori, and I'm neck deep into my "sports mom era". My daughter plays competitive basketball and soccer, my son plays baseball and flag football.... and apparently, I play Uber driver without tips. Feel free to Venmo me for gas and gate fees.

The Good

Let’s start with the good stuff, because honestly, it’s not all chaos (just… mostly). There’s nothing like watching your kid hit a home run, score a goal, or sink a shot they’ve been practicing for weeks. Those moments? Priceless. You forget about the early mornings, the miles driven, and the fact that you’ve eaten concession stand nachos for two straight days. Judge all you want, but the liquid cheese is pure gold in my book.

If we're honest, sports families (especially us travel ball families) are a breed of their own. You start as teammates and somehow become a little sports village, sharing snacks, sunscreen, and dishing out margaritas to the parents between games. You spend so much of your life with these people that they eventually turn into your extended family and it really is such a blessing.

The Bad

Next let's talk about the not-so-glamorous side of it all, aka "the logistics."

Between four sports, overlapping seasons, and games in different cities, I’ve built a second home in my car. My trunk is like a mobile Dick’s Sporting Goods with cleats, balls, uniforms, folding chairs, and enough Gatorade to hydrate an entire team.

And don’t even get me started on the sideline or team chat drama. Travel ball moms are passionate. Like, Olympic level passionate. There’s always that one mom yelling plays louder than the coach, and another who swears the ref is out to get her kid. Then there’s the “cool mom clique”. You know the ones, with matching tumblers, coordinated outfits, and enough side-eye to make you question whether your Costco snacks are good enough for the team. It’s like Real Housewives: Travel Team Edition.

The Exhausting

Sports mom life is not for the weak. You’re packing, driving, unpacking, re-packing, all while calculating how many hours of sleep you can function on. You’ve mastered the art of changing uniforms in the car and know every Chick-fil-A drive-thru between here and three neighboring states.

Laundry? Endless.

Bank account? Questionable.

Energy? Running solely on caffeine and adrenaline from those close, nerve wracking games.

But here’s the thing, as exhausting as it is, it’s so worth it. You watch your kids grow into teammates, leaders, and fighters. You meet incredible families who become your people. You laugh, you cry (in your car, probably), and you create memories that your kids will never forget.

So here’s to us, the overcommitted sports moms. We’ve got stadium chairs in our trunks, coolers in our kitchens, and a permanent farmer’s tan that says I was there.

We’re tired and we’re broke, but we’re raising confident, hardworking, resilient kids. And honestly? That’s the real win.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got to go find a missing shin guard, wash a baseball uniform, and figure out how to be in two places at once this weekend.

XOXO,