Parenting Pointers: Tips for Sports Parents

There are many reasons to celebrate moms and dads this back-to-school season, not the least of which is their selfless commitment to contributing so much of their precious time and hard-earned money to their children's after-school and weekend youth sports activities.

And let's face it, parents of kids involved in sports have A LOT on their plate during the busy fall season. Driving to practices after school and games on Saturdays, washing seemingly endless amounts of dirty laundry, planning for the entire season calendar (sometimes for multiple kids of different ages across multiple sports), packing snacks and meal prepping. The list goes on.

Not surprisingly, as children participate in more and more organized team sports, both the time and the financial commitment that are needed from mom and dad have skyrocketed.

While both parents typically make an enormous commitment to seeing their child succeed on the field or court, there are some interesting differences between how moms and dads are involved in their children's back-to-school athletic pursuits.

FlipGive— the team funding platform that has helped over 35,000 youth sports teams and clubs across North America raise $20 million— surveyed 1,000 American sports parents and learned some interesting insights.  

1. CUT DOWN ON BACK-TO-SCHOOL STRESS BY GETTING SPORTS CALENDARS ORGANIZED NOW
   Right off the bat, parents of kids who play on school sports teams said they were 33% more stressed about the start of the new school year than parents of kids who don’t play on school sports teams. One way to help relieve that stress? Treat your kid’s sports schedule like you do your work meetings and weekend social events, and add their practices and games to your calendar and mobile device.
    
2. LEARN THE ROPES: MEET SCHOOL COACHES & BUILD EARLY RELATIONSHIPS
   35% of dads and 11% of moms admit they’ve gotten into a heated argument at one of their child’s school-related sporting events-- either with a referee, coach, or other parent. Pro tip: If you get to know somebody, you’re less likely to want to punch them in the face or threaten to egg their house because they made a bad call or they took your kid off the field for a much-needed rest.
    
3. ESTABLISH SLEEPING SCHEDULES & ROUTINES NOW TO EASE THE TRANSITION
   For parents of kids who play school sports, the time commitment associated with their child’s sports involvement is the number one cause of stress when school sports season starts back up (40%). Cut down on this stress by setting aside ample time for you AND your kids to catch up on sleep when they aren’t scoring goals and hitting homers and you aren’t shuttling them around town from the field, to the court, to the rink.
    
4. ENCOURAGE KIDS TO HAVE FUN & BE TEAM PLAYERS ON SCHOOL SPORTS TEAMS
   It turns out sports moms and dads have very different goals for their youngster’s athletic involvement. For moms, the top goal for their child is to have fun (38%). For sports dads, the top priority for their child is to learn teamwork and leadership skills (34%). With all of these goals in mind this back-to-school season, try and remember that a big part of youth sports is helping your child grow into a well-rounded, respectful adult who knows how to handle wins, losses, and adversity.
    
5. PROPER MEAL-PREP & SNACKS ARE CRUCIAL FOR SPORTS PARENTS
   It’s no secret that young athletes are growing and usually hungry, and 95% of parents with kids who play school sports said it’s a top priority for them to ensure their kids have nutritional meals and snacks throughout their school day to maximize their endurance and performance. Some friendly advice--find some healthy, protein-packed snacks that your kids like, and stick with them! A big part of success on the field is routine, and the less your child has to worry about, the better.
    
6. SEEK OUT CARPOOLS WITH THE MOST ON-THE-BALL SPORTS PARENTS
   Fun fact: a relatively equal amount of sports moms (59%) and dads (58%) said they drive the classic sports parent minivan. FlipGive recommends setting up a back-to-school carpool with parents who have kids that play on the same team as your child in advance of the first day to cut down on last minute planning and to avoid the dreaded shame that comes with getting your child to practice late.
   
   >> THE MOST BACK-TO-SCHOOL READY  SPORTS PARENTS
   Some school sports parents are more prepared for back-to-school season and school-year sports play than others. The top 5 states where sports parents are most back-to-school ready, according to a FlipGive survey of over 2,000 parents, are:
   1. Mississippi (72%)
   2. Texas (69%)
   3. Virginia (68%)
   4. Georgia (66%)
   5. Ohio (65%)