How To Be a Good Soccer Mom
Being a soccer mom or parent of an athletic child can be both demanding and challenging. You will do just about anything to support their dreams and help them succeed, but there always seem to be obstacles in your way.
You want your child to continue to feel positive, so it is essential that as a mom, you keep them motivated, supported, and prepared. So, if you question yourself, how do I become a good soccer mom? Here are some sure-fire tips!
Tips you can follow to be a good soccer mom:
1. First and foremost, believe that your child can excel
Should your child express their desire to make sports as their professional career, show that you believe that they can achieve their goals. You have to give your unconditional love and support, regardless if they are still struggling to master their skills, or if they are in their prime in their soccer career.
Your kid’s ambition should be your number one source of motivation. Your desire should encapsulate the need to help them succeed and guide them into the right steps as well as contacting other professionals that can help them.
To balance this out, though, you have to also be realistic about your child’s skill and make sure that the child remains humble.
2. Be a geek, a soccer enthusiast
Being a soccer enthusiast/geek may be the hardest thing to do if you are one of those moms who do not even like sports to begin with, but by becoming one, you will cover two fundamental bases:
- By being a soccer geek, you will be attending a lot of games and practices, learning the ins and outs of the games. You will be able to easily discuss things with the coach or have a talk with your child. You can even interpret feedback from the coaching team and relay it in a much more understandable way to your kid.
- By studying the game, you will learn all the nuances the sport has to offer. You can send a concise and brief message to your child that you learned to appreciate the game for them, and you are willing to understand it. They will eventually understand your efforts even though you have your slip-ups.
As a soccer parent, this is important because not only does this boost your child’s confidence, but this also boosts their trust in you. This type of motivation can last a lifetime.
3. Revamp your space into a soccer home
To truly support your child with the sport, you should take this opportunity to encourage his or her soccer skills on and off the field. Try to make your home as soccer as friendly as possible. For practices, you should have multiple soccer balls ready in your shed or backyard. You should also set up some mini-goals or cones for soccer drills.
If you want, you can even set your television to soccer games and make sure to get involved with your child’s discussion whenever they comment on a game. You can even elevate it by inviting some friends and teammates to have a soccer fiesta.
4. Find a soccer team to support
If you truly want to be the best soccer mom you can be, you must have a team to support. This means that you, as a soccer mom, need to pick a team that your child can aspire to be in. This is no easy decision because this is a critical time for them to truly understand soccer as a professional sport and as a career option, so choose wisely.
5. Learn to budget properly
Though sports are fun, being a soccer mom means you have to be financially committed to the sport. Should your child aspire to join a team and compete in tournaments, you will have to cover a lot of things such as uniforms, food, and travel expenses. Travel expenses include the hotels you may have to stay in. Top tiered equipment and soccer camps can cost a fortune, so budget accordingly.
6. Watch other matches as well as live matches
This is a great way for you to improve your knowledge in the game and to increase your child’s motivation to play. You should know the skills and technicalities pros use in their games and have a discussion with your kid whenever you do watch a live game.
7. Support your child in games
Obviously you should be supporting your child whenever they are playing in a game. But it’s important to spend your time supporting their team by cheering them on even when the game may not be going their way. Always encourage your child to play fairly and promote sportsmanship. Have them lead their team by example and always remain respectful, constructive, and positive as you voice your support.
8. Make core sports ethics a lifestyle
Your young soccer king/queen intends to spend a lot of their time to practice with their team. They want to do training and even practice matches to hone their skills, camaraderie, and teamwork. However, they also need to take a break once in a while and just be a normal kid at home.
You can maximize their off time by making sportsmanship a part of life. While your child is at home, learn to promote team ethics. These ethics should be taught to your entire family. It is your responsibility to be the substitute nutritionist, physical trainer, coach, counselor, and even administrator in your home. Don’t just eat well during soccer season; make healthy eating a daily routine. Same goes for exercise. Teach your child how to be game ready in and out of season by making sports a way of life.
9. Know which equipment to buy
As a good soccer mom, you should know the right equipment. It’s not always about spending the most money on equipment; it’s important to know what’s the right equipment for your child’s age and skill level. As basic necessities, your child would need a good pair of soccer shoes, plenty of uniforms and spare kits of shin guards, so you do not need to do laundry every day of the week.
It is worth paying extra money to get these quality items since the most important thing for your child is that they are comfortable and have the right tools to practice for their upcoming soccer game. But again, buying the most expensive item doesn’t always mean it’s the best or most appropriate. Figure out what is the best quality for your athlete’s needs.
10. Last but not least, always be prepared
Should you attend a training session or be away for a game, you should always be prepared for just about anything. Some essentials include the following:
- Socks and shin guards
- Soccer shoes
- Tracksuit and jacket for jogging
- Soccer balls
- Towels, tons of them
- Bag (wash bags too)
- Plenty of water
- Energizing snacks, such as bananas or energy bars
- Sunscreen
- Umbrellas
- Blankets
- Cameras for documentation
- Paper and pencil in case you need to take notes
11. Be Supportive of the Coach
It takes a huge effort and time to coach recreational sports in today’s fast-paced world with ever-increasing responsibilities and unforeseen circumstances. As a soccer mom, you can make the coach’s job so much easier by showing appreciation and support fo the work they do.
12. Bring Healthy Snacks
Young athletes often forget to bring water, snacks, and other necessities. Everyone will appreciate you if you are the mom with a little extra in her bag when times get hot, or people may have rushed out of the house and forgot important necessities. Extra water, bandaids, organic energy snacks or granola bars will impress everyone and increase the trust they have in you, given that you chose healthy snacks instead of processed, unhealthy options.
13. Be Nice
Soccer is becoming more and more competitive, and believe it or not, there are parents of children on the same team who never speak to each other during a season. This doesn’t set the best example for your child. It actually may foster negative behaviors by the kids on the team.
It’s a simple rule: be kind and cordial. No one says you must tell the whole world what you do, but kindness should not be so hard these days.
14. Enjoy the moment
This time on the soccer field with your child and other families will be some of the best memories in your life. Enjoy it, have fun, and cherish this moment.
Learn More About Soccer on Souletics
What makes a soccer mom?
A positive characterization of a soccer mom would be a woman who assumes responsibility for taking the children to soccer matches, goes prepares meals, goes beyond the expected responsibility, and cherishes this time with her children and family.
How can I be a good soccer parent?
You can be a good soccer parent by believing in your child, support but don't coach, encourage your child teammates, bring appropriate necessities (water, snacks), and refraining from arguing with opposing coaches, team personal, or parents.
How do you dress like a soccer mom?
Casual, t-shirt, jeans, athletic wear, shorts that are practical and cute!