Essential Tips For Surviving the Soccer Season For Parents and Players at My Sports Articles

Essential Tips For Surviving the Soccer Season For Parents and Players

Both parents and players need to be prepared to survive soccer. Here are some of the essential tips for making it through the season.

For Kids:

1. Cleats (or "boots" if you're speaking British) are to be taken off before you enter the house. You may remove them in the car or in the laundry room, but under NO circumstances are you to wear them into the kitchen where we have hardwood floors that were re-finished several years ago and I have no intention of going through all that dust again for a LONG time. So take off your cleats before going inside.

2. If your cleats (or "boots") are wet, muddy, caked with grass, or otherwise messy, DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. We do not have a shoe-cleaning fairy to magically clean them for you. And we are not going to buy a new pair just because yours are a bit dirty or soggy. So please, don't even ask.

3. We have purchased an extra large commercial size bottle of Fabreze. Use it! On cleats, on shin guards, on your soccer bag-pretty much anything that can't go in the washer is a good target.

4. Speaking of your soccer bag, when you throw it down on the kitchen floor because it is too heavy for you to carry a few extra feet, you accomplish several things (none of them good). You risk scratching the kitchen floor (which I may have mentioned is a no-no), you are offering the Puppy a new game called "See What Fun Things Are In The Soccer Bag," and you are clearly attempting to kill your mother as the likelihood of me tripping over some portion of your gear is breathtakingly huge. To be clear-find another home for your soccer bag.

5. Do not ignore your soccer bag or its contents. When it is half an hour to game time and it will take 15 minutes to get to the field and you are supposed to be there 30 minutes early and you choose that moment to yodel that your uniform isn't clean, there is not much I can do except offer you the aforementioned bottle of Fabreze. This is also not the time to mention that you don't know where your left cleat has gotten to, that everyone has agreed to wear a green stripe in their hair for this game, or that I am responsible for snacks for the entire team.

6. You are old enough to put water into a water bottle all by yourself. You are old enough to tell time. Therefore, you are old enough to have your own water bottle(s) ready to go on time.

7. Just to be clear: watching professional soccer games on tv does NOT constitute studying and therefore is not a substitute for doing actual homework.

Soccer Survival Rules for Parents:

For parents of soccer players, surviving the season is a question of preparation and good behavior.

1. Be sure you know where the field is and what time your player needs to be there. Nothing snuffs the joy out of the day quite as quickly as your kids sobbing or seething because you are desperately racing to the field after having asked for directions for the 12th time that morning.

2. Make a list of all the players on your team and their jersey numbers. "Great shot, Chris!!" is much more meaningful than "Go Blue!"

3. Get your child to explain the game to you. First of all, it's a great way to get your kid to talk. Secondly, different leagues, different teams, different coaches use different terminology. It will save much stress if you use the same language your child is using.

4. Yeah, I know your child is the single most important player on the field. And I understand that he/she never makes mistakes. But please don't argue with the referee. It is not a good example to set for your child, it can get our team penalized, and frankly it is plain unattractive. It's much better if you sit next to me and make snarky remarks quietly.

5. In case you missed the memo, the most important part of kids playing soccer is to have fun and stay safe. So if a kid may be hurt and the ref stops play right before little Johnny scores, live with it. The score is not nearly as important as taking care of our kids.

6. For heaven's sake, please leave the fog horn at home. Personally, I'm not a big fan of them at professional sports games, but these are little kids! (And I have delicate ears.)

7. Teams win. Teams lose. Think hard about what you say to your child in either event. For heavens' sake, please do not trash talk another player-especially when you're still on the field! Your kid is probably

8. Try a Soccer Season Survival Bin. Mine lives in the trunk of my car during the season. Depending on where you live you may want to change the contents, but here's what I carry: lightweight blanket, an umbrella, a small towel, dog treats (in case Puppy goes with us), kid treats (for the player and for the siblings-guess which is more important), one of those chemical bags that turns into a cold pack when you smash it, a couple of plastic bags, sunscreen, a couple of pens, and some paper. (NOTE: I would love to know what you keep in your survival bin!)

9. When you leave, check to be sure you have everything including your water bottle, your chairs (not mentioning any names), and your child.

A Final Note: These are kids. Almost none of them will play professional soccer when they grow up. The great majority of them will not even play soccer in college. So ENJOY! Celebrate their great moments, encourage them when they miss a shot, and laude them when they cheer their teammates. And above all-pack a great snack for after the game!