kids and sports Archives - Faith Filled Food for Moms

Mom, Mother, Mama..It’s an Action Word..When to Step In

February 21, 2013 by Shari Lynne 4 Comments

There are so many things to consider when being a parent, a Mom , aren’t there? I mean so many responsibilities, so many choices, so much heart work in ourselves and in our children. When to say yes..when to say no..when to say wait..

Then there are the times when we have to make the choice to step in or step back..

Mom, Mother, Mama..It’s an Action Word..When to Step In

The questions that swirl around in our head..will this damage my child for good if do something?..will it damage my child for good if I don’t do something?

Sometimes instinct and the Holy Spirit overpowers us and we as Moms just know what to do..and then there are times when it’s not clear..we seek the Lord and we are just not sure…But there’s that stirring..the stirring that keeps you awake at night..the stirring that causes you to cry and your faith to grow…

Then you have to decide..to decide if the consequences of keeping your mouth shut or not keeping it shut is worth the risk..either way..

To take a step of faith…

So I did it .. it just poured out..I wrote it all out (of course because I love to write…I couldn’t help it)…then you know what I did? I hit send…but not without my daughters approval..

Dear Coach

Just to let you know..that I think it was TOTALLY INAPPROPRIATE that my daughter was sent in to play the last tournament game 20 seconds before the game was over.

Just to let you know..that I think telling her that it’s nothing against them for not going in because the current girls were just “clicking” is TOTALLY INAPPROPRIATE..especially when all the other girls were subbed in and out..even if for a short period of time.

Just to let you know…that you cannot justify to a 14 year old girl that waits ALL YEAR LONG to play ———- to beat the socks off of them..that they are part of the “TEAM” when they sit on the bench.

Just to let you know…a medal means 0 unless it’s earned

Just to let you know..that the last year of select ball and Seaside will forever be marred in the heart of a 14 girl

Just to let you know…that a 14 year old girl feels HUMILIATED to be sent in to play the LAST 20 seconds of a game

Just to let you know..that a 14 year old girl is CONFUSED by why you would sent her in to play the last 27 seconds of a game..and so is the parent.

Just to let you know…a 14 year old girl doesn’t want equal playing time..doesn’t want all the playing time..but wants a little amount of playing time (27 seconds does not count as a “little”)

Just to let you know… that a 14 year old girl is not motivated to work her butt off at practice to sit on the bench

Just to let you know…that a parent does not want to drive their kids to practice..give up vacations..work overtime..take VERY LONG TRIPS to watch their daughter sit on the bench and have her heart broken and watch coaches make up excuses as to why this is ok.

Just to let you know…that a 14 year old does not have her confidence built up by watching others play the game

Just to let you know…that a 14 year old girl does not believe you when you tell her that you have confidence in her playing but don’t back up your words with action.

Just to let you know..that a 14 year old girl will overcome, excel, succeed in the game of Basketball because of her love for the game..not because of the politics behind it.

Just to let you know…a 14 year old girl looks up to and honors her coaches

Just to let you know..a 14 year old girl can’t speak out on her own behalf and that’s why she has parents

Just to let you know…that this parent is unhappy, sad, angry, disheartened, frustrated, disgruntled, upset, broken hearted and can’t keep her mouth shut anymore…it’s officially in writing.

Just to let you know…that a 14 year old girl just wants to leave this behind and try to make the best of her future..so please don’t bother her with this little letter that is from the heart of a parent, that knows the heart of their daughter.

Just to let you know..we have never questioned a 14 year old girls playing time.

To my sweet readers..

Just to let you know… We have a new coach this season that has practically robbed my daughter and some of the others players for that matter..of all of their confidence..my daughter has always been an amazing athlete..We know that there will be bumps in the road..and we thought this would blow over..We are not the kind of parents that think our daughter is “all that” or that she should be front and center..this coach was appointed by my daughters future High School Coach to train the team..we worried that speaking up would ruin any chance of making the team…or making Varsity as a Freshman…so we have not said anything…until now…

Just to let you know… We received a pretty nice email back from the coach… and look forward to the future.. I saw her last night and we discussed matters and departed well…I pray God will use it for His glory…

Just to let you know… This is not school Basketball…this is a “paid” Select team..that trains athletes to achieve the highest levels of the sport..

God gave me this scripture for my daughter and we have held on to it in faith

“Humble yourself before the Lord and in due time He will lift you up” I Peter 5:6

Mama Bear has spoken..

Oh and Just to let you know..my daughter is now on the school team and is a starter.. Smile God will lift you up!

So tell me..What would YOU have done in this situation?

Radical Sports Require Radical Nutrition

April 17, 2012 by Shari Lynne 7 Comments

Even for Kids!!

Most of you know that my kids are all into sports, they are truly athletes. God has brought us into an adventure that we never knew we would be a part of with these younger kids of ours. Sports are intense these days..you can’t believe what training they are put through..it’s really quite amazing. And of course they LOVE it!

Kids that play physically demanding sports need more calories than the average child. The question is..where are they going to get these extra calories. I can get pretty radical about what they eat, how much they drink and what they drink, how much rest there bodies need and so forth. If you saw how there bodies were working..you would too. Lately however one of my teens doesn’t want to eat much but junk food. It drives me crazy. Now I know I need to let her have ownership of her own body but I try to at least offer her some things that seem like junk food but are really healthy Winking smile …such as:

Chicken and Beef Quesadillas
Veggie Wraps
Smoothies
Sqwinchers Lite Qwik Stik

When playing sports I’m radical that my kids drink LOTS of water. After games however they are allowed to have a healthy drink such as Sqwincher. Sqwincher is an Electrolyte Replacement Mix. I have to be honest, I didn’t use to like my kids to drink this type of thing when younger, but now that they are older I’m happy to see them drinking it AFTER a game.

What changed my mind? Well for one thing, I felt that this was a good way to replace some of the lost Electrolytes that massive sweating depletes there bodies of. My kids are really sweaters. Also, since my daughter especially is not eating much fruit these days, and has even had a couple of charlie horses because of it..Sqwinchers replaces some of that lost potassium. A lack of potassium can cause charlie horses. The other thing I noticed was that after playing a very strenuous game, my kids are usually so drained, but I noticed that after drinking Sqwincher Lite they seemed more energized and not so exhausted.

Now water is still the rule for during games, but after seeing the difference that Sqwincher Lite made after the games..this will be part of our healthy routine.

And by the way, ALL of my kids LOVED the taste..we have lemonade. But even better, my husband, who is a diabetic can drink it because it is sugar free! Yay!! Oh and 0 calories! Yay again! Thank you Sqwincher Lite!

If you are interested in ordering Sqwincher Quik Stik’s for yourself or your kids you can find them online here

What do you do to keep your kids in tip top shape for sports? Or what even if they don’t do sports..what do you do to help keep your kids healthy?

I was given a free package of Sqwincher Lite Qwik Stiks to keep and use. I am giving my honest opinion of this product.

By the way those are my babies Smile

Filed Under: Be Healthy Tagged With: kids and sports, nutrition, sponsored

Family Fitness is Fun

December 19, 2011 by Shari Lynne 18 Comments

So here we are, full into the holiday season. Rich foods, lots of sweets, kids on school break and antsy for Christmas! Now what?

Around here we try to fit in some family fitness fun.

I’m no fitness guru by any means, but one thing I know is that if our family doesn’t do something that involves some form of exercise during this time of excitement and down time we will be at each other. So here is my simple suggestion: Go for walks! That’s it..nothing fancy..just a good old fashion walk.

Now around here in the Pacific Northwest it rains..a lot! We can’t allow that to stop us though..Someone invented these really neat things called umbrellas and hoods..so we use them! HA!

I discovered that my kids really like to go for walks with me. It’s special to them for some reason. They like to walk and talk. Really! I used to go for walks by myself. I love the peace and quiet and time to spend with the Lord….But it’s not easy to try to get alone. Kids just naturally want to follow whatever thing it is that you are going to enjoy… alone!

Have you tried to get out of the house by yourself lately? The kids want to come right? Even the teenagers. What’s with that? I gave into letting them come with me.

So we get our exercise and build our relationships at the same time.

If walking with your kids sounds boring..make it FUN! Here are just a few suggestions that we have done over the years:

Play I Spy as you walk along
Discover different types of plants and trees…different textures…collect them along the way
Have the kids race to the next street and STOP
Sing songs along the way
Be really quiet as you walk and see what sounds you can hear
Talk about how you are feeling that minute!
Pray together, kids love to pray…even teens will find something to pray about
and of course if it’s raining, put your face up to the sky and see how many raindrops you can eat!

Well you get the picture. Family fitness is fun, relaxing, healthy and builds relationships. Because it’s good for my kids, I tend to enjoy it more because it’s not all about me. Not that there’s anything wrong with taking time for myself…I just don’t seem to be able to sneak out without them! LOL!

Have a blessed week and get those bodies moving!

What form of family fitness fun do you do with your family?

Filed Under: Be Healthy, Family, parenting/step-parenting Tagged With: kids, kids and sports, parenting, self care

Caring for the Elderly during the Holidays

November 28, 2011 by Shari Lynne 21 Comments

Don’t Forget about Grandma and Grandpa in the rush of the holiday season!

This last weekend was a whirl wind of activity. We had 2 girls in a Basketball tournament (which means 8 games!) AND my son came down with a fever of 103 degrees.

In the busyness of life, I confess, we signed up for this Turkey Day Basketball Tournament WITHOUT considering how it would affect our elderly parents. Although we had no plans at the time of sign up to have our parents over, it hurt them deeply not to consider their .

My Mother in Law is now 86. She is becoming quite forgetful and lonely since her husband of more than 60 years passed away last year. She also lives quite far away. So when she comes to visit she usually spends a night or two.

Well this Thanksgiving we were just not available to have her over. She is too fragile to drag around to Basketball tournaments and all of the busyness that comes with that.

What were we thinking? Uh duh…we weren’t!

It appeared that Basketball was more important than Grandma! Of course this was not the case..or was it? I have that nagging feeling (the Holy Spirit of course) that if we had just stopped long enough to pray about this decision, we would have immediately known that people and there hearts are more important than non eternal things…like basketball…and we probably would have chosen to bow out of this tournament..no matter the lamenting from other players and parents and coaches

Now Thanksgiving is over and Grandma was not honored in our decision. So what will we do about it? Ask her forgiveness, not make the same mistake again AND beg her to come stay with us for Christmas!

If you do not have a Grandma or Grandpa you can minister to during the holiday season, look around your Church, Nursing home, local Senior Center or even your local Shelters.

People are more important than busyness!

Filed Under: Grandparenting, parenting/step-parenting Tagged With: children, Holy Spirit, kids and sports, parenting, something simple

Parenting Plan: Offense or Defense?

October 27, 2011 by Shari Lynne 6 Comments

Not long ago we were at a dinner with a group of people all having a very interesting conversation. We were having a discussion regarding “schooling.” In other words, were my children in public school or did we homeschool.

We have homeschooled, Christian schooled and are presently public schooling. When I shared that our children were presently in the public school the response from one of the father’s was, “Wow, you must have to play defense all the time!” Well being the sports savvy Mom that I am, I smiled with confidence and said “Absolutely not, we are on the offense most the time actually.”

So before I go any further, if you are wondering what in the heck “offense” and “defense” means… let me explain. You see I was kidding about being a sports savvy Mom! I am just getting the hang of the lingo after many years of watching my kids play sports.

Offense: In sports, offense, also known as attack, is the action of attacking or engaging an opposing team with the objective of scoring points or goals.

In other words the OFFENSE has a plan of action for scoring/winning – my definition Smile

Defense: the action of protecting oneself, one’s goal, or one’s allotted part of the playing area against an opponent’s attacks

In other words the DEFENSE is protecting itself from attack – my definition Smile

I was so pleased to report that my kids are on the offense! Our family has decided to be leaders and life changers. Movers and Shakers! They have a game plan with all the rules for this offensive strategy to WIN the game and to win the hearts of there peers.. it is the Word of God, the Bible.

They are fueled with Holy Spirit power and dressed in full armor for battle! They do not need to fear when on that rare occasion they need to play defense, because they have practiced the plays and know them by heart. They stand firm and hold there ground. They do not crumble when the defending team try’s there defensive strategies of this world!

So whether you homeschool, private school, public school…teach your children the offensive plays from the RULE book…the Word of God and they will be the Champions!!

“You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven” Matt. 5:14-16

Tell me, does your parenting plan include offensive plays?

Filed Under: parenting/step-parenting Tagged With: children, kids and sports, parenting, Step Parenting

Traveling Sports Menu

October 10, 2011 by Shari Lynne Leave a Comment

This is my first list…on my blog anyway. I was challenged after reading Sonia’s post at Logallot about making lists. I just decided to give a little background as to why I need this list

During sports season (which happens to be 9 months out of the year) we do alot of traveling on the weekends. On those weekends we can have 4-6 games depending on the schedule. Crazy isn’t it!! Anyway, eating healthy and staying on budget has got to be purposeful or it just will not happen. I admit it, it’s easier to drive through a fast food joint in between games than to plan and prepare for our trips.

This year though I am committed to planning and preparing most, if not all of our meals on the road. I don’t just mean “trail mix” like stuff, but real meals that keep my athletes healthy and fueled. Since they love to eat out so much I’m going to copycat some of the fast foods they like most. So here is the beginning of my…

Traveling Sports Menu List

Sub Sandwiches - Chicken, Bacon Ranch – Veggie – Ham and Cheese (hot and melted MMMMmmmm)
Breakfast Sandwich (ham, cheese, egg)
Soups/Chili
Yogurt Parfait’s with lots of fruit and granola
Sandwich Wraps (Chicken, Turkey, Egg, Asian, BBQ Chicken)
Good Morning Muffins, Pumpkin Spice Muffins
of course various fruit and veggies like apples with peanut butter dip or carmel dip
and just a little junk food ie. Chips, Dorrito’s, Popcorn (oh, were you thinking this was for my athletes? LOL)

Well this is just the start. Below are some of the tools for this undertaking:

My Crockpot can go anywhere because it has a handy dandy heat cover

My casserole dish also has a handy dandy heat cover PLUS a heat gel pack you can stick into microwave

My thermos, well…that’s for me and hubby. We need LOTS of coffee for these weekends

And that old bin to put our dirty dishes in so that I can just carry them in the house when we are done and throw things in the dishwasher.

By the way, check out Crockpot Recipes with Stephanine O’Dea …she’s AWESOME!

Anybody have any other ideas?

Filed Under: Be Healthy, Money Savers, parenting/step-parenting Tagged With: food, kids and sports, money savers

A Joyful Heart is Good Medicine

September 9, 2011 by Shari Lynne 9 Comments

Ok, so I took my 13 year old daughter to the Dr.’s office for what else a “sports” physical. Anyway, they first weighed her and then got her height. Then she went on over to the eye chart to have her vision tested. The nurse told her “ok, cover the left eye and see what line you can read” so my daughter covers her eye and wow 20/15 vision. So then the nurse tells her to cover her right eye and do the same. Wow 20/15 again. Yeah!

Then the nurse says “now do that with both eyes” Well my daughter looked at her with this funny smile and said “I’m pretty sure I can’t do THAT” She was so serious.

We all realized at once that she thought the nurse meant to COVER both eyes and read the chart. Too funny! The whole office was about rolling on the floor! Hope you are rolling too! Remember, a joyful heart is good medicine….even at the Dr’s office.

Filed Under: Be Healthy, laughter, parenting/step-parenting, Simple Things Tagged With: children, kids and sports, laughter and joy, Step Parenting

Sports! Here We Go Again!

September 3, 2011 by Shari Lynne 1 Comment

Well, Cross Country has started and Basketball will be starting soon. It seems as though Basketball just got over. Oh, wait a minute, it DID! Basketball starts at the end of September and ends in June for us. Yup, you read that right. And so starts my love/hate relationship all over again:)

The anticipation of all of the Fun, Fellowship, Healthy Competition! The going, going, going, the exhaustion. Yep, here we go again!

This year we will have two girls in Select Basketball. So we need to find some ways of cutting expenses. We do a little bit of traveling in this sports adventure so it can get quite expensive. One thing that really adds up are food expenses. Both, when we are at home and get too busy to eat frugally and end up eating out too much (once a week is too much for us), or on the road when eating out seems to be the easier alternative.

I have been a stay at home Mom now for 15 years. We lived on my husbands income of only $13.80 an hour for many years. (this was a ministry) I know how to cut just about every corner possible and of course I’m always getting new ideas from all you gals!

But now that my husband has a different job with better pay, I confess that I have become lazy in my meal planning in the past couple of years.

The thing is that with this economy if I want to continue to have the blessing of staying home, I better be diligent about cutting some corners, especially with food!

So I will be sharing with you (and hope you will share with me) all of the ways that I cut corners while we are in this busy season once again. I’m just sure that I’m not the only Sports Mom out here in cyber world!

Filed Under: food, organizing, parenting/step-parenting Tagged With: food, kids and sports, parenting

Keeping It Simple

August 12, 2011 by Shari Lynne Leave a Comment

Hi there,

We have a VERY busy weekend! Because I have not been keeping up on my calendar this summer I over booked my daughter and our schedule! We will be picking up our girls from camp late tonight so that one of my daughters can be in a 3 on 3 tournament at 8:15 tomorrow morning. This may not sound so bad BUT camp isn’t officially over until tomorrow so we have to get them out early. OOPS:(

By the way, here is an article I wrote on “Sports, How Did I Get So Deep“.

So my first organizing encouragement to you is to utilize that calendar. Oh so simple, but critical in running a smooth household and being ready for the unexpected! We must take time to write everything down. Don’t even think twice about whether it should be on the calendar, just get it on there. Don’t stress about what kind of calendar, just get one and use it:) Or you will end up in many frustrating and embarrassing situations such as the one I have gotten myself into. Start now before school starts.

What creative ways do you use your Calendar?