Last Updated on February 16, 2020 by Diane Hoffmaster
This post about summer sports for kids has been sponsored by TeamSnap but all opinions are my own.
There is exactly one month left of school for my children before summer vacation begins. Isn’t that crazy? The school year has just flown by and summer will be here before you know it. I already have a calendar on the wall to help me keep track of my children’s summer activities. My daughter is taking a summer PE class (so she can opt out of it in high school) and my son is excited about tennis camp. We are looking forward to a busy and fun filled summer! There are a lot of things to think about when planning summer sports for kids so I thought I would share a few tips that might come in handy.
Things to Consider When Planning Summer Sports for Kids
Research before you sign up: Summer sports for kids come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and financial commitments. Does your child want to spend all day at camp or would they rather only go for a few hours? Are they late sleepers? Maybe you should reconsider that 7 AM camp.
Plan the sports physical early: When everyone’s child needs a summer sports physical, it is hard to find an open time slot for an appointment. If you are considering summer sports for kids this year, they will definitely need a checkup and most teams have paperwork that needs to be filled out. Don’t wait til the last minute!
Get kids to sleep early: Summer seems to be the time for all night giggling sessions with friends and 3 AM movie marathons. Without proper sleep, however, summer sports for kids can become unpleasant. Overtired children rarely have extra energy for the big game. Get your kids onto a regular sleep schedule, even in the summer, and they will have more energy for sports.
Hydration in vital: Good hydration is always important, however in the summer it becomes even more so. Most kids will do just fine with regular old water from the tap rather than expensive sports drinks. If you have an older teen who is playing a very competitive sport, they may need electrolyte drinks to rehydrate properly. Bring a cooler with plenty of drinks in it for every match and make sure your athlete drinks a little bit at a time rather than guzzling a ton at halftime. And remember, hydration begins HOURS before a match so drink plenty of water at home before you even head out to play.
Don’t forget sunscreen: Outdoor sports played on an open field can end in serious sunburn, no matter what your skin tone is. Choose a sunscreen appropriate for sports or one that says waterproof. Reapply every couple of hours for maximum benefit.
Take care of guests: Grandparents and friends love to come and watch your child play but may not realize how hot and sunny it is out there. Make sure you remind them to bring water, umbrellas, sunscreen and snacks.
Don’t skip the cooldowns: After a hard workout, the coach may ask your child to run a few slow laps to cool down. This will help with muscle cramps so don’t skip it. Walking off a hard workout while taking small sips of water is a great cooldown for a hard practice.
Inform the coach of known absences: Summers are busy and most people plan a family vacation, weekend adventure or day trip to the amusement park that may interfere with summer sports. Make sure your coach knows in advance about your vacation plans and any known absences. Using TeamSnap can make coordinating schedules significantly easier!
TeamSnap helps you coordinate schedules on your phone and/or on the web. It’s great for planning and scheduling just about any team sport or group activity. You can sync the team calendar to all of your devices, making planning a trip at the last minute significantly easier. Since the whole team is synced to the same calendar, if the coach makes any changes to the schedule, you will know right away. Have multiple kids on multiple teams? Sync all their team calendars into one place on your iCal, Google, Outlook, or other desktop calendar. Planning vacations is much easier when you can see everyone’s schedule in one place! Want to give TeamSnap a try? Just click the link below for a free trial!
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We actually did some research on a new organization before we signed our son up for T-Ball. So glad we did, so far he has learned so much more than last year. He can actually hit the ball now!!!!
My son does soccer and t-ball and yes, hydration is always a must!!! Great tips.
Great tips! Sleep is truly so important, we pay close attention to make sure my sons are receiving adequate rest throughout the week!
We don’t normally do summer sports, but this year I think we are going to do a couple camps. Thanks for all of the great tips.
Sports can be so hard on kids during the hot summer months. These are really great tips! I am leaning toward water sports for this summer.