Are You a Sports Mom? (and a giveaway!)

Do you spend an unusual amount of time shuttling kids to and from various athletic practices, or sitting on stadium bleachers...or a folding chair along a sideline? How much time do you spend each week telling your young athlete things like, "Get a drink!" or "Be sure to put a drink in your bag."



If this describes you, then you might be a Sports Mom! In fact, According to a study conducted by Glass Box research in January 2011, 7/10 moms with kids in Middle school or High school have kids in sports.

Meet Wanda Pratt! She's a sports mom too.



As a fellow Sports Mom I understand how you prioritize your schedule each day, how you juggle getting your kids to all their different events, and how you worry about what your children are eating and drinking. (I also know you spend a lot of money on sporting equipment! Keep reading for your chance to win a $100 gift card to Dick's Sporting Goods!)

When we're getting ready for one of Angela's events, it starts days ahead! As Angela's mom, it's my job to make sure she's eating properly, and is staying hydrated. This is hard to do when she's at school, because I KNOW she's not drinking enough during her busy school day. I know her staff at school tries to make her take drink breaks throughout the day, but let's face it, a couple sips of the disgusting drinking fountain at school just is not enough!

A few months ago I started sending the small bottles of Gatorade to school with her. She does have a morning snack time, so I figured she's at least getting that little bit during the day. Since she likes Gatorade and can suck down a bottle in a few seconds, I knew she'd drink it! The four days a week she also had floor hockey practice I'd put an extra bottle in her backpack as well, always reminding her, "When the coach gives you a break for drinks, get your Gatorade out of your bag!"

Sports moms put a lot of thought into what our kids eat before a meet, game or tournament. How many of you think about what your child needs to consume AFTER and event?

Did you know 75% of Sports Moms don't know that in order to help promote muscle recovery, their athletes should consume protein within a 30-60 minute window post-exercise? How many of you just thought to yourself, "Ok, I am one of those 75%"

I have a confession to make. I was one of the 75%! I spend all this time making sure Angela is hydrated, and eating well, but what do we usually end up doing after a meet or practice? Let's see...about 1/2 the time we stop at McDonalds or something on the way home. So yeah, she's getting the carbs necessary for muscle recovery but 1) it's not soon enough and 2) it's crap! This is where you can throw in the "bad mom of the year" award to me! LOL.

Gatorade is now joining forces with Sports Moms to help you help your young athlete be the best that he or she can be. Visit the Official site just for Sports Moms. This site is about promoting our kids and helping them BECOME anything they want. 



There you'll find articles and advice where you can learn more about how to help your young athlete BECOME anything she or he wants to be, including how to avoid common sports injuries, and workout nutrition. Also, visit their YouTube page to meet some very inspiring moms!

The only thing I don't like about their new site is the fact there is not ONE athlete with a disability pictured. This is the year of the Special Olympics World Games in Athens Greece. (remember Angela was in the running to go? (link to previous blog post) While what my child does may not look like a highly competitive event, she spends just as much time training, and expends just as much physical energy as her non-disabled peers, maybe even more considering the work involved for her to get from one end of the pool to the other! Go have a look at the site, and contact Gatorade if you'd like to see athletes with disabilities featured!

Now what about that $100 give away to Dicks Sporting Goods? If you're a Sports Mom, leave a comment and tell me what you do to help prepare your young athlete to be physically ready before events, and recover after events. I'll choose a comment to win a $100 Visa Gift card! This offer is good March 31st - April 30th, 2011.

Rules:

No duplicate comments.
You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry
a) Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post
b) Tweet about this promotion and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment
c) Blog about this promotion and leave the URL to that post in a comment on
d) For those with no Twitter or blog, Visit the Official Rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.

This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older. Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail.You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.

You can also visit this Prizes and Promotions section for more chances to win!