We’re nearing the end of club baseball/softball season, and the burnout is real. The time away from home, burning through gas to get somewhere for two hours with half your house packed only to pack back up and turn around and drive to the next two-hour destination is insane.

I don’t even like the sport right now.

There . . . I said it. I’m so sick of softball fields and wind-blown dirt in my face. I’ve seen so many balls thrown in the last two months that my eyes hurt.

But I still show up.

I love to see them do what they love. Through all the rainy games with snacks from the depth of my purse or cooler, through the hot, sticky days when you can’t breathe without sweating, and the days where you just don’t think you are going to make it through a multiple-kid schedule, I’m with you.

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The Sunday nights after tournaments when you have never been so happy for your head to hit your pillow and you’re a zombie, I feel it.

From the carpool scheduling, the uniform scrubbing (sometimes at the last hour!), and the endless amounts of time locating pieces of equipment—I’m there too.

I’m also there cheering you on when you just don’t think you can give one more ounce of yourself to anyone. You’ve squeezed out every last drop of your free time entirely on someone else. There’s no rest and relaxation for you. Free time? It’s your walk from the car to the ball field. Nights out? Forget it. You barely have the energy to shower after a wind-whipped, extra-inning game of cheering until your voice is hoarse. But we’ll get through it.

It is only a season. A long, roller coaster of a season.

I’m with you when your kid receives the devastating blow that they didn’t make the top team despite endless hours and preparation and practice. If only heart played a bigger part in filling those roster seats.

I’m with you as you watch your child make new friendships and build new skills that have nothing to do with physical ability.

I’m there with you as you try to speak mental toughness into your daughter and confidence into your son.

I’m with you when you feel the heart-swelling pride when your child finds success on the field replacing failure.

I’m there when they have soul-crushing losses and personal game lows. I’m right there with you.

Because as sports moms, we have different teams and colors and fields, but the experience is the same.

The exhaustion, the heartache, the pain, and the joy—we experience it all together. So as you wrap up this season remember, we’re not just doing this so they can become a super athlete and have a professional career.

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We’re doing this to help shape their minds, practice mental strength and positivity, learn how to be a teammate and trust others, communicate often and efficiently, be patient, hustle, and learn how to have situational awareness. That’s the gold right there. 

The impact of team sports as kids are growing up is limitless, and I’m with you as we push through all the hard stuff to reach the gold.