Sports Mama Tip: 12 Homecoming Proposal Poster Ideas

It finally happened, Mamas. No. 1 asked a girl to be his date for this year’s Homecoming dance! Talk about all the feels. And he didn’t just walk up to her and ask… nope, that’s so late 90s/early 2000s. He “proposed”!


He made a poster, bought flowers, and surprised her at her (8am!) lacrosse game.

Back to the poster. Because let’s be honest, it’s all about the poster. It reads “I think we would have a chil-lax time if we went to Hoco together”. Get it? Lax, lacrosse? I searched the depths of Pinterest to find it. When I shared the photo to the Confessions of a Sports Mama Facebook Group, I had a request to write a blog post with proposal poster ideas. So here we are!


Here are 12 sports themed proposal poster ideas:


Football

• Want to tackle Homecoming with me?
• You intercepted my heart. Let’s tackle Hoco together.

Basketball

• Want to take a shot at Homecoming?
• I’d rather not pass on a shot to score you. Hoco?

Baseball

• I’m stepping up to the plate, can I be your Homecoming date?
• It would a home run if you went to Hoco with me.

Soccer

• My goal is to kick it with you at Homecoming.
• Homecoming would be a red card if you weren’t my date.

Cheerleading

• I would cheer extra loud if I scored a date with you to Hoco.

Generic Sports

• I finally got the balls to ask you to Homecoming.
• Hoping to score a date with you to Hoco.
• #5 (insert jersey number) on the field/court, but #1 in my heart. Homecoming?

I hope you found this post helpful! Or that you save it for when that time in your motherhood journey arrives. I’d love to hear/see your ideas! Please feel free to comment below or join myself and hundreds of other real Sports Mamas, just like yourself on Facebook.


Happy Homecoming season!

***  Update 9/26/21: Here’s this year’s sign. I just love how it came out… and so did she!

*** And here are some PROMposal ideas:

Shared in the Confessions of a Sports Mama Facebook Group

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Sports Mama Tip: 8 Protein Packed Snack Ideas That Your Athlete Will Actually Enjoy!

Both No. 1 and No. 2 will be playing football for their high school this year. My boys are growing up! The season may not officially begin for another month, but that doesn’t mean that they are just sitting around twiddling their thumbs.


They are working on speed and agility, lifting weights, and eating high protein diets in an effort to put on healthy weight and muscle. I’m petite and Coach Hubby didn’t even weigh 140lbs when he graduated high school, so as you can imagine, we don’t make naturally big kids!


Sure we could drive them through the drive thru a couple of times a day and fill the house with cookies and chips, but that type of weight gain will do nothing but slow them down and decrease their performance as well as their overall health. We are trying to build muscle mass, not fat. And protein is a key part of this journey!


Here are eight protein packed snack ideas (in no particular order) that my boys love:

1. Kodiak Cakes. I buy the Buttermilk Flapjack & Waffle Mix. It’s a pancake mix made with non-GMO ingredients and whole grains. There are 3 different ways to make them (add water, add milk, or add milk and egg) to increase the grams of protein from 14-21 per serving! I cook them in butter (hello extra calories!) and serve them with syrup. You can cook up a big batch and freeze them so that they last throughout the week (or longer depending on how many you make!). When your athlete is ready to eat them, simply pop them in the microwave for about a minute and voila!
2. Boiled eggs. Easy to make and even easier to eat! Each egg has 6 grams of protein. My boys will usually eat 3 in one sitting. This is another great make ahead food.
3. Nuts. The perfect on-the-go snack! My boys’ favorites are peanuts and almonds. A one ounce serving (approximately 23) of almonds provide 6 grams of protein. You can even throw in some chocolate chips or M&Ms for that salty sweet kick!
4. Cheese sticks. Another on-the-go favorite! A stick of colby jack has 5 grams of protein while mozzarella has 7. Of course most growing athletes stomachs are bottomless pits, so that number is usually doubled in our house!
5. Milk. One cup of whole milk provides 8 grams of protein as well as calcium and Vitamins A and D. TruMoo’s High Protein milk is No. 1’s favorite and contains a whopping 25 grams of protein per bottle! I stock up on this stuff whenever I find it in my local stores. It comes in different flavors including vanilla and chocolate.
6. Peanut Butter. Just two tablespoons contains 8 grams of protein. You can add it to just about anything; smoothies, oatmeal, pancakes. My boys love it with sliced apples. And you can’t forget about the oldie but goodie, PBJs. We go through a whole lot of peanut butter (and bread and jelly) in our home!
7. Protein bars. My boys have probably tried just about every bar out there, but not all are created equal. So what makes a bar a winner, you ask? It’s gotta be high in protein, not too high in sugar, have a good amount of calories and taste good, of course! Our current favorites are One Bars (20 grams of protein- Birthday Cake flavor), Power Crunch (14 grams of protein- French Vanilla and Cookies & Crème flavors), and Gatorade (20 grams of protein- Chocolate Caramel flavor). I make sure they keep a few in their backpacks at all times. They are super easy to transport and eat post workout/game.
8. Protein shakes. Like bars, it took some trial and error to find one that they actually like. For premade shakes, I buy Premier Protein. It contains 30 grams of protein and comes in a variety of flavors, although chocolate is the only one my boys will drink. No. 1 also drinks whey protein, which he mixes with milk post weight lifting.

As a rule of thumb, if your athlete is trying to gain healthy weight like mine, they should be consuming 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight per day. For example, if their goal is to weigh 160lbs, their diet should include 160 grams of protein daily.


I hope you found this post helpful and that you try some of these healthy snack ideas with your athletes!


I’d love to hear some of your ideas! Feel free to share them below or in the Confessions of a Sports Mama Facebook Group.

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Sports Mama Tip: How to Clean Baseball Pants

Ah, baseball season… homeruns, sunflower seeds, and dirty pants! (Who decided that white and gray baseball pants were a good idea anyway? I totally blame a dad!)

Do these look familiar, Mamas?

Want to go from that… to this?

If so, then keep on reading!

What you’ll need:

• Fels-Naptha (can be found at your local Walmart)

• Oxi Clean

What you do:

• Wet pants.

• Scrub Fels-Naptha directly onto stains.

• Scrub pants together.
• Fill tub/sink with hot water and a half cup of Oxi Clean. Allow the pants to soak for an hour.

• After an hour, throw the pants in the washer (warm wash/cold rinse) with a capful of Oxi Clean. Then machine dry.
• Voila! So fresh and SO clean!

Seriously, how amazing is that transformation?

I hope you found this post helpful. Play Ball!!!

*** A huge thank you to Lorraine V. for making this post possible by sharing her tips (and pics!). For more tips and tricks and to connect with hundreds of other real Sports Mamas, just like yourself, join the Confessions of a Sports Mama Facebook Group today!

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2 comments:

1. AnonymousApril 11, 2024 at 9:06 AMWhat about artificial turf stains on gray baseball pants ReplyReplies
   1. confessionsofasportsmamaApril 11, 2024 at 11:35 AMThis will work!

Sports Mama Tip: Dealing With Muscle Soreness in Youth Athletes

Let me first start off by saying that I am in no way, shape or form, a medical doctor. Big surprise, I know! However, having three boys involved in organized sports, I have nursed my fair share of aches and pains.


From daily practices to weight lifting to the occasional injury sustained during a game, muscle soreness in youth athletes is bound to happen. Here are eight ways that I help my boys ease their pain:

1. Warm up. One of the easiest ways to prevent muscle soreness is by warming them up beforehand. It doesn’t matter whether they’re playing football, soccer, or basketball. Warming up loosens their joints and tendons, increases the temperature and flexibility of their muscles, thus prepping their bodies for exercise which in turn reduces the chance of injury.
2. Stay hydrated. Proper hydration is crucial for athletes! Hydration not only helps with energy, it also helps to lubricate their joints. Dehydration is a leading cause of muscles cramps. So be sure that your athlete is drinking up pre, during, and post workout!
3. Ice. Ice helps reduce inflammation aka swelling. It also numbs sore tissues which helps with pain. Ice/cold therapy is most effective within the first 48 hours of injury. I am always sure to carry instant ice packs in my Sports Mama bag. In fact, I sent No. 1 to school with one today for his jammed finger!
4. Heat. Heat helps to increase blood flow to their muscles, allowing them to relax. It should not be used on acute/new injuries. My favorite ways to apply heat to my athletes’ injuries are with a heating pad or those disposable heat patches. Warm epsom salt baths work great too!
5. Foam roller. They decrease muscle tension and increase blood flow which help ease the pain. No. 1 used his foam roller faithfully during football season. He would even throw it in his backpack to use pre-practice/game!
6. Biofreeze. Biofreeze is a menthol based topical pain relief formula. Menthol stimulates cold receptors that create a cooling sensation on and under the skin, helping to relieve pain. It was recommended to us by our pediatrician who says she prefers it over similar products such as Icy Hot. It comes in spray, gel, cream, roll-on, and patch formulas all of which can easily be thrown in your on-the-go first-aid kit!
7. Ibuprofen. Sometimes they need a little more than ice and a foam roller to ease the pain. When that’s the case, I give my boys over-the-counter ibuprofen.  It helps with both pain and swelling. Just be sure to check the label for proper dosing and be sure that they take it with food to avoid a possible upset stomach!
8. Rest. They say time heals all wounds, don’t they? Muscles need time to recover. Taking it easy for a couple of days works wonders!

I hope you found this post helpful! As previously mentioned, I’m a Sports Mama not a physician, so please be sure to take your athlete to a professional for any serious injuries.

How do you deal with muscle soreness?

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1 comment:

1. Shogun SportsSeptember 2, 2019 at 2:12 AMGreat blog! Thanks for providing tips to overcome muscle soreness while working out.

Sports Mama Tip: How to Take The Perfect Team Photo!

Maybe your kid was sick on Picture Day. Maybe he or she closed their eyes. Maybe your Coach thought Picture Day was on Saturday instead of on Sunday. Or maybe your league doesn’t even do team pictures to begin with. Things happen. And because they do, I am here writing this blog post!

Here are my tried and tested tips to help you take the perfect team photo:

• Plan ahead. Pick a date and time, and notify your team. I usually schedule ours for practice days, but pre-game can work as well. Just avoid scheduling it post-game… think sweaty faces, dirty uniforms, and possible frowns if they didn’t win. It’s also a good idea to have a couple of extra jerseys on hand in case someone forgets theirs.

• Location, location, location. Location is everything! It will help to tell your team’s story. If you’re photographing a football team, take it outside on the field. For basketball teams, take it right on the court. You can even incorporate props such as a ball, helmet, a goal, or bleachers if photographing a high school team.

• Uniformity. There’s no I in team! Be sure that everyone is uniformed. And I’m not just talking jerseys. Will the team smile or not? What about hands? Whether you go with hands behind their backs or in their pockets, you’ll want to make sure that they are all doing the same thing.

• Strike a pose. Will they sit, stand, kneel? Whatever you decide you want to be sure that the entire team will fit in the shot. You also want to be able to see each individual player’s face. If you’re going for that traditional pose, you’ll want to line the shorter players up in the front, and the taller ones in the back. Want a more modern pose? Check out Pinterest or your favorite pro team for some inspo!

• Keep clickin’. Chances are that at least one player will have their eyes closed or be looking in the opposite direction. I suggest shooting in continuous mode and taking several photos, just in case. The more you take, the greater your chance of getting that perfect shot!

• Have fun! I always like to finish the photo shoot with a “funny face” pic. And so do the players. These honestly always end up being my favorite!

I hope you find these tips helpful! Don’t forget to share your photo(s) with the entire team. Your fellow Sports Mamas will be grateful that you did!

*** Click HERE for my youth sports photography basics!

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4 comments:

1. UnknownMarch 28, 2019 at 1:42 PMTHANK YOU for this!! Our U9 Girls soccer team photos are tonight. The photographer (team family member) called out sick, now I’m taking them. This is just the help I needed!ReplyReplies
   1. confessionsofasportsmamaMarch 29, 2019 at 7:58 AMYou’re very welcome! SO glad it helped!!
2. UnknownOctober 12, 2020 at 10:45 PMWhat camera lens did you use?ReplyReplies
   1. confessionsofasportsmamaFebruary 6, 2021 at 9:21 PMSO sorry, just seeing this! For team pics, I usually use the Canon EFS 55-250mm for bigger teams such as football and the Canon EFS 18-135mm for smaller teams such as basketball and soccer. Hope this helps!!