collegiate athlete

Sports Mama Tip: Help Your Athlete Get Faster!

~ confessionsofasportsmama ~ Leave a comment

You know the saying, “speed kills”. In modern sports, it’s not just “nice-to-have”, it’s a competitive separator. Coaches at every level know that a faster athlete can create space, close gaps, recover from mistakes, and make plays others simply can’t. My oldest plays quarterback and even then he worked on strengthening his legs to improve his agility, quickness, and overall speed.

In this post, I will share some of the tools (and videos!) featuring the exercises my husband used to help him achieve his goal of earning a full athletic scholarship to play football at the Division 1 level. No matter what sport your athlete competes in; football, basketball, soccer or anything else. These workouts are an excellent starting point to improve agility, quickness, and overall speed. If you’re committed and consistent, these exercises can help you get closer to your athletic goals.

The tools he relied on were simple (and affordable!!) but extremely effective; bungee cords, mini hurdles, and an agility ladder. He also made the most of any free workouts he could find, whether it was throwing sessions or footwork drills. Whenever an opportunity came up to train, he took it.

Bungee cords, they build resistance and reactive speed by forcing you to work against a pull, which strengthens muscles for power and explosiveness, and improves quickness for reactive movements.

Mini hurdles, they improve athletic performance by focusing on speed, agility, and proper sprint mechanics. They help develop a faster stride rate, improve foot speed and ground contact time, and encourage better posture and body awareness.

Agility ladders, they improve speed, agility, and quickness by enhancing foot speed and coordination. They also increase balance, body control, and overall athletic performance, while strengthening the body and improving mental concentration.

If you’re interested in purchasing any of these items, simply click on the images above or visit My Amazon Storefront under Gift Ideas for Athletes.

A combination of these tools and exercises helped my son become quicker and faster across every sport he played; football, basketball, and even track and field. All that work paid off when he ran a 4.5 in the 40-yard dash at combines, which definitely strengthened his chances in the recruiting process.

While in college, he unfortunately ended up needing labrum surgery on his throwing arm. Enhancing his agility, quickness, and speed became even more valuable during his recovery, because it allowed him to stay dynamic and contribute in another position besides quarterback. He not only returned to QB but also earned playing time at wide receiver, showing just how far that versatility and athletic training could take him.

Below are a couple of videos showcasing the exercises he did in high school to strengthen his legs and improve his chances of becoming a collegiate athlete.

I hope you found this post helpful! Be on the lookout for more videos on my YouTube channel!

*** Click here for my recruiting process tips!

Team Mama Idea: Personalized Team Spirit Pin With Photo! (NEW)

~ confessionsofasportsmama ~ Leave a comment

I blinked and four seasons of college football have come and gone. Senior Day for No.1 was yesterday. It sounds cliche, but I honestly do not know how that happened so quickly. I swear we just moved him into his dorm yesterday… sniff sniff.

We’ve made some amazing friends over those seasons; friendships that I know will last a lifetime. I wanted to give my closest ones a little something to make them smile, and what better than a spirit pin with their boys’ faces on it!

I mean, seriously, what sports mama wouldn’t love one of these?! They aren’t only for Senior moms… they’d be perfect for homecoming, banquets, or any game day. And the best part of all, you can make them yourself!

Here’s what you’ll need:

  • Picture of athlete (we used 4X4)
  • Multiple ribbons (in your team colors)
  • Lighter (to seal ribbon ends)
  • Scissors
  • Cool glue gun
  • Cardboard
  • Laminator (w/ 3mm laminating film)
  • Silhouette/Cricut
  • Heat transfer vinyl
  • Heat press
  • Pin backings (1.5in)

Here’s what you do:

  • Cut your athlete’s photo into a circle. If you’re making more than one, use a stencil to be sure they’re all the same size.

  • Cut the same size circle into your cardboard.
  • Laminate the photo.

  • Cut your ribbon and arrange it onto the cardboard as shown below.

  • Continue with the same pattern until the circle is filled.
  • Glue or staple the ribbon down.

  • Glue the photo onto the other side of the cardboard.
  • Add your athlete’s name and number. We used a Silhouette and heat transfer vinyl. No Silhouette? No worries! You can use stickers or even write directly on the ribbon!

  • Use the lighter to seal the ends and keep them from fraying.
  • Attach it to the back of the pin.
  • Hot glue on pin backing.

That’s it!

My college football mamas absolutely loved them. One of them even told me that she was going to hang it up on her son’s sports wall!

I hope you enjoyed this idea and that you try it out for yourself. Be sure to check back often for more ideas!

8 Things I’ve Learned as a College Football Mom

~ confessionsofasportsmama ~ Leave a comment

No. 1’s college football season is about to kick off in 17 days! We’ll be making the eight-hour truck from Virginia to Ohio to cheer our boy and his team on. I seriously cannot believe that football is back!

This will be my third year as a college football mom, so I’m no longer a rookie. Here are EIGHT (in honor of my boy’s number) things I’ve learned along the ride:

  1. It’s a full-time job. You thought high school football was a lot? Collegiate athletes (specifically D1 players) have jam-packed schedules; literally from sunup to sundown. A typical in-season day for No. 1 begins with 7am breakfast, followed by practice from 8-11am, lunch, 3pm lift, meetings from 4-7pm, followed by a walk-through until 8pm, dinner, rest and repeat. Once school starts in two weeks, class and homework will be thrown in. And yep, your professors still expect your work to be turned in on time… game week or not!
  2. Summers are short. See above. No. 1 was home for less than 20 days this Summer. I never want him to feel left out of our family vacations, so I am always sure to schedule them around his availability. 
  3. Everyone is talented. There’s a reason only 7% of high school athletes go on to play in college. You’re competing with the best of the best. Work hard, be patient. Your time will come! Which brings me to number 4.
  4. Redshirting is a blessing in disguise. Of course your child wants to play as soon as they get to college. They were probably always on the field (or equivalent for their sport) in high school. They wouldn’t be collegiate athletes if they weren’t! BUT, you will learn very quickly that the size, age, and experience of those you are competing against is drastically different. As a 19-year-old Freshman, my son had 24(24!)-year-olds on his team. (Think re-classing, redshirts, etc.) He was redshirted (as were 99%) of the Freshman on his team. This ultimately gives him an extra year of eligibility AND schooling. Looking back, it’s definitely a win-win situation.
  5. It’s a lot of travel. For the athletes AND their families. Even though No. 1 didn’t play his Freshman year, he still traveled with the team as a signal caller. Hubby and I decided early on that if he traveled, we would too. Gone are the days of playing your local hometown teams. You will be traveling to several different states. Plan early! As soon as that schedule is released, start booking your hotel stays. The closer to game day it gets, the higher the rates will be. Not only that, but rooms sell out!!
  6. Those post-game 10 minutes are everything. EVERYTHING. After each away game, the families gather near the busses to await our players. That is when you can sneak in that big mama bear hug. There is nothing I look forward to more. They make every single mile worth it!
  7. Find your tribe. Because just like in youth and high school sports, it takes a village. We have an amazing group of families that we tailgate and cheer with. For home games, we also do post-game tailgates and feed our boys as well as any other teammates who are hungry. Such a great tradition!
  8. It goes by fast! I’d say even quicker than high school. At least it feels that way! I feel like I was just crying my eyes out and dropping him off for Freshman year. How can this possibly be year 3?! So savor every moment, mama. Take it all in. The good, and the not so good. Remember that only 7% of high school athletes are playing at this level. Never let a day pass without letting them know just how proud you are of them!
Wishing you all a healthy, successful season! GO RED FLASH!!!

Sports Mama Tip: Recruiting Process 101

~ confessionsofasportsmama ~ 6 Comments

2.2.22…. February 2, 2022…. One of the best days of my life aka National Signing Day. No. 1 did it, mamas! He signed his National Letter of Intent to continue his academic and football career at the next level. I HAVE A COLLEGIATE ATHLETE!!!

No. 1’s been playing the Quarterback position since he was 8 years old. In fact, he was only 12 when I started this blog, crazy! We didn’t really begin the recruitment process until his Junior year. He is our oldest and the first collegiate athlete on both sides of the family, so we really had no guidance. If we did, we would have known to begin much sooner.

I don’t want you all to make the same mistakes we did, which is why I decided to write this blog post. Now I am by no means claiming to be an expert in this area, however, I did learn a lot along the ride. And thankfully, it all worked out. No. 1 achieved his goal of receiving an athletic scholarship at the Division 1 level!

Here are my 10 tips to help you navigate the recruitment process:

  1. GRADES. This is my MOST important tip. Get that GPA as high as you possibly can. One of the first things that a college coach will ask you is what your GPA is. Don’t wait until your Junior and Senior year to start. It will be very hard to do at that point. A’s and B’s, little to no C’s! People are often misinformed when they read the NCAA eligibility guidelines. They see that they only need a 2.3 for D1 and a 2.0 for D2. That is the bare minimum to be eligible to play yes, but you still have to be accepted to the college. It doesn’t matter how good you are!
  2. Visit the NCAA Eligibility Center. Create a free account. There is no need to upgrade to the paid account until you are sure that your athlete will be playing at the Division 1 or 2 level. Be sure that you are on track to meet all of the requirements to be eligible; including GPA, core courses, and test scores.
  3. Film. Make sure your athlete has film. This is one of the biggest ways that your athlete will be evaluated. If your high school or club team doesn’t record games, you do it. Film is your best marketing tool. You don’t need a fancy camera, you can even record on your iPhone. Don’t wait until they’re on Varsity to start. Your kid is on the Freshman or JV team? Get film! You want to be on coaches radars sooner, rather than later.
  4. Social Media. Social media is huge! Almost all of my son’s contact with coaches came via Twitter. Have your athlete follow schools they’re interested in, as well as the coaches. Make sure your athlete’s handle is professional; it should be their name not something like “Flashy Dude 21”. List their position, measurements, and GPA in the bio. Have them toot their own horn. Upload your film and share your accomplishments. Get chosen as a team captain? Share it! Earned a scholar athlete award? Share it! Broke a school record? Share it! Share, share, SHARE! 
  5. Camps. From our personal experience camps at specific colleges you are interested in are the way to go, not combines. Combines turned out to be more of money grabs. College coaches are rarely at combines. Focus your time and energy where it can potentially pay off.
  6. Do NOT pay for a recruiting service. I repeat, DO NOT PAY FOR A RECRUITING SERVICE! It is totally not needed. Google is your best friend, mama. Use it. Google the colleges you are interested in, find the contact info for the coaches (head and position) and send them your film. Film is what will draw them in.
  7. Be realistic. Not everyone is a Division 1 athlete, and that is ok. Only 7% of high school athletes go on to a play a sport in college, with less than 2% going on to play at the D1 level. Do not discredit Division 2 and 3 schools, or even JUCOs. Playing in college, at any level, is a huge accomplishment!
  8. Respond to all coaches. This ties in with number 7. No. 1 had contact with coaches from all 3 divisions and responded to each and every one of them. You never know where they can end up. My neighbor played Division 1 soccer. She was originally recruited to play Division 2 soccer, however that Coach ended up moving up to Division 1 and took her with him. The athletic world is very small. Don’t burn your bridges!
  9. Let your kid lead the way. This is their future, not yours. Coaches want to hear from them, not you. The purpose of calls and visits is for the college coach to get to know the athlete better. They want to see/hear how they conduct themselves; their maturity level, their plans for the future, if they will be the right fit for their program. You can definitely help them, just take a backseat. Help them come up with a list of colleges, proofread their emails before sending out, remind them to check and respond to their messages.
  10. Enjoy the ride. No one said it would be easy, but they did say it would be worth it. Everyone’s ride is different. Some kids have 20+ offers, some have 1. Some have full rides, some have PWOs. Try not to stress too much. The process will be over before you know it and you will be wishing for the time back. I promise.
I hope you found this post helpful! For daily #sportsmomlife inspiration, be sure to join the Confessions of a Sports Mama Facebook Group and connect with thousands and thousands of REAL Sports Mamas, just like yourself!