Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Sporty Kids and the Moms Who Love Them (And a Giveaway!)

Recently I had the opportunity to participate in a conference call with Stephanie Hamm, the mother of Mia Hamm - Olympic soccer player extraordinaire. It was sponsored by Gatorade (Visit the Official site)

Our subject was raising sporty kids, and the fun and frustration it entails. Each blogger was given an opportunity to pose a question to Stephanie, but due to technical difficulties and time constraints, I didn't get a chance. My question was going to be "how did you prepare your daughter for all the media attention?" (At 15, Mia was the youngest player to join the US women's national soccer team, and at 19, she was the youngest to win a World Cup championship). I thought it was a good question and something I could definitely apply to Maddy. Maybe Stephanie will read this and let me know!

Another blogger asked for advice on how to deal with your child's disappointment and keeping them motivated. That's something that we all deal with everyday. 
This year Maddy's team is playing against teams comprised of older girls - and the first two games weren't pretty. Drawing on what we discussed, I encouraged her to stay focused on the positive, and also asked her what she would have done differently, and how she learned from her mistakes and also those of her teammates. I also told her to remember the positives - she's had a couple of pretty good base hits and is working hard in right field.  They finally played a team their own age and won! It really boosted their confidence. 

She also sustained her first injury in that game - she got hit by the ball while at bat. Luckily it just scratched her elbow and didn't bruise.



During the Gatorade portion of the call, I learned a few tips about keeping Maddy fueled and hydrated before, during and after games. With her games starting at 6pm and not ending until almost 8pm, it's a challenge to find something to give her energy but won't be too heavy, especially when the weather starts getting hot. Grilled cheese or peanut butter sandwiches have been a staple. I also learned that I should start getting fluids into her prior to the games, which is something that sadly I didn't really concentrate on. But now I know better!  Gatorade's website has some terrific information for parents - you can check it out here.

I'm really glad to see Maddy active and enjoying sports, and thankful that I'm able to take her to a couple of basketball camps this summer. I'm trying to get her to look into volleyball too but so far she's resisting. I told her that if she was really good she could play on a beach, maybe even go to the Olympics. She wasn't swayed. 

Of course, with every new sport season, there's always a need for new gear - this year it was a new batting helmet with face guard and sliding pants. If you've run into this problem too, I have a solution - I'm giving away a $100 gift card to
Dick's Sporting Goods. How do you win? Well, you've got options:
  • Leave a comment on this post (sweepstakes runs from June 1- June 30, 2011)
  • Tweet about this post and leave the URL of this post in the comments
  • Blog about this post and leave the URL of this post in the comments
  • For those of you without a blog or Twitter, official rules and alternate entry methods are here.
  • Here are more BlogHer offers and more chances to win cool stuff! 
  • Prizes & Promotions section
This contest is open to US residents, 18 years of age or older. Winners will be selected by random drawing and notified by email. You have 72 hours to respond to me or another winner will be selected. Good luck!!
**Here's the link for the Stephanie Hamm video

40 comments:

  1. Very cool that you were selected to be a part of this call! I'm glad to hear that Maddy is doing well and enjoying being active in sports!

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  2. Hydrating is so key.. we like to combine gatorade and water during games... It's so sad to see them fall apart during games, when it seems they make silly mistakes.. no one though is a bigger critic than the kids themselves. The only bad part about kids sports are the jerk parents.. that aren't a good sport, they are such a bad example. Well I sure could use that gift card. Funny how they continue to grow.. and shoes are expensive! Nice post Kim.. FYI I have a friend who played against Mia ! Too cool!

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  3. Very cool indeed. When I started running last year, I thought drinking water throughout the run would be sufficient. Umm...have you ever tried drinking and running.....at the same time?!? Staying hydrated before the run and maintaining it throughout the day became key to a decent workout.

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  4. Gatorade has been a lifesaver this spring with T-Ball and such. We've gone through cases of it.

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  5. Love Gatorade! I know a few kids who grew up with type I diabetes like me and their parents wouldn't let them play sports. I'm so glad mine did. They made a HUGE positive impact on me growing up and I hope my kids will be into sports like us!

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  6. Both of my boys are avid baseball players. Gatorade is a staple in our house during baseball season, and in the hot summer months when they are constantly outside playing sports, riding bikes, or just hanging out with the neighborhood kids.

    How cool that you got to take part in this!

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  7. We love Gatorade at our house - for sports purposes and just to drink around the house!

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  8. Whether I'm doing yoga or pilates, bike riding, jogging, or mowing the lawn, it makes a huge difference if I don't hydrate myself beforehand. Then again, I try to stay hydrated all the time and not just prior to when I know I'll be active.

    Staying hydrated; it seems like a pretty good idea.

    (Hey, that could be Gatorade's slogan for slackers. Ha!)

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  9. Great giveaway!
    lesleymitchell52@yahoo.com

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  10. Very cool, Kim! Try Orange slices for a snack at her games. We always had those when I was a kid. -Aaron

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  11. Marin is currently taking gymnastics, dance, ice skating, and starting next week swimming lessons. I could certainly put that gift card to good use! That's really cool that you got to be part of that call! What did Maddy think about it?

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  12. we keep Gatorade stocked in the pantry.. not only for sports but for our scout campouts in summer. Great way to keep the hydrated along with water while out hiking on the trails.
    karenmed409 at comcast dot net

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  13. Drinking lots of fluids is key and my son is only 5 - he does taekwondo.

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  14. http://twitter.com/#!/rsmc1/status/77584980573827072

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  15. Hydration is essential for sports.

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  16. http://twitter.com/tcarolinep/status/78309264162168833

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  17. We always bring Gatorade with us when our children play sports

    s2s2 at comcast dot net

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  18. http://twitter.com/#!/susan1215/status/79584693657403392

    s2s2 at comcast dot net

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  19. Rehydrating the body is very important and what a better way to do than with Gatorade!

    Jennifer marie

    lilnursejen at yahoo dot com

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  20. tweeted!

    http://twitter.com/#!/JenniferCNP/status/79612892026118144

    Jennifer marie

    lilnursejen at yahoo dot com

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  21. To keep hydrated we take Gatorade wherever we go.
    MCantu1019 at aol dot com

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  22. When my kids were little, they played t-ball and basketball. They drank a lot of Gatorade to keep hydrated.
    marcia.goss@gmail.com

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  23. Tweet.
    http://twitter.com/#!/mgoss123/status/81758943365439489
    marcia.goss@gmail.com

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  24. Being a sports mom was hard work. You have to really commit yourself.

    gmissycat at yahoo dot com

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  25. Tweeted here too

    http://twitter.com/#!/gmissycat/status/81874408528035840

    gmissycat at yahoo dot com

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  26. Staying well hydrated is definitely key. We always have a lot of Gatorade around. It's not only good for sports but also for other outdoor activities, such as doing yard work in hot weather.

    rogsdock[at]gmail[dot]com

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  27. Especially in this hot hot hot summer weather, hydration is SO important for kids! Thanks to gatorade I feel safer and my family feels safer.

    hmcnaron at gmail

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  28. I'M REALLY AMAZED AT WHAT DIRECTION GATORADE IS MOVING IN- I THINK I'LL HAVE TO GIVE IT A SHOT AFTER HEARING ALL THIS NEW INFORMATION ABOUT IT ACCORDING TO THESE AWESOME POSTS! THANKS FOR THE CHANCE! kytah00@yahoo.com

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  29. 2ND ENTRY TWEET @ http://twitter.com/#!/kytah00/status/84793872596738048 kytah00@yahoo.com

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  30. Keeping hydrated both before and after is definitely important! I am also glad that Gaterade doesn't make their drinks with HCFS anymore! :) Thanks for the giveaway!
    gina.m.maddox (at) gmail (dot) com

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  31. tweet-http://twitter.com/#!/CrazyItalian0/status/85377636674707456

    gina.m.maddox (at) gmail (dot) com

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  32. My kis are still small and not doing many summer sports yet. But my daughter just started tennis. Luckily the coach takes many water breaks!

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  33. I have always loved Gatorade and have drank it since I was a kid. I used to LOVE their gum...do you remember that? LOL That said, I am not athletic and don't have kids, but I still use Gatorade anytime I feel myself getting dehydrated or to stay hydrated when I am sick with a cold.
    Angie
    14earth at gmail dot com

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  34. I tweeted here: http://twitter.com/#!/FotoMacro/status/85751255942705153
    Angie
    14earth at gmail dot com

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  35. My daughters love playing tennis and keeping them properly hydrated and motivated is important
    tbarrettno1 at gmail dot com

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  36. tweet
    http://twitter.com/#!/ChelleB36/status/86230229848309760
    tbarrettno1 at gmail dot com

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  37. i like powdered g2 for hiking

    kolpin4680 at gmail dot com

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  38. tweet
    http://twitter.com/#!/kolpin4680/status/86288566006726656

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  39. Bananas and fig newtons give them fuel and potassium.

    hlee99 (at) gmail (dot) com

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  40. Chocolate milk is good fuel.

    eugeniewu at gmail dot com

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