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| August 12, 2013
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Sports Mom Fun – Loud Sports Mom

Disclaimer: Sports mom fun is all about poking fun at the wonderful sports mom’s in the world today (including myself). The intent is not to hurt anyone’s feelings or to be cruel. It’s good to laugh and make fun of ourselves at times, so please join in on the sports mom fun and enjoy!

Loud sports mom is just that, LOUD. You will hear loud sports mom before you see her, and you know she is here to stay. For some reason loud sports mom usually seems to have a gruff voice and can be mildly inappropriate at times. When I think of loud sports mom I now have to incorporate a thick New York Accent due to a Lacrosse game I attended this Spring. This particular loud sports mom was from New York and cheering on her Rutgers team, yelling Go Johnnies in a thick New York accent the entire game!

Here are some pros and cons of the Loud Sports Mom:

Pros: Loud sports mom is usually not just loud she is also outgoing and fun. If loud sports mom is on your team befriend her immediately as you will have a blast. Loud sports mom will be your team’s number one advocate and she will get all of the cheers going. Loud sports mom can cheer for the both of you so if you happen to have strep throat or a bad cold you can count on loud sports mom to pick up the slack!

Cons: Loud sports mom is…………………Loud. If you are sitting next to her bring earplugs. If loud sports mom is on the other team it will get very annoying. For example, who wants to hear Go Johnnies all game long when you are cheering for Notre Dame! As previously mentioned Loud Sports mom can also be a bit mouthy and may want to pick fights. Keep your cool about you either way and don’t follow or get into a altercation with loud sports mom.

Mother and Son Sports salutes you Loud Sports Mom you have a knack for getting the party started and keeping it going all game (season) long!

Check back in with Mother and Son Sports for more sports mom humor :)!

 

Category: Misc. | Tags: ,
| August 9, 2013
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How To Choose A Basketball Shoe – And Get Your Kid To Try It On.

In the basketball world shoes matter. The style, the fit and the performance. So what should you be looking for in a great shoe, besides the fact that it looks awesome. Here are a few tips.

1. Know your son and daughters correct shoe size. Don’t guess, and don’t believe them when they say “this feels pretty good mom”. Have their foot professionally measured by an athletic shoe store.

2. High Tops vs. Low Tops – For many years high tops were the standard in the basketball industry, but now some players are finding low tops to be just as effective and more lightweight. Have your son or daughter try out both to determine what feels right. Do you want them to have strong ankle support or is having the most lightweight (less restrictive) the most important. If they have already experienced ankle sprains then you may have to go with the high top. A low top shoe may be best suited for Guards, and Small Forwards. While a Center or Power Forward may choose a High Top for maximum stability and cushion.

3. The sole of a shoe matters. Select a sole that is going to help you be more effective on the court. Does it have good grip or is it more designed for outdoor play.

4. Try the shoe on. Check to see where your son or daughter’s toe is inside the shoe and make sure there is a small space. Check the width, make sure the shoe is not too tight or narrow. Walk in the shoe, jump in the shoe, be the shoe :).

Simple right? Of course it’s simple if you have a son or daughter that is abnormal and enjoys trying on shoes! In my experience kids don’t like to try on shoes and are more concerned with the style and color of the shoe, they don’t care if it fits correctly as long as it looks cool! I spoke with some moms and here are their tips on how to get your kid to try a shoe on.

1. Bribery – Snacks, toys whatever it takes to get the shoe on!

2. No Try On, No Shoe – Pretty simple, you either try the shoe on or I will not buy it for you.

3. Teaching – This is the method I prefer, you can go over the above reasons with your son or daughter and explain why it’s important to try a shoe on. One day they will be out on their own in the shoe world so why not start preparing them now.

Happy Shoe Shopping!

Source: www.livestrong.com

by Stacey Atkinson

 

Category: Misc. | Tags:
| August 7, 2013
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Moms (and Dads) Take Note – Top Ten Party Schools

Monday was the official start of football for the majority of college teams throughout the country. Many teams were breathing a big sigh of relief to have their key players focusing on football drills instead of keg stands. In particular Texas A & M and Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel is finally back on the field after a interesting off season tainted with tales of under age drinking.  As parents we only want the best for our kids and while it would be naïve to think that no partying is going on during the college years it is always reassuring to know that it’s not the number one priority.

For concerned parents that want more books and less beer here is the 2013 list of top ten party schools across the nation, brought to you by the Princeton Review.

1. University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa

2. University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, Calif.

3. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Ill.

4. West Virginia University, Morgantown W. Va.

5. Syracuse University, Syracuse, N.Y.

6. University of Florida, Gainesville, Fla.

7. Ohio University, Athens, Ohio

8. University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wis.

9. Penn State University, University Park, Pa.

10. Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pa.

One of the downsides of sports is the underage drinking that often occurs among athletes as another way to bond. When you are part of a team there is a lot of pressure to take part in both on and off the field activities, even if those activities illegal.  Parents take note and start the talks early!

Source: Princeton Review

by Stacey Atkinson

 

Category: Talking Points |
| August 5, 2013
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Sports Tip of the Week – Make Ten and Step Back

Make ten and step back is a very simple shooting drill that will produce effective results. Start by positioning your son or daughter a few feet away from the rim, between the baseline (underneath the hoop) and free throw line. Once they are positioned the goal is to make ten shots in a row before they take a few more steps back. During this drill you want to focus on form, making sure their elbow is tucked in and they are extending their hand to finish the shot. Once they have made ten in a row they can keep stepping back until they are behind the free throw line. In order to work on side shots you can repeat the same drill.

This drill is not met to be fast, it’s about focusing on their shot and making sure fundamentals are down. It also helps with goal setting and tracking results. If ten is too high then you can start with 2 or maybe 5.

A simple drill, but remember it’s all the little things that add up to achieve greatness and excel in game time situations. So make ten and step back!

by Stacey Atkinson

Category: Misc. | Tags:
| July 31, 2013
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Remember The Monarchs

While on vacation Kaden and I visited the Omaha Nebraska Zoo and were able to watch the 047Imax movie, Flight of the Butterflies. The movie told the history of the Monarch butterfly and it’s migration patterns. What does a butterfly have to do with sports you say? Absolutely nothing. What does it have to do with Mother and Son Sports? Absolutely everything! First let me tell you the story.

The man featured in the movie and responsible for discovering one of the hidden secrets in the migrating patterns of monarchs was Dr. Fred Urquhart. Dr. Urquhart had a love and passion for monarchs starting at a very young age, and pursued his childhood dream into adulthood making it his career. As with most hobbies Dr. Urquhart started small, a two man team if you will. For many years it was Dr. Urquhart and his wife tagging monarchs, following the patterns, and focused on discovery. “In 1952 he issued the first appeal for volunteers to assist with the tagging and over the next 20-odd years thousands of people participated.”

At the end of over 40 years of research and with the help of thousands of volunteers Dr. Urquhart and his wife did reach their goal of discovering where the butterflies (monarchs) migrated every year. This finding was monumental in the science world and “now over a dozen sites on five different mountains have been identified as winter habitats for monarchs and are protected as ecological preserves by the Mexican government largely through Urquhart’s influence and early advocacy. One man – one dream – huge results.

What I took from this film, and wish to convey to you (my readers) is to follow your 045dreams. We live in a money hungry, give it to me now, fast paced world. It’s easy to get caught up in what society thinks we should be doing, and how much we should be making.  Many of us have “settled” in jobs that we don’t love living pay check to pay check and just getting by. Ask most people if they are doing what they dreamed about as a kid and I guarantee the answer will be no. Somewhere between our teenage years and twenties life happened and many of us find ourselves off course and steering further from the path that we once dreamed of taking.

This film also served as a wake up call for me and reminded me of the importance of not chasing the dollar and doing what you love. I started Mother and Son Sports a few months ago to refuel my passion for sports and to pursue a dream of writing about sports. Starting at the age of three basketball was my number one love and my passion for everything sports only grew from there. My dream was to play basketball at a division one college and go on to have a coaching career. I fell a little short of that dream and while I enjoy the profession I am in I always go back to sports in terms of what I am really passionate about. This website is a way to get back to what I love, to share my passion with others and to hopefully make an impact.

As the days go by and I continue to put my heart and soul into the website with little to no readers (thank you to those who are reading) it can get discouraging and I have the tendency to want to give up. The Flight of the Butterflies movie gave me a new sense of purpose and serves as a constant reminder that patience prevails. Dr. Urquhart spent years simply developing the tagging system for his butterflies, and then years after that painstakingly following their flight patterns. He received little to no attention for his research, some results, and I would have to guess that he wasn’t being paid millions to tag butterflies. Yet this didn’t matter to Dr. Urquhart because he was doing what he loved. I tend to put a lot of pressure on myself and want to see immediate results therefore completely undermining the reason I started the website in the first place. To follow a dream and write about sports.

Dr. Urquhart is my new hero these days and I hope to emulate the same passion and 050persistence he had for his “hobby”. It’s not difficult to find myself getting off track and pursuing things that don’t line up with my dream. In order to stay the course I now have a sign up on my front door, reminding me to Remember The Monarchs, and to do what I love.  Following your dream should be easy but as many of us have found out this is not the case. The actual dream may be easy, but it is the doing that takes diligence and a plan.

What dreams have you abandoned for your family and the stability of the 9-5 job? What do you love doing? Find your passion and start living it. I am not suggesting that you quit your job or abandon your family, please don’t do this. What I am suggesting is that you turn off the television, start small and start living intentionally. Include your kids in your passion as well and encourage them to follow their dreams. As previously stated many of us are in jobs that we dislike, and we don’t want the same results for our kids. Let’s make following our dreams part of the daily conversation and watch more movies like Flight of the Butterflies instead of Despicable Me 2.

Remember the Monarchs – Stay the Course – Do What You Love

by Stacey Atkinson

 

 

Category: Inspiration | Tags: , ,
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