Cheers to the best team moms on Mother’s Day
- Tom Rife: Livin' the Team
- May 6, 2021
- 704
This is the one weekend of the year we step up to the plate and go to bat for Mom. And when it comes to Livin’ the Team, we should agree Mother’s Day is spot-on for putting the team player of all team players on the highest pedestal of all.
It’s the least we can do for all they do “on and off the field.” That’s coach-speak for giving credit where credit is due, where the MVP of every team is none other than the team mom.
Take it from a guy who mentored youth and high school athletes for more than three decades: You can’t replace a mom who volunteers to keep the scorebook and knows the difference between an actual hit and a ball that rolls between the legs of a shortstop who didn’t keep his or her glove down.
You can’t replace a mom who volunteers to collect the smelly uniforms at the end of a long day of tournament action, then stays up half the night to get the red clay out. (By the way, that same mom always seems to have in her backpack just what it takes to repair a broken zipper or ripped crotch.)
You can’t replace a mom who volunteers to contact each player if there is a change in the practice schedule or game time. (Granted, the task is easier now because everyone is on the “group email” and all it takes is a few clicks of the mouse.)
You can’t replace a mom who gives up her weekend to sit in a numbing lawn chair for hours on end in 90-degree heat — or bone-chilling cold, for that matter.
You can’t replace a mom who will cheerfully wait out rain delays and even bring a basket of snacks to the dugout to keep the kids happy. In the same vein, you can’t replace a mom who doesn’t try to talk to her “favorite player” during the game itself.
You can’t replace a mom who offers to drive players to the game in the family SUV. Better yet, sometimes you can even find a mom who is certified to drive the team bus to the ballpark or gym — and safely back home.
You can’t replace a mom/bus driver who’s qualified and capable of taking an injured player to the hospital for X-rays while you stay on the job to make sure your team can continue the action as if nothing has happened.
You can’t replace a mom who understands that while her son or daughter might have been an all-star starting pitcher on their last team, they might have to earn such a spot on their new team.
You can’t replace a mom who provides words of encouragement to the player who just missed a game-winning free throw with no time left on the clock.
You can’t replace a mom who can patch up the tattered emotions of a kid who has just been berated by his or her overzealous coach.
You can’t replace a mom who understands her son or daughter might never be a candidate for a college scholarship related to their athleticism.
You can’t replace a mom who is OK with whatever amount of playing time her child gets.
You can’t replace a mom who always remembers to say “Thanks, coach!” after the game.
You can’t replace a mom who will approach a referee or umpire and, win or lose, thank them for their expertise and services.
You can’t replace a mom who leaves the game strategy in the hands of the coach and doesn’t engage other adults in second-guessing and Monday-morning quarterbacking.
You can’t replace a mom who always gets the athletes to practice on time — or even a few minutes early. Likewise, that same mom won’t nitpick if practice just happens to run a few minutes overtime.
You can’t replace a mom who refuses the urge to run out onto the field in a panic when her child appears to have suffered some type of injury. (In most cases the young athletes find that type of thing more embarrassing than soothing.)
You can’t replace a mom who will organize “awards night” and even bake the cupcakes and brownies. Coaches like cupcakes and brownies too.
You can’t replace a mom who doesn’t “expect” a Mother’s Day gift. That’s the mom who will tell you a simple, heartfelt hug beats a home run every time.
Batter up!