The Fall Sports Frenzy

Flag Football practice

Here in New York this past weekend, the fall sports frenzy began.  Our kids started school last week and we are barely managing the September madness of buying school supplies, settling into new classroom routines, and after-school activities.  And now, with a mere three school-days under our belt, all the sports teams started with practices and games both during the week as well as on Saturdays, Sundays or both.

So, this past weekend came and instead of being able to take a deep breath and relax after adjusting to school routines, we had to drop Little Dude at his flag football practice at 9am on Saturday morning.  Did you see that I wrote 9am?  I know that doesn’t sound so early to many of you, especially those with young kids who have been up for hours by 9am.  But, for us, the parents of three boys who stay up way too late and then sleep in on weekends, 9am is brutal and cruel for our family.

After the Saturday wake-up call, the rest of the weekend usually progresses into a dizzying back and forth to the various fields around the community, with no time in between to accomplish any errands or projects at home.  And, forget about that apple-picking trip or taking the kids into the city for the day.  Not gonna happen.  Many families with multiple kids are engulfed by this weekend sports frenzy all year long with no possibility of spending the day doing anything non-sports related.  This fall, however, something miraculous in our house happened.  We have been spared.

You see, our other two dudes are not playing a fall sport this year.  Don’t worry, they both make up for it in the winter and spring with basketball, baseball and golf.  And Little Dude used to play both football and soccer in the fall but this year he opted out of soccer.  That leaves us with only ONE kid playing ONE sport this fall.  I feel like I’ve won the lottery.  And you know that 9am practice I was complaining about before?  Well, he’ll be done by 10:30am, which means we will have our entire Saturday FREE.  Picture me doing the jig right now, because I am.

BUT….

I thought we were home free until my husband discovered there are fall basketball leagues for Big Dude.  Noooo, please, no.  He played in one of those leagues last spring and we were driving all over the Tri-State area for tournaments on both Saturdays and Sundays that last for hours.  And then, Middle Dude announced that he wants to join the school cross-country team. I knew my fall miracle was too good to be true.  Time to dig out the blankets and dust off the folding chairs because I know where my butt will be this fall.  I’m not giving up, though. There’s always hope for a free weekend next year.