My son’s fall baseball season is kicking into high gear and our first tournament is this weekend. I figured this would be a good time to go through my ‘baseball mom’ bag and make sure we have everything on hand to stock the bag and our cooler for the weekend.
As I’ve said before, we live in Florida, so the primary concern for our boys is hydration and staying cool for most of the season. So, the majority of my essentials are geared toward those two priorities. Also, since we tend to spend so much time at the ballfields, we’re talking 8-10 at a time, I need more than just a chair. The cooler and snack bag come in handy because no one wants to spend a small fortune at the concession stand, if there is even is one. Yes, I 100% understand that the parks make a lot of their money via concessions; I know we did when my son played in rec ball. But I’m not looking to spend $2.00 for a bottle of water when I can pick up a case of 28 for $5. Also, a lot of concession stand food is either junk food or warm and fried. Not the best things for players bellies when they’re playing back to back games and it’s 95 degrees out!
My first essential is a good wagon. I used to be that mom who would struggle to carry my chair, cooler, purse and cup. Yeah, it can be done, but why do it! It was a for real ‘Hallelujah’ moment when I realized how easy it was to just load it all in a wagon and pull the wagon to my spot. An added bonus is that your wagon can also be a place holder when you’re waiting to set up for your game.
The second essential is a good chair, comfortable chair. Nowadays, they make all sorts of fancy chairs. Some even have canopies that attach to them for keep the shade off. Those are nice, but I don’t find them extremely effective, especially when it’s early morning or late afternoon, any time the sun is not directly above you. I have bought many ‘cheaper’ chairs from Target or Walmart, but upgraded to a firmer chair, which is more comfortable for sitting at a ballfield for several hours a day during tournaments.
My next essential is a quality cooler. You might think I would recommend the Cadillac of coolers, the Yeti. But not so fast…. I Know they’re good, but I cannot bring myself to spend that much on a cooler. Below is the one that I am currently using. It’s passed the ‘day at the ballfield’ test, keeping everything nice and cold. The only caveat is that you need to make sure the top is closed or the ice will melt. I normally will put a couple ice packs into my ice so that as the ice melts it continues to stay nice and cold. What you pack in your cooler largely depends on where you are, how long you’re expecting to be at the field and, obviously, your own personal preferences.
Another baseball mom essential is a large, sturdy tote bag. In my tote bag I keep everything from my wallet to snacks, a first aid kit to extra chargers. Some moms like to use a backpack, and that is a great idea as well! There are so many to choose from. The one I have used in previous years has definitely seen better days and I’m on the hunt for a new one!
So, these are the basics that will help separate you from the casual game spectator and serious baseball mom! We have a tournament this weekend, so I’ll be packing up our cooler for a full day at the ball fields! Stay tuned!
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