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Too Many Balls! Why Sports Moms Deserve a Day Off
by Paula Schmitt

This morning I asked my 10 year old son, Joseph, if he were me, what he would like to do if he had a day off. Dangerous question, I know.

He looked me straight in the eye and without hesitation replied, "I think I’d like to play a game of touch football to start off the day, and then in the afternoon I could go for a quick three inning baseball game so that I could squeeze in a game of soccer before dinner time and then definitely after dinner I’d love a game of hoops. Wanna play HORSE tonight, Mom?"

Oh. My. God. What is it with the male gender and games that involve BALLS?

I do believe we own every brand of basketball made. Not to mention, in every corner of my home, inside and out, there is a cherished homerun or almost, almost homerun baseball. Now I know that getting out and throwing or kicking a ball around is great exercise for my kids and I feel very honored that they want to include their mother in a game of HORSE from time to time, however, this sports mom feels she needs a break. No, even better, this sports mom deserves a day off.

Why? Because I have too many balls in my life. Everyday of the week I haul one of my children to a sports game or practice and the last thing I say to them as they are getting out of the car is, "Got your balls sweetie?" I breath, think, and sleep balls 365 days out of the year and this mom wants to do something about it. Not permanently, oh no, just for a day. A special day for sports moms. Ahhhh doesn’t that sound grand?

You bet.

This mom is doing something about it, and I hope that other sports moms will join in on this special new holiday. It’s called "Please Taxi my Children to Their Sport Events Day" or better known as, National Sports Mom Day.

The official day to kick off this special holiday is September 29th, 2005.

On National Sports Mom Day all sports moms – soccer moms, baseball moms, basketball moms, and hockey, lacrosse and football moms will put aside their taxi caps and not see or speak the word ball. This is a day for sports moms to do what they want to do.

Get dad, grandpa, an uncle, brother, or friend to taxi the kids around to their sports events for the day – this is your day!

Get together with your girlfriends, sister, mother, or just yourself and do what you want to do. Whether it’s reading, sleeping, shopping, or spending the day at a spa – go for it – you are the All Sports Mom and this is your holiday.

Oh, and by the way, I happened to mention this idea of mine to my sports-minded, ball-loving children and the look on their confused faces told me two things: 1) They thought I bumped my head and was suffering from a mild concussion and 2) They would gladly pick up the phone and dial 911 as I may be having a stroke and am not thinking clearly.

Why else would mom need a day off?

A few minutes later as we were heading out to yet another game, I overheard my 10 year old whisper to his older brothers, "I guess Mom does deserve a day off, and then maybe she will be thinking clearly the other 364 days of the year."