Beginning of Fall Sports Season at Gratefully Wild Home

Fall sports have kicked off — we are a sports family. Some of the kids are more into sports than others, but our schedule is full of practices and games. We allow our kids to do different sports and follow their passion, as long as we can make the schedule and finances work.

We have four kids doing karate, which runs year-round. Martial arts has given our family so many advantages: discipline, strength, endurance, and respect. Two of the kids are also on the karate competition team, which takes the experience to another level of learning and character building. I share more about this in the post. I love the karate schedule because it’s flexible — there are so many class options each week, and we can pick and choose which ones work for us (except for competition practices, which are required). That flexibility makes it possible to fit in other seasonal sports too.

This fall, our eldest, Drew (13), is playing on a competitive soccer team for the first time. Our 7-year-old daughter, Adelaide, is also trying something new with softball, while our baseball-loving 4-year-old, Gregory, is in his second season of tee-ball. We also do a non-competitive homeschool soccer once a week, which all the kids love — and it doubles as social time for them and me. 🙂

Somehow the schedule is working with a little bit of carpool and grace, and my kids are all loving and having fun in their sports. Most of the time as well, the whole family can go to a game and unite in cheering a sibling on. It is not always perfect with a couple of toddlers and if weather is not great, but the thrill of the one playing the sport and those watching keep us returning.

Our homeschool schedule also allows for the busy sport schedule. Since I spend quality time during the day with my children, having a busy evening sports schedule helps balance the time out. By the late afternoon/evening, the kids are ready to have some time out of the house and exercise. Since not bound to a school building there is also flexibility of free play while the homeschool and organized sport gives the structured time.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a commission on qualifying purchases — at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting Gratefully Wild Home!

I may sound very organize, which I believe I am most of the time, but I do have an amusing story for the week – Since my husband and I have to split driving and also I have to send kids through carpooling, I had not yet had an opportunity to go to Gregory’s practices, so I had not seen his team or coach. The first game, Paul was at a karate tournament with Drew (proud mom moment – Drew won silver in forms & sparring!), so it was up to me to bring Gregory, and he still needed to get his uniform from the coach.

I arrive on time – always a great victory when packing up a car full of little kids. I parked our wagon full of camp chairs & a toddler, and walked down to the team. The mom there introduces herself and I to her and we find Gregory’s uniform size. I told Gregory to go find his friend on the field. As I looked at the field, I realized that his friend is wearing gray and Gregory is wearing blue.

I embarrassingly turn to the mom and say, “I’m so sorry, we have the wrong team,”

She said, “Aren’t you blue?”

I said blushing, “No, we are gray,” and mumble an excuse about having multiple sport schedules.

She looked at me confused, but said, “It’s ok,” as I hurriedly gave Gregory’s shirt back to her and ran him over to the opposite side of the field to finally put him in a gray team shirt.

Yes, it was humbling – I also realized I did not really need to give her an excuse on why I made the mistake, because in reality it was not a huge deal, and every mom out there, no matter of family size, is doing her best. We need to give ourselves plenty of room for grace, and sometimes we think we have it completely together, but then face the reality that some things slip and it’s ok. The important part was Gregory loves baseball, and I successfully got him to his tee-ball game. And, now I have an amusing story to share about those motherhood mishaps. It was also a mishap easy to recover from.

Since we are on the run during the weekends with our large crew, I’ve rounded up our favorite essentials that we bring along.

✨ Our Go-To Gear for Practices & Family Outings

Wagon – I don’t know what we did without a wagon before! It carries everything — snacks, water, gear, even a kid or two when they’re tired. Total lifesaver.

Water Cooler – This was an impulse buy when we kept running out of water at practices. Now it goes everywhere with us. It keeps water cold for up to 48 hours (just add plenty of ice!).

Water Bottles (Thermaflask) – These are our family’s favorites. They keep drinks cold all day and are super durable for kids.

Stackable Cups – When we’re short on time, I grab a stack of our favorite cups for the kids so everyone can refill quickly.

Camp Chairs – Portable stadium seating that makes long practices way more comfortable — lightweight, easy to pack, and saves our backs.

Skylight Calendar – How we keep our schedules straight! This has been a game changer!

👉 These little upgrades have made practices and outings so much smoother for our big family. Shop our favorites by clicking the product names above.

How many kids do you have and what sports are they in? I’d love to hear your favorite sport weekend tips! – Comment below!

This kid lives and breathes baseball. I love his passion. Click on the product links to shop Gregory’s favorite baseball gear — helmet, bat, backpack.

✨ Want to see more in-the-moment action on sport weekends? Come hang out on my socials!

✨ Searching for a speaker who discusses embracing motherhood and finding balance in the chaos? Connect with me on LinkedIn and check out my speaker page.

✨ Don’t miss a beat — subscribe to receive weekly updates from Gratefully Wild Home straight to your inbox!