This Post: Someday, Mamas, You’re Going to Miss Those Bleachers
Written By: Marybeth Bock (Co-written by Nancy Reynolds)
One of my most vivid memories of my son’s many years playing club baseball is sitting on the bleachers during a three-day tournament over Father’s Day weekend. June in Arizona was particularly hot that year. In fact, it was an unbearable 109 degrees that afternoon as I watched my son repeatedly wipe his brow on the pitcher’s mound.
I remember thinking, “I’d rather be anywhere else than here.” I was sweating just sitting in the shade, fanning myself with a flattened cardboard box from the concession stand.
I didn’t care who won the game; I just wanted to get out of the heat and get back into my air-conditioned car as soon as possible.
Looking back… what I wouldn’t give to relive that long, sweaty day again. It’s funny how you miss parts of your kids’ childhood that you never thought you’d miss.
Someday, Mamas, You’re Going to Miss Those Bleachers
I’m not gonna lie, when you’re in the thick of your kids’ “bleacher years” (as I like to call them), there can be plenty to complain about.
For starters, it’s expensive!
Even if your teen isn’t playing competitive club sports—which can be really pricey—school sports come with their own list of expenses. Sports physicals, fees, uniforms, equipment, shoes, team meals, banquets, fundraisers, coaches’ gifts… somehow it all adds up to a whole lot more than you ever anticipated when you signed that first permission slip.
And then there are the logistics.
Oh, the logistics!
Practices. Games. Away games. Early mornings. Late nights. Carpools. Travel. Figuring out who is taking which kid where and how in the world you’re supposed to be in two places at once when two kids have games at opposite ends of town or even in different states!
Then, there are ALL the other challenges.
Family dinners become a rare event. Washing uniforms becomes a full-time job. And somewhere along the way, you find yourself really skilled at eating dinner out of a cooler or at a concession stand. Then there are the ridiculously uncomfortable bleachers, freezing cold days, blistering hot days, rain and wind. Endless fundraising. Injuries that send your heart straight into your throat. Doctor’s appointments and physical therapy–been there, done that!
During the chaotic midst of your kids’ bleacher years, there might be days when you hope the game gets rained out.
There might be Saturdays when you think to yourself, “I just can’t do another tournament.”
And Saturdays you desperately want to sleep in instead of loading your teen, tons of gear, and a cooler with 32 water bottles into the car before sunrise.
You might even check the calendar a time or two to see how many more games you have before the season ends.
But then one day, it all comes to an abrupt end… and your heart might break a little.
Suddenly, you go from “I can’t wait for this to be over,” to “I can’t believe it’s over.”
For many families, senior year marks the end of organized school sports. And that transition is hard. We go from being completely engulfed in our kid’s sport, and suddenly, it all comes to a dead stop.
And it’s the harshest reality of all… You find yourself missing those days. I’m mean really missing them.
You come to realize that there was so much more to it all than simply watching your kid run down a soccer field, or make a goal, or hit a great backhand, or swish a three-pointer. It sinks in that those years played a big part in who your child has become and how your family evolved as a support system for your teen.
Here’s the reality of this evolution.
All those sports activities provided your family with a predictable rhythm. Sure, practices and games dictated your schedule, but they also gave your family regular things to look forward to and places to be together.
You had a front-row seat to your teen growing and maturing through good days and bad. You got to watch them struggle, improve, lose, win, make lifelong friends, get really frustrated, persevere, and become so much more confident. Years later, those ordinary moments begin to feel incredibly precious.
You might not miss the sport. But you miss the crazy schedule, the drive home (even if your teen didn’t say a word on the way home–it was still time together), and the moms and dads you became friends with sitting next to you in the bleachers.
You miss the tournament lunches in the parking lot, the funny team photos, and cheering your kid on, watching them walk onto the field and how they always glanced up at the bleachers to make sure you were there. Because you were always there.
You miss being needed so much and being part of their world.
Mostly, you miss the version of your kid that practiced so hard, who let their guard down enough to cry when they lost a big game, who lifted up their teammate when they hobbled back to the sidelines, who learned how to be a team player, lose with grace, get back up after a crummy play, and celebrate someone else’s success.
Because it was never just a soccer game or a football game or a volleyball match or a cheer or baseball tournament; it was you watching your kid become more independent, confident, resilient, empathetic, and mature right before our very eyes.
At some point, you realize you were living a memory you would someday wish you could step back into. That’s the part no one tells you.
Weeks, months, or even years later, you might reflect back and think. “I’d give anything for one more Saturday morning on the bleachers.” Those memories will flood back… how you loved watching your kid do something they loved and being part of a team that meant so much to them, the camaraderie and the wonderful life lessons their sport gifted to your child.
So, Mamas… If you’re sitting in the bleachers right now, take a good look around.
I know you’re tired.
I know you might be hot or cold.
I know you’re wondering what you’re going to make for dinner and whether you’re ever going to be home long enough to catch up on laundry.
I know you might be counting down the weeks or months until it’s over.
But someday, those bleachers will be empty, the car will sit in the driveway a little longer, and you’ll have far more time on your hands.
And you may find yourself missing the very chaos you once couldn’t wait to be over.
So cheer a little louder. Take another picture. Look up from your phone. Study how they look in their uniform with their tousled hair and red cheeks. Pay attention to how they look for you and the glisten in their eye when they spot you on the bleachers.
And when you’re tempted to think, How many more of these do we have?
Remember…
You don’t get forever.
You get this season and if you’re lucky, a few more.
And someday, Mama, you might just look back and think, “I thought I was sitting in those bleachers to watch my kid play. I didn’t realize I was sitting there watching them grow up.”
If you enjoyed reading “Someday Mamas, You’re Going to Miss those Bleachers,” you might like these posts too!
Confessions of a Sports Mom: Nothing Brings Out My Crazy More Than Watching My Kid Play Sports
Don’t Be THAT Parent: Bleacher Rules Every Sports Parent Should Follow
Marybeth Bock, MPH, is a Mom to two young adults and one delightful hound dog. She has logged time as a military spouse, childbirth educator, college instructor, and freelance writer. She lives in Arizona and thoroughly enjoys research and writing, as long as iced coffee is involved. Her work can be found on numerous websites and in two books. Follow her on Facebook and Instagram.
