One of the things I strive to balance in my children’s lives is their involvement in coach’s football life and activities/hobbies outside of football. I want to be sure they have opportunities to learn about other hobbies and activities and know mom and dad also have other hobbies outside of football life.
Of course, we love to go watch practices, thrive on game day, and hang out with the big boys during the season. Who doesn’t?
But our family has prioritized outdoor adventuring during the “off-season” when coach can come with us! We love hiking, kayaking, and weekend road trips to nearby cities.
My kids have really thrown themselves into hiking! It is a weekly request, even in unideal weather. They each have their own boots and packs and choose a new hiking stick for each hike. We make it fun by doing scavenger hunts. The kids love packing their own snacks and exploring new trails. You can visibly see how proud and accomplished they feel at the end of each adventure.
Once it warms up enough here in Ohio, you will find us spending afternoons at the lake in our kayaks! My youngest loves the water and “boat” rides (probably because he doesn’t have to do any of the work).
Our goal is to make adventuring a priority, show our kids that there are plenty of other things to do and see in life, and that mom and coach will always make time to do those things as well.
I highly encourage others to explore nature during their off-seasons. It is one of our happy places!