Youth sports parents are always on the go. Especially those of us with multiple kids in multiple sports or other after-school activities. We’ve found that the best way to stay prepared while running all over town is to keep a travel kit with necessities you may need while on the go. This way, you’re not always worried about re-packing essentials while getting yourself and the kids dressed and out the door.
What Should I Keep in My Youth Sports Travel Kit?
1. Sunscreen
SPF is important, especially on hot summer days. This is great use for both kids playing sports and family members coming to watch. Kids playing may be mostly covered by a uniform, but it’s still good to bring sunscreen for their face. It’s no fun playing with a sunburn!
2. Hand Wipes
Wipes come in handy when you may not have access to a sink to wash your hands right away. You can use hand wipes to wipe off hands before eating snacks. Keep in mind, most hand wipes do not kill germs like washing your hands would. So, it’s also a good idea to pack hand sanitizer.
3. Snacks
Pro tip, never leave the house without snacks! Snacks for yourself, your athlete, and any siblings tagging along. It’s smart to keep nonperishable snack items in your travel kit. We recommend switching out any leftover snacks every season to avoid any expired food.
4. Extra Hair Ties
This is a small detail that often gets overlooked. Hair ties always snap at the worst time! If your child has long hair that needs to be tied back, it’s a good idea to keep some extra hair ties in your travel kit as well as your child’s sports bag in case you can’t make it to the game. Hair bands and hats can also work if your child prefers those.
5. Extra Clothes
Be sure to have an extra change of clothes in your youth sports travel kit. A quick rainstorm can easily leave you or your kids in soaking wet clothes. It’s nice to have a dry change of clothes in the car just in case. No one likes walking around in wet socks.
6. Hand warmers
These are essential to keep in your travel kit for cold weather locations. Fall and Spring weather can be unpredictable in some places. Temps may drop very quickly, but you’ll be prepared with warm hands for the whole team!
7. First Aid Supplies
It’s good practice to keep a first aid kit in your car. You can buy them pre-packaged. You can also keep over the counter medicines your family may need in your youth sports travel kit. This includes any backup inhalers, anti-inflammatories, anti-nausea, anti-acid, or allergy medications. These can come in handy when on the go all the time in locations where there may not be a convenience store nearby.
It’s also a good idea to pack any other first aid supplies such as band-aids or even packs of dry ice you can keep with you in case of emergencies. Though we hope you never need it, you never know when someone may fall and sprain an ankle or a wrist. With the dry ice packs, you can store them without getting everything wet, and then snap them to activate the ice when you need it, and they instantly become cold. This can keep coaches and parents from running around trying to find ice in coolers that hasn’t melted yet.
8. Bug Spray
For outside sports, this can be a life saver. Games or practices may run later than expected and as it gets dark, the bugs start to swarm. Bug spray helps keep those pesky bug bites at bay.
9. Portable charger
Portable chargers for your phone and other devices are an essential many may not think of. Youth sports can take place in large fields with little to no electricity available, so if you’re spending all day at tournaments, it’s good to have a source of power in case you need your phone to call for emergencies or for GPS to get home afterwards.
10. Lawn Chair
Keep a lawn chair packed in the trunk of your car as part of your youth sports travel kit. Some schools aren’t lucky enough to have bleachers, so you may need to BYOC (bring your own chair). Plus, bleachers aren’t usually comfortable, and comfort is key. After all, youth sports games can be long!
As parents, we may never be prepared for everything, but we can certainly try!
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