Salute to moms who help manage
Fundraiser for Ronald Mcdonald House provides memories
It has been a busy spring for the Albany Alleycats soccer organization. On top of league games, practice, travel tournaments and State Cup games, Alleycat parents and players dropped off five carloads of donations to the Ronald Mcdonald House Charities of the Capital Region.
With the coaches freed up to do what they do best — instruct players — a team manager can play a critical role in providing a well-rounded travel sports experience for players.
And often it’s a team mom who handles those details.
“It takes a village to really have a successful team and that includes teaching kids and allowing kids to understand what it takes to be committed and be a part of something bigger than themselves,” said longtime youth soccer coach Betsy Drambour. “And without a strong team manager there it wouldn’t happen.”
“I want the kids giving back. We tell the managers that, but not all run with it,” Drambour said.
MOMSTEAM, a website, features advice on how to be a team manager. The site creator, Brooke de Lench, is the author of “Home Team Advantage: The Critical Role of Mothers in Youth Sports” (Harper Collins), and a lecturer, keynote speaker, and symposium panelist on a
wide range of youth sport topics.
The MOMSTEAM website offers articles on how women as mothers and guardians should use their experiences in sports to become more actively involved in youth sports organizations’ boards in addition to serving as team moms. One of the many roles of the head team manager is to be a sounding board for other parents when issues arise. Constant communication between coach, team manager and team parents is key.
“It’s a big commitment,” Drambour said, noting that team managers need thick skin just like coaches to deal with parents who complain.
Drambour also was quick to point out that team managers often face working with coaches who lack organizational skills.
“I rely so much on our team managers — I’m glad they put up with me,” Drambour said laughing, pointing a finger directly at her own lack of basic spreadsheet knowledge.
I have a special interest in the Alleycats program this year. My niece is one of the organization’s team managers and her two daughters play on travel teams. I spent the last two weeks knowing every detail of her schedule while she carved out several hours each day to sit at her mom’s bedside at Mountain Valley Hospice in Gloversville, a one-hour drive from her home. Her mom is my sister, who passed away April 28 at age 68 after a battle with cancer. A reminder to be generous with hugs and kisses and carve out special times with moms and grandmothers far beyond Mother’s Day.
On top of everything going on, my niece coordinated the Ronald Mcdonald House event.
On Sunday morning, after celebrating her mother’s life with friends and family Friday, my niece and her Alleycat parents piled into cars for a drive to Long Island for the miserable ride to and from a State Cup game. An almost four-hour drive one way — if traffic is good — to play a single game. On Mother’s Day. Whoopie.
But as windshield time and State Cup wins can provide memories that last a lifetime, what those players will remember proudly about the Alleycat travel team experience years from now will be dropping off the donations on a beautiful spring day to Ronald Mcdonald House on South Lake Avenue in Albany.