Cute and Comfy at Sporting Events

This post is sponsored by Academy Sports + Outdoors and rewardStyle.  Thank you for supporting the brands that support Sheaffer Told Me To!

School started last week, and all you mamas know that means that not only does school start…but so do all of the Fall activities and sports.  We jumped in with both feet this past week.  We had Meet The Teacher on Tuesday evening, soccer practice on Tuesday night, school started on Thursday, Carter had soccer practice again on Thursday night, and then this past weekend his new soccer team played in a league placement tournament.  All weekend.  In over 100 degree temperatures.

Yep.

We hit the ground running.

Luckily, Academy has been a 1 stop shop for us for all clothes and gear that are school and soccer related!

Let’s talk school first. If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a million times.  The only thing that Carter ever wants to wear is athletic gear.  Sure, I sometimes have him mix it up a bit, but if it were always his choice, it would always be Under Armour and adidas.  Luckily, Academy has a great selection of both brands!

Gone are the days of dressing up for school, even on the first day.  COMFORT IS KING, Y’ALL!  But new duds were definitely in order.  The boy has grown, and let’s be honest…even if he hadn’t grown, new school years call for new clothes. It’s a rule, or at least it should be.

Carter helped me pick out several shirts and shorts, and most of them can be mixed and matched, so that’s a win for me.

Under Armour shirt / Under Armour shorts / adidas sneakers / similar insulated water bottle / UA backpack

And although he didn’t actually need a new backpack this year, we still ended up grabbing this one when he spotted it.  I remember the excitement a new backpack (and Trapper Keeper!  Ha!) brought me in school, so I was happy to oblige.

It has wide and contoured shoulder straps (which makes it comfy when lugging tons of stuff around), there are plenty of pockets to store things, and I love that there are compartments for 2 water bottles.  For those of you with older kids, this particular backpack also boasts a 15″ soft laptop sleeve to ensure ample storage space.

Plus, it comes in tons of colors and just looks cool.  Which is super important when you’re in 5th grade.

Under Armour shirt / Under Armour shorts / adidas sneakers / similar insulated water bottle / UA backpack

Speaking of looking cool, Carter has a very firm opinion about his footwear.  Always has, and I imagine he always will.  Of course he wants his sneakers to be comfy (DUH!)….but “shoes that look totally cool” are also of utmost importance to him. #thatsadirectquote

Listen, he tried on at least 8 pair before finding these.  And even though they all looked great to me, the boy was ready to walk out of the store without any new shoes because none of them were up to his standards.

When we spotted these, I was so relieved that we were getting his shoes too.  Crossing things off a TO DO list brings me such joy.

Under Armour shirt / Under Armour shorts / adidas sneakers / Under Armour ankle socks / similar insulated water bottle / UA backpack

Get Carter’s Look For Your Kiddo Here:

We actually stocked up on quite a few shirts and shorts for him.  Here are several that we picked up.  Just click on what you are interested in:

 

And like I said, it’s not just school that started up last week, we are now in FULL BLOWN soccer mode too.

This is the first year that Carter is playing on a select soccer team, so I know that the frequency of practices and the frequency and intensity of games is about to skyrocket for me.  We had an introduction to the select world this Summer, but since we didn’t have anything else going on, it didn’t seem like such a big deal.

But I’m learning really fast that this outdoor business in August and September is going to be CRAZY HOT.  Like STUPID HOT.  So I’m going to be making some changes. I used to always wear denim shorts to practices and games, but they just don’t keep me cool enough, so I’ve decided to start rocking athletic gear!  It’s obviously appropriate for these types of events, it will definitely keep me cooler, and I’ll be a lot more comfortable.

WIN-WIN-WIN.

floral adidas tee / adidas shorts / hot pink adidas sneakers

If y’all are anything like me, you like to be comfy on these marathon days when you feel like you are running from activity to activity and your main job is chauffeur.  And that’s coming from a mom of 1!  I truly don’t understand how all you rock star mamas with tons of kids do it!!!

floral adidas tee / adidas shorts / adidas soccer ball / hot pink adidas sneakers

Plus, I’ll be dressed and ready for an impromptu game of soccer, which is important since this guy always begs to play a little bit after practice.  #neverenoughsoccer

my outfit:  floral adidas tee / adidas shorts / hot pink adidas sneakers

Carter’s outfit:  Under Armour logo tee / Under Armour shorts /adidas soccer ball / adidas sneakers / Under Armour ankle socks

He tried baseball and flag football in the past, but soccer is where his passion lies and what he’s focusing his energy on right now.

And we are so happy that Carter has found a sport that he loves.  Not only does it promote physical activity and all of the benefits that go along with that, but we also love that it promotes discipline and can help build confidence and self esteem as well.

And although he works hard on improving his personal skills, we are also grateful for the sense of community that a team brings.  They work together towards a common goal, they support each other’s personal victories (it’s so neat watching them celebrate each other!), and we like watching them build their relationships too.

And the truth is, as much as we love watching Carter score goals, it’s also wonderful to watch him pass to a teammate that scores a goal, and then watch them high five each other for the teamwork that it took.

And to be clear, these types of skills and values can of course be gained in other ways that don’t involve sports!  For example, I was a theater kid in high school and learned many of the same core values.  Kids can benefit from a sense of community in so many other activities like choir, band, chess team, etc.  It doesn’t matter what your kid is involved in, just as long as they ARE involved and they find their people!

Under Armour logo tee / Under Armour shorts /adidas soccer ball / adidas sneakers / Under Armour ankle socks

We sure are proud of our soccer player.

Okay, enough of the mom gushing for now.  Let’s talk gear for a second.  I talked about Carter’s shoes above, but let’s talk about my sneakers now!

First of all, they are DARLING!  I just love the hot pink.  But don’t worry, if you want something more subtle, they come in several more muted colors as well (like black, blush, and grey).  They are one piece without a separate tongue, they have a close fit (almost like a tight sock), but they aren’t restricting at all.  They are super comfortable and didn’t require any period of breaking in for me. For size reference, I got my regular size, but I would recommend sizing up a 1/2 if you are often between sizes.

And no matter what sport your child plays, you can find everything you need at Academy.  Just use the search bar on their site to find what you are looking for!  Carter is just wearing his regular school sneakers here, but we also got his outdoor cleats, his soccer socks, and his shin guards at Academy.  This year I also grabbed this cooling towel to help him cool down when on the sidelines, and he also has one of these battery operated fans.  Because just in case you need a reminder, it’s stupid hot.

By the way, can we talk about Carter’s well defined calf muscle? What the heck?

adidas sneakers / adidas soccer ball / hot pink adidas sneakers

Academy also has great gear for all of the family members that are out there supporting our players!  Chris and I cannot recommend these chairs enough.  It’s actually a portable rocking chair that is super comfortable with good back support!  YES!

They are a little bit heavier than the typical fold up chairs that you see at sporting events, but they are still portable (with a fold up handle) and can be easily transported from game to game.  And we don’t just use them for sports.  We use them around the campfire at the ranch and at neighborhood gatherings as well.  They are definitely worth the extra money, because the comfort level can’t be beat.  Also the chairs are powder coated to provide protection against the elements, and it’s got a built in drink holder!  FAIR WARNING:  Don’t leave this chair unattended.  Others will jump at the opportunity to steal your seat.  Hahaha!

You can also grab umbrellas that attach on to chairs and they’ve got a good selection of canopies as well.  I mean, when it’s over 100 degrees outside, YOU NEED TO BE IN THE SHADE whether you are playing or just watching!

Supporting this guy and his love for soccer is worth baking in the summer sun, though!

These are the day’s, y’all!

Here are some other favorite looks for us mamas, out there supporting our kids!

Let’s rock week 2 of school and activities, ladies!  Thank you to Academy Sports + Outdoors and rewardStyle for sponsoring this post.

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