What to pack for a Travel Baseball Game

Before Cole started playing travel baseball, I was a rec baseball mom.  I had down to a science what I needed to take to the fields for that one game.  When he started playing travel baseball, I had to pack beyond the 1 game played at a local park.  It took me a few tournament weekends to get my baseball bag just right.

These are the essentials:

1. A cooler - packed full of drinks for player (Gatorade & Water), parents and siblings (I pack juice boxes, extra Gatorade and water).  You will also need to pack food for the day.  Usually lunch and a snack for the ride home.  But for bracket play it can range from breakfast in the morning, lunch and through dinner.  Pasta salads and sandwiches hold up the best in a cooler.  Snacks, don't forget snacks: pretzels, goldfish, hummus, dips, sliced apples...

2.  A bit of cash.  For the gate fee and to purchase food & drink at concession.  Sometimes concession stands have unique items like boiled peanuts and snow cones.  Sometimes you just need a basket of french fries and a fountain Coke.  My favorite concession stands are the ones that serve sweet tea!!

3.  A large "baseball bag" to store all of your stuff.  I like one with a lot of pockets so that I can easily find that something when my husband asks for it.  Most of the time I'm searching for our keys when it's time to go home or my phone.  If I'm being honest, my phone is usually in my back pocket or I've left it in the car.  I don't remember said phone is in the car until I've got everyone around me looking for it.  I really like this tote from Thirty-One, lots of pockets.  I should designate one pocket as all time key & phone holder, but it's much more fun to panic when I can't find them.  The bag is $50, but when you look at how many times you are going to use it, it's a great deal.  Zipper top, lot's of pockets on the outside.

4.  Essentials for your bag...please, please, please leave these in your baseball bag.  It stinks getting to the park and realizing you forgot something.

• Sunscreen, I like spray on and rub on.  Everyone gets sunscreen BEFORE we leave the house.

• Bug spray...in Florida mosquitoes are still out in January.

• Wipes and hand sanitizer.  Sometimes the bathrooms are too far away, sometimes they are out of soap and sometimes it's both.

• Tissue or roll of toilet paper.  I have been to many a field that ran out of toilet paper.  No bueno.  TIP** If the women's restroom is out of toilet paper, ask a kid to get you some out of the men's.  Tell them to not be stingy with it.

• Chewable or Meltaway children's Advil/Tylenol.  Ache's are no fun.  I also keep Tums & adult Advil in my bag.  Heartburn and tummy aches at the field no fun either.

• Band-Aids or spray on dermaplast.

• Baggies...for ice in case of injury.  Or for other countless scenarios that you cannot even dream up yet. 

• Something to entertain siblings and players.  I've brought iPods but Big A & Cole MUST sit next to me to use them and MUST hand them to me when they get up.  We've had coloring books, friendship bracelets, Frisbee, wrestling guys, paper airplanes, wiffle ball & bat and soccer balls.  The siblings spend a lot of time with each other, all of us parents try our best to keep them entertained.  I love when we play at a field with a park.

• Frogg Togg Chilly Pad.  They are around $15 and are great to help you cool down.  Must for player and a nice extra for the family.  Keep in the cooler.

5.  Bring your own chair.  I cannot stress this enough.  You sit for pre-game warm ups, for the game and often times in between games.  Bleachers are a chiropractor's best friend.  I like to pack at least two in the car.  I like this style and buy the heavy duty one from Sam's or Costco.  Worth the $30.

6.  A tent...shade is a premium at fields.  Almost everyone on our team brings a tent.  We have shade that extends to the bleachers and beyond.  Week after week in the hot Florida sun can leave you looking like vintage leather.  No good.  In between games, we walk the tents to open space and put them together so that we have a place for our kids to eat lunch and cool down.

7.  I also pack a portable speaker for Ipod/Iphone.  Our team plays walk up music for each batter as well as pump up music before, during and after games.  Our kids love it and our team is known for our music choices and dancing skills.

8.  An umbrella is a good bet too.  Although it would be great to pack a small one, for Florida rain pack a golf umbrella.  We sit in the car during showers.

So you've got all of this stuff to bring, how do you carry everything?  We have a huge cooler on wheels that we stack the coach's equipment bag, tent and chairs on.  I carry my baseball bag.  Other families use a cart.  Like the one below.  It can be found at Costco and Sam's.  Although it does look like you've had one too many when pulling it.  The other option is the Wonder Wheeler.

Here's to another great season!!  We've got a heavy schedule this season with the Outlaws, a Super NIT and 9 other tournaments plus double headers.  Big A is in A-ball and ready to start swinging the bat.  Spring baseball is my favorite sport season and being prepared helps us make it through all of the craziness.