By Katie Schubert
Having a child who is an athlete can be a real challenge. Keeping track of practices and games, remembering to wash their jersey before the next tournament and fees and volunteering are enough to keep any parent busy from morning until night. Want to make things even more complicated? Add in that younger sibling who comes along for every practice, game and tournament, and you’ve got a real juggling act on your hands.
Whether they are shuttling kids to a local or away game, these parents share tips and benefits for parents taking siblings along for the ride.
Plan for the Wait
Since Logan Zheng, 11, was little more than a toddler, he has loved the water. His younger sister, Francesca, who is 10, is his biggest cheerleader at swim meets, says his father, Dan Duplantier.
Because of swimming’s unique nature, there is a lot of downtime while families wait for their swimmer to race. “We bring lots of coloring books,” Duplantier says. “We bring iPads and stuff because there is so much downtime while you’re waiting to see your person.”
Mom of two Jen DeLutis agrees that activities are a must to entertain a younger sibling. Her daughter Maddy competes in high school volleyball and used to play softball competitively as well. Her son Brayden has been going to his sister’s games for years.
“Pack a bag with things just for them, and do it very intentionally,” DeLutis says. “Make sure they have their own food supply, and for outdoor sports, shade, because as soon as they’re out in the sunshine all day, it’s harder to relax.”
DeLutis stresses that it’s important to pack a wide variety of snacks and treats.
“We would have a plethora of snacks, so he’d basically graze all day instead of having a meal at a given time. It was lots of small options.”
The Benefits of Routine
While it takes some kids time to get used to being brought along to these tournaments, it is second nature to others. “My youngest has been living this lifestyle since he was born,” says mom of three Danielle Peplinski. “So, he doesn’t really know any different because we always just include him with everything that we do.”
Peplinski loves how close the families of her older two kids’ teammates have become. “The really wonderful things about these sports teams is that you develop relationships with the other families and you really become a family unit, so there are other parents on my son’s team and my daughter’s team that are able to help out when I need to do something.”
Peplinski’s youngest, Jacob, recently turned 7 and loves being around the other younger siblings of teammates.
“If we have to travel on weekends, he knows he is going to have a blast because he has friends on both teams. It’s actually been a wonderful experience, and he’s never complained,” Peplinksi continues. In fact, “he’s kind of like a mascot” for his sibling’s teams.
DeLutis agrees. “What’s been really nice is there are usually other siblings, so all through the season, they got to be really good friends and they make their own crew, and they would run around and do things together.”
Splitting Time
With three children, Peplinski and her husband often find themselves splitting duties. “If I have my middle with me, Jacob and I will leave the practice and go across the street and just grab dinner, the two of us. So, we get a lot of special one-on-one time together.”
One thing that Duplantier stresses is making sure no one feels left out. “We try as much as we can to take both of their interests to heart. It’s making sure to find time for both kids.”
Peplinski finds that focusing on the family as a unit helps a lot, too. “If you have to travel to a tournament, look for those other things you can do to make it feel like a family vacation, whether it’s going to an amusement park or a museum. We always try to incorporate those things and just stick together as a family.”
Now that Duplantier’s daughter Francesca is getting older, she is developing more of her own interests, including dance.
During her year-end recital, “Logan would ask, ‘When is she on? When can we go?’ and I tell him, ‘This is what we do for you all the time.’ I had to remind him that we do that for him every month.”
For these three parents, it all boils down to balance and family. “They say it takes a village,” Peplinski says, “and it really does.”
