Basketball Mom Bag Essentials: What to Pack for Games & Tournaments.

Being a basketball mom is a whole position of its own. You're the driver, scheduler, snack supplier, photographer, occasional therapist and #1 fan. You're also somehow expected to know where the missing sock, water bottle or charger disappeared to five minutes before you need to leave.

Your player has a basketball bag, so it only makes sense that you have one too. After enough practices, games and tournament weekends, you quickly learn there's a difference between showing up and showing up ready. Here's what deserves a permanent spot in the basketball mom bag.

1. Water, Drinks & Player Snacks

Your player probably has a water bottle. Bring another one anyway. Bottles get forgotten, water runs out and tournament days have a habit of lasting much longer than expected.

One game is easy. Three games with two-hour gaps between them is a different situation. Pack snacks your player actually eats and that travel well, such as fruit, sandwiches, granola bars or trail mix, instead of relying entirely on whatever the concession stand happens to be selling.

When my son was little, I could occasionally use Skittles to convince my star player to stay on the court and finish the game. Unfortunately, that strategy loses some of its magic as they get older. For long tournament days, actual food wins, but I still wouldn't judge any basketball mom for keeping an emergency candy stash.

2. Something to Save You From the Bleachers

If you've spent any amount of time in basketball gyms, you already know the problem. Those bleachers were not designed with the human body in mind.

Get yourself a good seat cushion and leave it in your basketball bag. When I started bringing mine, there was almost always another parent asking, "Why didn't I think of that?" After sitting through several games in one weekend, your back and your bum will appreciate that little bit of planning.

I'd also keep a hoodie or light layer in the bag. Basketball gyms seem to operate at two temperatures: freezing and furnace. Having something you can throw on or take off will make those long tournament days a lot more comfortable.

3. A Small Emergency Kit

You don't need to arrive looking like you're running the team's medical department, but a small bag of everyday essentials can save the day. Keep things like bandages, blister bandages, tissues, wet wipes, hand sanitizer, an instant cold pack, lip balm, feminine products and a couple of small plastic bags together in one pouch.

This isn't meant to replace the coach, trainer, parent or medical professional when an actual injury happens. It's for all the little things that somehow become very big things five minutes before tip-off.

4. The Backup Stuff Your Player Will Eventually Ask For

Your player has their own bag. This will not stop them from turning to you at some point and asking, "Mom, do you have...?"

Keep a few of the small things that are easy to forget. Extra socks are useful during long tournament days, and extra hair ties are essential if your player has long hair. One broken elastic shouldn't become a pre-game emergency. Depending on your player's needs, you might also keep deodorant, wipes, a spare light or dark shirt if their program uses them, and any other small items they regularly need.

You don't have to carry a second version of their entire basketball bag. Just pay attention to the things your player is always forgetting, because after a season or two you'll know exactly what they are.

5. Your Portable Charger & Recording Gear

A portable charger belongs in the basketball mom hall of fame. Your phone isn't just a phone on tournament day. It's the schedule, directions to the next gym, team group chat, camera, video recorder and the device your player will inevitably ask to borrow when their phone dies.

If you're the unofficial game videographer, keep your tripod, phone stand or whatever you normally use for recording in the bag too. Check your phone storage before the game and charge everything the night before. There are few things more irritating than getting to the fourth quarter of a great game and discovering that your phone is full or sitting at 2%.

One day those videos might become recruiting clips or highlight footage. Even if they don't, you'll still have the games. Years later, that footage may matter more to you than you expect.

6. Don't Pack Everyone Else and Forget Yourself

Basketball moms have a special talent for remembering everything everybody else needs while somehow forgetting themselves. You'll have the extra socks, backup hair ties, water, snacks and charger covered, then realize your sunglasses are still sitting on the kitchen counter.

So claim a little space in that bag for yourself. Pack your water, a snack you actually like, sunglasses, lip balm, personal medication and anything else that makes six or eight hours in a gym a little easier. And definitely keep some gum or mints nearby. Between the coffee, snacks and yelling from the bleachers, you don't want bad breath creeping into the fourth quarter.

You're taking care of everybody else all day. Make sure basketball mom makes the packing list too.

7. The Best Trick: Keep the Bag Packed

This might be the most useful basketball mom tip on the entire list: don't rebuild the bag every weekend.

Create a dedicated basketball mom bag and leave the basics packed throughout the season. After each tournament, remove garbage and food, wash whatever needs washing, recharge the portable charger, replace anything you used and put the bag back where it belongs.

Then when Saturday morning arrives far earlier than any reasonable person believes Saturday morning should arrive, you're not wandering around the house looking for a charger, hair tie and seat cushion while somebody is yelling that it's time to leave.

The Basketball Mom Bag Checklist

Before you head to the gym, here's the quick check:

• Water bottle + backup water
• Player snacks
• Your own snacks + drink
• Seat cushion
• Hoodie or extra layer
• Small emergency/first-aid pouch
• Tissues + wet wipes
• Hand sanitizer
• Lip balm
• Portable charger + cable
• Extra socks
• Extra hair ties
• Backup player essentials
• Recording gear
• Sunglasses
• Wallet + keys
• Gum or mints
• Personal medication/essentials