The fall sports season is well underway and the kids are busy making memories, meeting friends, and learning life skills that they will take with them long after the season is over.
Depending on the sport and team your child is playing on, there may be different uniforms, jerseys, and gear that are flooding your laundry baskets this season. Here are some quick tips on how to handle the stuff when the season is over.
Soccer players, you have a lot of choices. Since most soccer jerseys have a small chest logo on the front, we can fit more of them on your blanket. Over the years, it is fun to see how may different color jerseys have been collected. If you are on a team with home and away jerseys, sometimes we use the front of one and the back of the other so that both are included. High school teams are not usually allowed to keep their jerseys, so it may be a good idea to purchase a t-shirt or sweatshirt. You can get one for your child, or for you to wear to the games and then pass it along when it comes to blanket time.
Football players, you have it a little rough. From a young age, your uniforms have to be turned back in to the league to be worn again the next year. So it's fun to grab a t-shirt or sweatshirt to show your pride and have a keepsake for later. Names on the back are always fun and look great on a blanket. If you are lucky enough to play at a time when you get to keep your jersey, that's fantastic. We can incorporate the front, back, and sometimes the sleeves into your blanket. We even had football pants in one!
Cheer team, unfortunately, your uniforms always have to go back, but you always have so much going on, there is never a lack of fun. Between the practice and competition shirts, your blankets are always colorful and full of spirit.
Marching band, even though your uniforms get turned in, hold on to the show shirt. Some of the cavalcades and parades offer t-shirts if you'd like to grab them to commemorate the experience. One blanket we made had a t-shirt that replicated the design on the front of the band uniform. It was a great keepsake!
Cross Country runners are fortunate to have a lot of shirts from school swag to invitational tees. I love cross country shirts because they often have an inspirational quote or saying on the back.
Field hockey friends, your younger jerseys are fun. Just like soccer, there are so many different colors and we can usually include a lot of them because the front logos are small. Then we can also include your favorite numbers from the back. Most schools seem to get to keep their uniform shirts and we can use them, even though they are usually a stretchy tank style.
No matter what sport your child plays, they will probably play on many different teams over the years. Some may be low key, some more intense. Some might win every game and others may end up last place in the league. What you might find interesting is that your child's favorite team and experience may not be the one that won the championship. It may be the one that was led by a coach that believed in them or the team where they met their best friend. Sometimes these stories and memories only come out when you pull out those old jerseys at graduation and reminisce over the experiences.
If you would like more information about creating a memory blanket, please visit the website page. I am here to answer any questions you may have (jen@onceuponatimecreation.com).
Have a great day!