--- title: Plaaaaaybaaall! description: The sports season of mom-life is one of the craziest. Stephanie Stovall shares her thoughts on the tough balance between sports commitments and family life. image: https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/play-ball-f.jpg --- [![catholic-mom-logo-v2](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/images/catholic-mom-logo-v2.svg "catholic-mom-logo-v2")](https://www.catholicmom.com/) [![facebook](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-facebook.svg)](http://www.facebook.com/CatholicMomCommunity) [![twitter](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-twitter.svg)](http://twitter.com/CatholicMomCom) [![instagram](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-instagram.svg)](http://instagram.com/catholicmomcommunity) [![youtube](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-youtube.svg)](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAuUqHCVPDzyMgSMaMZxxug?view_as=subscriber) [![search-icon](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/search-icon.svg)](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/2018/02/12/plaaaaaybaaall/#) # Plaaaaaybaaall! Feb 12, 2018 4:30:10 PM  |  by [Stephanie Stovall](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/author/stephanie-stovall) ![featured image](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/play-ball-f.jpg) !["Play ball" by Stephanie Stovall (CatholicMom.com)](http://catholicmom.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/play-ball.jpg) Photo by Chris Collins (2005) via [Freeimages.com](https://www.freeimages.com/photo/baseball-in-the-grass-1557579), CC0 Public Domain[/caption] I hate registering my kids for sports. There. I said it. Every time I go to sign our family’s next few months away, I think, please don’t let this be the year our baseball team gets competitive. Sports is one of those spiritual battles I am still trying to work through. I’m just trying to figure out where our family’s fine line lies between recreational sports and no more family time ever again. Dramatic, I know. That’s one of my many downfalls. I just can’t seem to figure this one out. I want my kids to be a part of a team; there’s great value in that. The *being a part of something*, the *lesson of the commitments you make* and *keeping them active*, those are all wonderful things. I love the idea of having them try different sports until they find one they truly enjoy. But it seems these days the world of youth athletics is going for (beginning at age 5) full-ride scholarships and Hall of Famers! Then there’s the other part of this issue. I want to be able to sign up for that couples' bible study on a Tuesday night. And what about the lazy weekends when the family is at home, doing nothing but “being” together? I don’t want to give that up. I know many wonderful families that live tournament to tournament and have a great time with the lifestyle. But I’m just not there. I can’t even watch my kids play the actual game because I’m running around chasing all my other little ones off the field! (Tooth Fairy came three years too early for one of those little crazies out at the ball fields in Strollergate 2015.) Ay yay yay. The struggles of being a human. These are the only solutions I have come up with … - Live in the moment, sports style. Discern what to do sports season to sports season. I don’t have to figure out our Family Sports Rules right now forever and ever, Amen. - If age allows, put some of the kids on the same team. - One sport at a time per season, per kid. - Joining a team with family friends. - Offer it up for some souls. How do you wiser women out there navigate this season of mom-life? I’d love some helpful tips and thoughts! --- *Copyright 2018 Stephanie Stovall* ### Share this article [![Share on Facebook](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/facebook-24x24.png)](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2F2018%2F02%2F12%2Fplaaaaaybaaall%2F%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dfacebook) [![Share on Twitter](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/twitter-24x24.png)](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?original_referer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2F2018%2F02%2F12%2Fplaaaaaybaaall%2F%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2F2018%2F02%2F12%2Fplaaaaaybaaall%2F%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&source=tweetbutton&text=Plaaaaaybaaall%21) [![Share on Email](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/email-24x24.png)](mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2F2018%2F02%2F12%2Fplaaaaaybaaall%2F%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Demail%20&body=Check%20out%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2F2018%2F02%2F12%2Fplaaaaaybaaall%2F%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Demail) ** #### About the Author ![Stephanie Stovall](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/Contriubutors/STEPHANIE%20STOVALL.jpeg) ### [Stephanie Stovall](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/author/stephanie-stovall) Stephanie Stovall loves Oklahoma State University and hanging out with her husband. She keeps Holy Mary busy praying for patience with her five little boys. Stephanie loves God, Catholicism and evangelizing with all her heart! You can find more of her messy thoughts over on [TheBlessedFruit.com](http://www.theblessedfruit.com/) ## Related Blog Articles [ PRAY: Baseball Star Mike Sweeney on How Prayer Saved His Family Read ](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/pray-baseball-star-mike-sweeney-on-how-prayer-saved-his-family) [ Book Talk among the Daffodils Read ](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/2014/04/29/book-talk-among-the-daffodils) [ Praying the Game: It Can Be Done Read ](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/2018/01/31/praying-game-can-done/) ## Comments ## Donate now [![Support Catholic Mom](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/275132/10016573-1c5c-4aa5-baba-c2ac91fe7545.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/275132/10016573-1c5c-4aa5-baba-c2ac91fe7545) [![CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c (002)](https://www.catholicmom.com/hs-fs/hubfs/CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c%20(002).png?width=1806&height=731&name=CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c%20(002).png "CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c (002)")](https://www.catholicmom.com/) ##### Subscribe to Catholic Momcast on iTunes or Spotify [![itunes-logo-black](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/logos/itunes-logo-black.svg)](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/catholic-momcast/id1362352357)[![spotify-logo-black](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/logos/spotify-logo-black.svg)](https://open.spotify.com/show/15CoipHL7z61IDcYErV0b8?si=hqaQJSxDQgq7S1hxCwsoxQ) ##### CatholicMom on Social Networks [![facebook](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-facebook.svg)](http://www.facebook.com/CatholicMomCommunity) [![twitter](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-twitter.svg)](http://twitter.com/CatholicMomCom) [![instagram](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-instagram.svg)](http://instagram.com/catholicmomcommunity) [![youtube](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-youtube.svg)](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAuUqHCVPDzyMgSMaMZxxug?view_as=subscriber) ##### About Catholic Mom [Who We Are](https://www.catholicmom.com/about-us) [Contact Us](https://www.catholicmom.com/contact) [Support CatholicMom.com](https://www.catholicmom.com/support-us)   ##### Associated Links [Holy Cross Family Ministries](https://www.hcfm.org/) [Family Rosary](https://www.familyrosary.org/) [Family Theater Productions](https://www.familytheater.org/) [Congregation of the Holy Cross](https://www.holycrossusa.org/) [Father Patrick Peyton, C.S.C.](https://www.fatherpeyton.org/) [The Peyton Institute for Domestic Church Life](https://www.peytonfamilyinstitute.org/) ### **Stay connected!** Don’t miss a thing! 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