Soccer season is upon us once again, and that means it’s time to get back to shuffling kids to and from practice. Driving multiple kids to multiple practices, and watching games every weekend is a curious routine to those who don’t have kids in soccer.

The fact is, most soccer moms have a not-so-average lifestyle even though they spend a good amount of time transporting their kids to and from sporting events. We are often referred to in the media as mid-class suburban, not so cool, mini-van driving moms who do not take care of themselves.

Three years ago when my soccer loving husband told me he wanted to coach two teams for both of our daughters, I was horrified! What is to become of our lives? I thought to myself, am I going to become a soccer mom? Are we going to spend our weekends planning soccer games for twenty something kids and their parents? All these thoughts rushed through my mind when he told me his idea. My husband on the other hand is a risk taker, and usually dives into situations without giving them a second thought. He thought it was a great idea. The girls would gain tons of new friends while learning a team sport, he had told me.

Two years have passed, and we’ve been to hundreds of games in the sweltering heat, the freezing cold and other not-so-pleasant weather conditions. There’s been many injuries, tears, laughter, victories, joyous moments, end of season parties and many other memories that myself and my kids will have forever. Now I am very grateful to be a soccer mom.

The media’s portrayal of soccer moms is far from reality. I have met hundreds of soccer moms who are strong, brave, dedicated and loving women who devote a major part of their life to engaging their kids in a team sport that will instill positive values in them that cannot be otherwise learned.

There is no one-size-fits-all soccer mom, as defined by the media. They come from different backgrounds with different morals and styles. One thing they all have in common is that they believe in teaching their kids to respect teamwork and play for the good of their peers. My kids have gained physical strength, built social skills, communication skills, gained lifetime friends and have had a lot of fun doing it. The truth is, our teams have become an extended family that spends a lot of time together. We help each other in times of need and support each other outside of the soccer field.

Share your thoughts about being a soccer mom with us below in the comments. Let’s keep the conversation going!