Considering making a sign up genius for sports snacks? Is your kid older than 1st grade? Then DON'T

[Anonymous]

I’m a travel sport parent of an older kid and we only do these types of signups for full day, out of town tournaments. It’s really helpful because those are real team building times and also because when traveling, it’s hard to pack every type of food you want to bring under the tent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I agree, but if you really want this to change, you need to nut up, “reply all” when the SignUpGenius link comes around, and make your case.

Is your money where your mouth is?

Freaking doubt it.

Totally this. Let’s see if you actually care enough to do something about it, OP.
[Excuses.]
Thought not!

Hi, OP! I see you still haven’t actually complained to the actual people you are dealing with. I guess that isn’t such a big problem, huh?

[Anonymous]

LOL, one of “those moms” created a SUG for soccer snacks a couple weeks ago, and nobody signed up. Score!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:LOL. I’m a coach and parents requested the snack sign up genius AND it filled up right away. I could personally care less, but if your panties are in a bunch bc of a sign up genius (that is totally optional btw) or because you may feel obligated to bring some veggie straws one time during the fall season, I would suggest some Xanax.

The coach is the person that can actually stop this! I have had a coach say no to the mom who wanted to start a signup, and that was that.

Also, if you are so randomly rude, I question whether you are fit to be a coach.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I always loved bringing team snacks. I think it helps builds cohesiveness and team spirit. It encourages all parents to be involved. And it’s fun for the kids.

Another problem parent above. Why do you need “involved parents” if the involvement is catering? Can you not build team spirit without food? Can the kids not have fun without food?

The idea that fun is not possible without snacks is a factor in the obesity epidemic.

[Anonymous]

This seems like a bizarre thing to complain about.

I coach a rec sports team and do a sign up genius for snacks. But we only need 8 parents to volunteer per season, out of 15 families. And the spots are taken within a day, so clearly there are parents who don't mind bringing something. Also most parents on our team bring pretzels or pirates booty - not exactly super healthy, but not pure sugar. And if there were a kid on our team with an allergy, we would definitely accommodate (in fact, on another kid's team, there is a gluten allergy, so parents bring gluten free snacks).

Seriously, if it's too much for you, don't volunteer to bring something.

[Anonymous]

People sign up quickly to get the day that’s convenient for them, not because they are excited to do it. And, yes, they feel obligated. They don’t know the details of team count and slot numbers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:LOL. I’m a coach and parents requested the snack sign up genius AND it filled up right away. I could personally care less, but if your panties are in a bunch bc of a sign up genius (that is totally optional btw) or because you may feel obligated to bring some veggie straws one time during the fall season, I would suggest some Xanax.

What you don’t get is that (1) we do feel obligated because if we don’t sign up we will get talked about as slacker parents, and (2) this becomes one of 700 little details associated with school and activities we have to take care of. It’s not hard to bring veggies straws to one game. What is hard is coordinating the damn veggies straws along with every other random thing we have to do. Some of us are stretched thin and looking to simplify things and don’t get why other parents are eager to create more obligations all the time.

Also 99% of the time this obligation falls on the mom or primary parent. Think of this thread when you see those other threads about moms drowning under the mental load. Everyone thinks their “one more thing” is NBD but there a lot of “one more things” when you have kids in elementary school.

I'm a coach too and posted earlier. and this person is right. If it were difficult to get parents to sign up, I wouldn't put it up. But the parents are the ones asking for it and fill up the spots right away. And when they missed the sing up opportunity they were coordinating to go in with each other.

I was room mom once, and learned that most parents actually want to participate in some way. Slots filled up quickly, and several parents who couldn't sign up fast enough contacted me asking how they could help.

Next time the sign up goes out, just sit back for a few days and let everyone else get the slots. It will be fine! Seriously, just sit out a whole season and see what happens. If you think other parents are resentful, that will be their problem and your feelings about it will be yours to deal with.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I always loved bringing team snacks. I think it helps builds cohesiveness and team spirit. It encourages all parents to be involved. And it’s fun for the kids.

Another problem parent above. Why do you need “involved parents” if the involvement is catering? Can you not build team spirit without food? Can the kids not have fun without food?

The idea that fun is not possible without snacks is a factor in the obesity epidemic.

I agree. The ‘desperate to be involved’ parent above needs to get a life.

[Anonymous]

Agree! They exercised for an hour. They don’t need a snack.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:LOL. I’m a coach and parents requested the snack sign up genius AND it filled up right away. I could personally care less, but if your panties are in a bunch bc of a sign up genius (that is totally optional btw) or because you may feel obligated to bring some veggie straws one time during the fall season, I would suggest some Xanax.

The coach is the person that can actually stop this! I have had a coach say no to the mom who wanted to start a signup, and that was that.

Also, if you are so randomly rude, I question whether you are fit to be a coach.

You would think, right?
Nope - there’s still always that one mom.
DH and I coached DS’s soccer team when he was little.
At the first practice, with all the parents there, a mom asked about snack signup.
We said we won’t be doing that. Kids shouod always have a water bottle, and parents are welcome to bring something for their child if they want, but no team snacks.

Sure enough, the next day, mom decided to “help coach since they don’t have time to set up the SUG”
Ugh!

I would say about half the team signed up, so snacks were sporadic that year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This seems like a bizarre thing to complain about.

I coach a rec sports team and do a sign up genius for snacks. But we only need 8 parents to volunteer per season, out of 15 families. And the spots are taken within a day, so clearly there are parents who don't mind bringing something. Also most parents on our team bring pretzels or pirates booty - not exactly super healthy, but not pure sugar. And if there were a kid on our team with an allergy, we would definitely accommodate (in fact, on another kid's team, there is a gluten allergy, so parents bring gluten free snacks).

Seriously, if it's too much for you, don't volunteer to bring something.

It’s not just about volunteering to bring snacks. I don’t want my kid having a snack after his game. It guarantees he won’t eat his next meal. We also try to avoid crap like Gatorade and Capri Sun but I’m not going to prevent him from eating/drinking the junk if the rest of his teammates have it in front of him.

Kids don’t need constant snacks. Our junk food culture is why we have such an obesity problem.

[Anonymous]

We sign up quickly so we don’t get stuck planning the team party at the end or get stuck with a random date later and several emails about how we didn’t sign up. We do it quickly and resent the person who sent the sign up genius. We are not excited or “involved.” I am buying the first thing I see at the grocery store with little to no thought. I’m getting donuts during the game if I forgot to stop at the store and even more annoyed because I missed the game for this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Agree! They exercised for an hour. They don’t need a snack.

THIS!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My stepson started college this year and plays football. They have a parents association where everyone is supposed to sign up for snack/water/Gatorade duty for every game. They send several emails a week “reminding” parents to sign up. My stepson is 500 miles away. In COLLEGE. And I’m getting snack sign up emails. Unreal!

That's such a nice thing to do. You can have some drinks and snacks delivered to the team.

DP. As if college football programs don't have enough to spring for snacks for what's usually their flagship sport. Sure, put that on parents.