Tips For Killing Time At Soccer Practice

Written by / Clever Girls Collective

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    • CleverSoccerHeader.jpgTis the season for Fall afterschool sports and lessons to resume. We
    don’t know how our parents did it, killing hours at the soccer field or
    dance lessons waiting for us to get done. Perhaps they passed the time
    reading actual books or, (yikes!) talking to other parents. We’re just
    happy we live in the age of smart phones and personal electronics. Pull
    up your lawn chairs and blankets, we’ve got your top tech tips for being productive while you’re at kids’ soccer practice.

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    1. iPhone, iPad, iPod: Load up that “i” device with Facebook and Twitter, and keep tabs on your real and virtual friends. An internet radio app like Pandora (tuned to the “Styx” station, trust us), and a pair of headphones will provide the background music. Get in some learning listening to podcasts on a variety of subjects using iTunes. (We recommend the Ricky Gervais’ guides on a variety of subjects from natural history to medicine.) Use banking and finance apps to get caught up on your back-to-school budgeting or holiday planning. With Apple’s iPhone/iPod apps, the boredom-killing possibilities are endless.

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    2. Bring your laptop and digital camera (or video camera) and finally download and organize your photos from this summer. Or last summer.

    3. Take the time to load and update all of your calendars. Grab the school calendar and input all the important dates, then sync your personal, kids, and work calendars at once. Take the time and every practice to do this and you won’t miss a meeting, school pick up, or conference all year.

    4. Browse recipe sites, meal-plan, and make your grocery lists for week. We like CityMama and This Week for Dinner for recipes and inspiration. Search the “meal plans” in the Apple App store for further kitchen organizational help.

    Clever Girls Collective
    Clever Girls Collective
    Clever Girls Collective is a social media marketing agency founded by women who wanted to use their deep marketing experience and broad social network relationships for good. We know that women who engage in social media are some of the most authentic, connected, trusted, and vocal influencers -- not only online, but "in real life." That's why we've developed The Clever 1000: an ever-growing, beautifully diverse network of professional, thoughtful social media-connected, natural networkers and influencers who want to engage with and enhance their favorite brands.

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    • http://profile.typepad.com/temptingmama temptingmama

      Well… I usually am there to watch my child play soccer, but I have been known to reply to a few emails on my iPhone; also use it to occupy my two-year-old as well.

    • http://profile.typepad.com/farrah1230 Farrah1230

      I take pictures of my daughter playing in between emails/tweets/IM on my blackberry, reading a book, and/or using some sort of app on my i-pod touch. (If only I had an i-pad to do ALL of that with on device!! lol)If my other 2 kids are with us, we’re usually arguing over who gets the ipod next to play games. :-)

    • http://profile.typepad.com/tberbells Tberbells

      I spend a lot of time at the soccer field. If its a game, my daughter has my full undivided attention. If it is just a practice, I may catch up with my planner in hand and reorganize! I love the 5K option. I am doing the couch to 5K and it is very doable if you are at a field with a track! :)

    • http://profile.typepad.com/mentalclutter Mental_Clutter

      Love all these ideas!

      I know many parents in my area that use the time to get a brisk walk in {they say it’s the only time they have for exercise!}.

      I tend to use the practices as my social hour.

      As The Mental Clutter Coach, I think finding the one thing you catch yourself saying “I don’t have enough time for … ” would be a great way to figure out what you could be doing during the practices.

      just sayin’

      {grin}

    • http://profile.typepad.com/kortneys_mom Kortney’s Mom

      My child doesn’t play soccer but she has the usual glut of activities/classes I have to schlep her to, so I’m usually on my phone texting/tweeting/emailing or I find a coffee shop nearby and work on my laptop. When there are other parents around that are chatty, I talk with them. That makes the time go by the quickest.

    • http://profile.typepad.com/conniefoggles ConnieFoggles

      Not a soccer mom, but when waiting while my daughter hangs out with friends I tweet, check emails and get my blogging editorial calendar in order. If I’m feeling creative, I add notes on my iPhone on blog post ideas too.

    • http://profile.typepad.com/kurso Kathy Russell

      Well, the parents do a lot of catching up with each other at our kids’ practices (following up on all the emails we send each other late at night!) But after checking the emails/FB posts and dismissing 5 reminders from the “to do” list, I love the exercise idea. And now that the newer Blackberries have such great audio capability, the smart phone can also stand-in for the iPod for those invigorating work-out tunes. Yay!

      • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100003406372571 Douglas

        We should play free for all never enindg dodge-ball. It is where you hit someone and they sit down then when you get hit everyone you hit gets up. We played this game in shushwap there was never one person who got everyone down. I like this game because you can truce with your friend and we can play outside and inside or we can play another for of this game but instead of free for all we can play with teams. this is a great game with or without teams.

    • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100003406360718 Taylor

      I think we should play Predator and Prey. What you do is there is a group caelld predator and a group caelld prey but there is only one hunter. the hunter is the only onewith dodge balls. The hunter tries to kill both and so does the predators but the prey tries to run from every thing , and this is the short version.