Sports moms are accustomed to early morning wake-ups and late night practices; trunks full of smelly equipment and missing water bottles; lucky socks that don’t get washed and cleats that are too tight (again!). We host team dinners and wear their numbers proudly on our own sweats. We eat, sleep and bleed (insert team color here). We are our kids’ biggest fans and their most comfortable shoulders to cry on- when they don’t get the start, or they miss a penalty shot, or they hobble off the field with an unexpected injury. We love watching them play- win or lose.

But what happens when you take the sports out of sports-mom? Moms everywhere are finding out as the COVID-19 pandemic has cancelled all-things youth sports. While we may have secretly jumped for joy when we learned that our weekend schedules would be wide-open for the first time in years, we quickly realized the depths of the pain and boredom of a life without competition. We know that sports and games and practices are in our kids’ blood and without them- life just isn’t the same. We are learning just how challenging it is to take away one of the things we (and our kids) love more than we ever realized.

If you yourself are a sports-mom missing the sports-life, I feel your pain. Sadly, the only thing we can do is roll with the punches. If ever there is a time to invest in your child’s fitness and athletic training—it is now, because if they aren’t working at home, they aren’t working at all. For those who want to give the gift of fitness and competition, here are some of the best products out there:

PowerShooter Pro

I’m a basketball player, who somehow became a hockey mom, but I must say it is now my favorite sport to watch. With 3 hockey players missing the ice-cold rinks and the (not-so) sweet smell of post-game hockey hands, we just had to find something to help bring hockey into our quarantined winter and The Powershoot Pro did not disappoint. This training device isolates and trains the exact muscle groups required for the perfect shot and will also help your little Gretzky with puck handling, passing and muscle memory. You can shoot hundreds (well, thousands, really) of pucks a day without having to chase them down as the puck is fixed to the board. Add in the resistance bands (3,5,8 or 10 lbs) for extra strength-training and watch as their form, accuracy and speed increase. Rave reviews on the website and Facebook page say if your train right with this device, you could see your shot speed hit 100mph! Needless to say you may want to invest in the Extreme Radar 2.0 to track the (increasing) speed of your shot! Plus, it’s made in Canada and we all know Canada does hockey best.

Dribble Up Ball

The Dribble Up Ball offers Smart balls for both soccer and basketball. What says winter pandemic sports better than a ball that is safe to use indoors, which pairs to your phone or tablet to offer you a variety of live and on-demand classes? Your child can participate in live 1-1 training each day and bring the feel of practice right into your living room. It is a truly interactive sports training system that will meet your child at their skill level and track their progress. They also offer a smart medicine ball that is great for adults to utilize as part of the virtual training program.

The Quiet Punch

You know what it is liked to be trapped in the house with young kids all day long when it is cold and snowy outside? I will spare you the simile because I would hate to use a bad word in this family-friendly piece of writing, but you catch my drift, right? The kids need to let their energy out and what better way to do so then to throw some punches at a boxing bag that requires little space and makes barely any noise? This portable, doorway bag is easy to install and remove from any doorway and will keep your athletes busy with a full-body workout, while getting out their pandemic aggressions in the healthiest way.

The Daily Athlete Journal

Being a great athlete requires strength of mind, body and spirit. It is important for our young athletes to take the time to train and play with intention. This journal is absolutely amazing for teen (and older) athletes as it prompts them to set goals, track nutrition, stay on-task and fully-committed to becoming a better athlete (mind, body and spirit) each day. A must-have to nourish the mind-body connection.

Sports are on hold, but being an athlete is not and right now, we as sports moms and dads must do our best to lead our children to a healthy and fit pandemic lifestyle. Keep searching for the products and routines that work best for you and when find them, share about your success to help the next sports family. Work hard to keep your kids connected to the game they love—watch videos of old games, keep in touch with teammates and coaches and find a way to bring the element of competition into your daily life. And when all of this is over, they will have, once again, learned some of the most valuable lessons from living the (cancelled) sports life.