I have partnered again with Hotels4Teams to bring you these sports related posts. I hope you have been enjoying these as much as I am! If you have followed along my website for any amount of time you may have noticed we enjoy traveling. When my son got into Hockey (see how I became a Hockey Mom here) it seemed only fitting he try out for the traveling team. He will be facing-off with players in different areas every other weekend (goodbye weekend plans for the foreseeable future).
With the travel games added to my already loaded travel writing work schedule, I thought I would share some of my secrets of the trade. I won’t tell you I never have a travel mishap or that I never struggle to find the BEST deal….but I can give you some great advice. Travel tournaments can get expensive especially if you are traveling a long way to get to them! I have talked to some of you veteran Hockey Moms some of you travel across the world to them!!
1. Research your destination!! If I could give you one take away from this article PLEASE research where you are traveling too. Even if you are not traveling for a Sport do your research!! These City Guides located on the Hotels4Teams website are perfect for just that! Find out what hotels are located near the rinks or stadiums in that particular destination.
2. Make a list of everything you need in advanced!! If you are a fellow Hockey Mom (hi) you know equipment is endless. I mean spread all over your foyer to dry or shed leaving a line of random clothing in their wake. They need it so make sure you have it. Some places do NOT have equipment to buy if you do forget something. Think pack a washed jersey, boil their mouth guard, pack their water bottles etc. Bring snacks, blankets and heck if you are feeling really rowdy your cowbell ;).
3. Remember to make it fun. When we first started this journey I was told the first rule in Hockey is to “Have FUN”. While I want my son to be diligent on the ice, to learn all he can, I also want him to enjoy his time. It’s similar to the phrase “A person who feels appreciated will do more than asked”. A kid that has fun in any sport will tend to stick with it longer. Am I saying I want him to play class clown on the ice during practice…NO but the occasional stress free giggle never hurt anyone.
4. Confirm reservations before you leave for your destination!! So…STORY TIME…on our last trip, we had booked our hotel months in advanced. It was a LONG, three hour, sweaty (97 degree) drive in traffic jams. By the time we got to the hotel I was an overcooked Mom ready to explode. The hotel had not blocked our prepaid rooms and they no longer had a 2-bed room to offer us. Let me tell you I was NOT a happy camper!! Avoid these little mishaps with a simple confirmation before you leave home.
Do you have some Tips for attending Travel Sport Tournaments ??
Please share them with us in the comments because I am still learning the tricks of the trade.
