A Timeout from the Game: Trading Sidelines for the Shoreline

If you're anything like us, weekends usually mean one thing: games. Youth sports, tournaments, early wake-up calls, and bleacher-side breakfasts. Don’t get me wrong—we love it. Cheering on our kids, watching their skills grow, sharing sideline laughs with other parents. It's a lifestyle we’ve fully embraced.

But every now and then, we need a break from the whistle blows, highway travel, and scoreboard stress.

Last weekend, we took that rare opportunity. No cleats, no jerseys, no traffic to another tournamnet. Just the family, a fully packed cooler, and a cabin at the lake calling our name.

And let me tell you—it was exactly what we didn’t know we needed.

From Wake-Up Calls to Wakeboarding

Saturday started slow, which in itself felt like a luxury. Coffee on the deck, watching the morning mist lift off the water like a gentle exhale. Then came the action—but this time, it wasn’t a ref’s whistle that kicked it off.

It was the low rumble of that Axis V8 and the kids scrambling for their life vests.

We spent the morning wakeboarding and surfing behind the boat, each of us taking turns carving across the water. There’s nothing like seeing your kid’s grin when they finally get up on a board—or wiping out and laughing together like it’s the funniest thing in the world. No pressure. No standings. Just pure joy.

Chasing Sunsets, Not Scores

As the sun started to dip, we traded boards for a sunset cruise. No rush, no noise—just us gliding along glassy water with drinks in hand, music playing low, and the sky showing off in shades of orange, pink, and purple. It’s those in-between moments—between the action—that hit the hardest. In that last hour of daylight, nothing beats dropping anchor in a quiet cove and sitting on a swim diaper while the kids play "king of the tube".

Cabin Nights & Quiet Wins

Back at the cabin, the evening settled in. While the kids played Mexican train and cracked jokes inside, I lit up the grill. There’s something sacred about grilling out at the lake—lately, my go to has been smashed burgers on the griddle. Doing it with a cold drink in hand, and no deadlines in sight, always makes the days not last long enough.

And where we're at when the stars came out? That peaceful quiet in the piney woods wrapped around us like a blanket. No post-game chatter. No alarms set for early games. Just sleep—deep, uninterrupted sleep.

The Power of Pressing Pause

Sports teach our kids discipline, grit, and teamwork—but weekends like this teach something just as valuable: balance.

Pressing pause doesn’t mean we’re falling behind. It means we’re refueling. It means we’re giving our family the gift of presence, peace, and a different kind of play.

So next time your calendar miraculously opens up and you’re not sure what to do with a free weekend—don’t fill it with errands or chores.

Head to the lake. Grab the boards. Grill some burgers. Chase the sunset.

And remember that sometimes the best kind of timeout isn’t on the field—it's off the grid.

Goalposts & Getaways is all about finding those little escapes, even in the middle of the chaos. Here's to the getaways that make the grind worth it.