Balancing Sports and Family Adventures: Tips for Modern Families on the Move

If you’re anything like us, your weekends are booked months in advance—not with beach vacations or spontaneous getaways, but with tournaments, team hotels, and maps dotted with unfamiliar field complexes.

But here’s the good news: you can combine competitive sports with meaningful family time and even sneak in some low-key travel while you’re at it. After years of chasing goals (literal and figurative), we’ve figured out a few ways to turn our sports calendar into something that also feeds the family soul.

Here’s how we make it work:

1. Double Down on Destination

Just because you're headed to a lacrosse tournament doesn't mean you can’t explore. We always research the area for things like:

• Walkable downtowns (for morning coffee or post-game dinners)

• State or national parks nearby

• Local eats instead of chain restaurants

• Museums, historical sites, or minor/major league sports parks we can tour or catch a game at

It turns a basic tournament weekend into a mini family adventure.

2. Plan for Downtime—Intentionally

We used to treat tournaments like all-business trips. Now, we intentionally build in time to relax:

• Bring cards or board games for hotel lobby hangs

• Pack swimsuits—kids still love the pool, no matter their age

• Use Google Maps to find walking trails or scenic areas for early-morning breaks

Some of our best conversations have happened in a quiet coffee shop before games.

3. Mix “Must-Do” with “Want-To”

Sure, you have to be at the field by 7:00 a.m. But that doesn’t mean the whole weekend has to revolve around the schedule. We look at the tournament map, find what’s within 15 minutes, and add one fun thing per day.

Sometimes that’s a cool breakfast spot. Sometimes it’s a local attraction. The point is: we’re doing more than just showing up—we’re soaking it in. And sometimes - the sun has taken it out of everyone and they just want a nap before dinner!

4. Make the Most of Hotel Living

This one took us a while to learn. Your hotel isn’t just where you sleep—it’s your weekend basecamp. A few hacks:

• Book early and read reviews—you don't always have to book the team hotel!

• Ask for a room on the ground floor or near the ice machine (snack runs matter) and coolers are more easily filled up before getting to the field (free ice!)

• Bring a power strip and a small fan (trust us, sometimes the AC isn't enough and the drone of a fan is the white noise you didn't know you needed)

Also, find the team parents who pack snacks like it’s a Costco run and become their best friend. You chip in a few bucks and there's usually one that loves doing the errand, so everyone wins!

Final Thought: Don't Wait for the "Perfect Time"

Life with kids—especially athletes—is full. There’s rarely a window that opens wide enough for a picture-perfect vacation. But if you lean into the chaos, there are plenty of imperfectly perfect moments just waiting for you between the goalposts. And having had one leave the house already, time will fly by and these hidden moments will be all you have left.

This blog is about finding them—and making the most of every mile.

Goalposts and Getaways - Travel far. Cheer loud. Make memories.