Give Kids What They Really Want After Games

All across America this post-game ritual takes place on every
youth baseball field imaginable.
All across America this post-game ritual takes place on every youth baseball field imaginable.

It’s become as commonplace as balls and strikes. It sends parents into a frenzy to perform it, and every kid anticipates it and almost always expects it. Without it, the day and game are not complete.

Yes, the post-game snack has almost become a part of baseball folklore, right up there with hot dogs and apple pie.

Forget a snack as a parent and you are looked upon as mud by the players, coaches, parents and the CEO of Snacks Inc., who’s company’s sole revenue relies on youth sports and the post-game snack. Last year when the company went public, every team mom in the country scanned the business pages and took out stock.

Snacks have become a challenge, though. What do you give the kids that’s healthy, yet nutritional in value?

Do you check the trans fat percentage and check the caffeine level of a drink or do you just go with the traditional chips and drink? Questions loom and you don’t want to look like a non-caring parent who doesn’t take every player into consideration.

Some leagues have a mandatory snack list that everyone must abide by. Are you kidding me?

No kid wants to eat a sawdust cinnamon granola bar washed down with a natural fruit mango drink or celery sticks and carrots accompanied by low fat ranch dressing. They’re also tired of orange wedges, apple slices and every flavor of Capri Sun known to man.

I say, just for once, give them what they want. Give them chicken nuggets, fries and a coke along with a McFlurry. Give them anything from Taco Bell since everything tastes the same on the menu. Give then pizza, pepperoni pizza, deep dish pizza, upside down pizza, pizza sticks or anything that resembles a pizza. Best of all, give them sugar!

Don’t settle for the low sugar snack of chocolate chip cookies and a sports drink. Nope, lay it on heavy by giving them sugar donuts, chocolate milk, Dove Bars and root beer floats. Can’t find the time to put that all together?

No problem, try the See’s Candy snack pack, designed for the team parent on the go. It comes with a dozen high sugar content milk chocolates and is a treat for any player after a hard game.

If you want to be a real hit with the kids and receive a nasty look from every parent, visit the Sweet Factory at any mall, or as my kids call it, the Candy Restaurant, and purchase a gourmet of sweets.

Serve it buffet style after the game and provide every player with a take home bag so they can finish their stash watching TV later that night. You’d be surprised how many kinds of candy that place has and you’ll put a smile on every kid’s face. 

For just one day, give them the kind of drink they really want. Natural Hansen drinks and some new flavored Gatorade are out. Red Bull, Full Throttle and a Starbucks Mocha Frappachino are in. Coupled with some thing from the Candy Restaurant makes the post-game snack complete.

Now, I don’t condone loading kids up with bad choices and I realize every kid will have to brush his or her teeth out with a high powered pressure washer from Home Depot, but just once we need to give the kids what they want or they will rebel and not want the treat you got. How embarrassed will you feel when you take home everything you came with?

My last assigned treat day I brought multi-flavored Gummi Bears, Skittles, Bottle Rockets, Doritos and a litre of Pepsi for every player. However, instead of a post-game snack we performed this popular ritual before the game. Every kid played above his potential, stayed wide-eyed and alert, got what he wanted, and most of all, everyone was happy. The day was indeed complete.