This post is sponsored by BODYARMOR. However, all thoughts and opinions are my own.
Even though school is out for the summer, our schedule is still jam-packed with various sporting events. This is especially true for our family as my husband teaches and coaches our public school district’s only Robotics course and competitive team. From assembling robotics to day-long practice drills, our family invests a lot of time cheering on our robotics team as we take the journey of exploration, from conceptualizing our team’s robot all the way through 10-hour competition day events.
When you think of competitive events for children, a robotics team may not be the first thing that comes to mind. While organized sports, such as football, basketball, and track are excellent ways to instill team building practices in youth, robotics teams and competitions can even better at preparing children for the future, especially for young women.
According to the National Education Association, young women who participate in Robotics teams average up to thirty percent higher on standardized test scores, are twenty percent less likely to drop out of school, and have fewer instances of low self-esteem. Making Robotics competitions not only competitive but character building.
Robotics teams encourage student participation at almost every age group, starting with kindergarten and going all the way to college and post-grad programs. Of course, the structure and objectives of these competitions vary greatly depending on the age of the student. Early education robotics programs introduce kids to robotics and programming concepts, challenging them to start thinking like a robotics engineer by encouraging them to create solutions to fun, kid-friendly problems.
There are also highly competitive tween, teen, and college-age year-round robotics programs that train students to prepare for not only tournaments but possible careers in the medical, engineering, physics, construction, architecture, and space exploration fields, often including scholarship opportunities for students of all education styles. Our team is comprised of tween and teen 6,7, 8th 8th-grade competitive athletes, we like to call robothletes.
As a Robothletes team mom, I want to make sure our children have everything that they need to stay well-equipped, hydrated, and healthy while in the competition. Since I was also into all sorts of sports as a kid myself, including competitive robotics, I know how important having the right gear on hand can be competition day, including snacks and drinks. Which is why I love being able to keep our team well-stocked with my favorite grab-and-go summer snacks and drinks from Sam’s Club. Products that keep our young robothletes hydrated and healthy on and off the competition floor. With this in mind, here are 7 essentials students need at each robotics events.
1. Fresh Fruit: If you were to bump into me at Sam’s Club, it’s a guarantee that you’ll see stacks of fruit in my cart. While I love keeping fresh fruit on hand at home and for our robothletes, my biggest reason for making fresh fruit a grab-and-go snack? It’s completely zero-waste! All you need to do is fill a reusable container with whole or sliced fruit and head out the door. Any leftover fruit scraps can be brought home to compost. Package-free snacking at its best!
2. Granola Bars: Granola bars are the ubiquitous snack option. Options include low or no sugar options as well as bars that are high in protein too. Granola bars are easy to toss into a bag, are full of flavor, and are a great way to increase nutrient intake while keeping your child full when on-the-go. I like to pick up tubs of bars so that wrappers can be stored in tubs until we come home!
3. Smoothies: I love taking smoothies to robotics competitions! From squeezable smoothie options to pre-made freezable mason jar options, smoothies are simple to pack in bags, purses, and even coolers too! Consider purchasing smoothie packs that sneak in extra servings of veggies along with fruit, for mid-afternoon pick-me-up snacks!
4. Nutrient-Packed Snacks: I love to pack snack packs for the kids that include everything from whole grain cereal and crackers to dehydrated fruit chips and raisins, to low-fat string cheese. I make sure I have a bag full of nutrient-packed snacks so that the robotheletes have a power-packed snack to keep their energy level strong throughout the day.
5. Coolers and Coller Bags: I always make sure to keep a cooler full of ice for drinks and freezer bags that contain freezer packs to keep smoothie packs and jars, snacks, and fruit chilled throughout competitions days.
6. Noise Makers: When it comes to cheering on fellow teammates during robotics competitions, the more noise you can make the better! Robotheletes are encouraged to bring noisemakers along with them so I always make sure to pack team-colored pom-poms, hand clappers, and air horns to each competition. These inexpensive fun-makers pack a punch in the cheer-making arena!
7. Beverages: Our robotheletes are always thirsty. Especially as they come off of the competition floor. So adding high-quality sports drinks into the mix gives kids a simple way to stay hydrated on and off the field. I recently came across BODYARMOR Sports drinks at my local Sam’s Club, which is premium sports drink that provides superior hydration. It is packed with electrolytes, coconut water, and vitamins and is low in sodium and high in potassium.
BODYARMOR Sports drinks contain natural flavors and sweeteners and no colors from artificial sources. BODYARMOR water is a premium sports water designed by athletes, for athletes. I love that it’s a healthier alternative to traditional sports drinks on the market.
Before I head out the door, I make sure to grab a cooler, fill it with BODYARMOR, and keep the drink on me throughout the day for the times when our robotheletes need to replenish their bodies as they enter and exit competition sessions. BODYARMOR provides their body with superior hydration and comes in 9-great tasting flavors: fruit punch, orange mango, strawberry banana, tropical punch, blackout berry, mixed berry, grape, watermelon strawberry, and lemonade.
While my husband and I are on the move from one arena to the next all summer long with our kids playing on so many floors – BODYARMOR and high-quality snacks keep our robotheletes ready for each and every round! I also love that BODYARMOR is now available in a 15-pack at Sam’s Club so I’m never running out of drinks for competition day!
Moms are your young athletes, and robothelets, working to be their personal best? I know ours are! As I’m sure your are as well, be sure to check out how your robotheletes at home can become the next BODYARMOR athlete: https://goo.gl/hRK7tC.
And don’t forget! The next time you’re at Sam’s Club, be sure to stock up on BODYARMOR, especially since it’s on sale for $12.98, a seasonal savings of $3.00, through July 16th, 2017!
Giveaway:
Our friends at Sam’s Club and BODYARMOUR are offering Lady Prefers 2 Save readers a chance to win a summer prize pack. To enter, simply fill out an entry form using the Rafflecopter widget below, and enter for a chance to win the following prize: BODYARMOR cooler and 1-year Sam’s membership giveaway (ARV: $130.00)! This giveaway will end on 7/11/17 at 11:59 pm CST. All entries will be verified and multiple entries from single ISP addresses will be disqualified. This giveaway is open to all US residents 18 years of age and older. Please note, the winner will be notified by email within 24-hous of giveaway end. Good luck, everyone!
Friends, I have to ask, what are your favorite grab-and-go items from Sam’s Club? And what items do you pack for your athletes and robotheletes in your life each summer season? I’d love to hear about it below!
