Celebrating Mother’s Day 2023: A Tribute to the Sports Mom

Destira was started by a mom who loved her daughters and their passions so much – she created an entire business out of it! Today, Destira is run by the very daughters Destira was started for, both with 3 children of their own.

• What sports do(es) your child(ren) participate in? 
• With three girls, we’ve tried it all.  Softball, Basketball, soccer, gymnastics, dance, tennis, Girls on the Run running club, rock climbing, swimming, and the list goes on. - Jen A., Owner and CEO of Destira
• With three kids between the ages of 9 and 13, my life is spent on the sidelines. Spring sports consist of baseball, basketball, soccer, parkour, and gymnastics. Most Saturdays we have between 4 and 6 games, so my husband and I spend our time shuttling kids and their friends from one field to another. - Jodi L., Owner and CEO of Destira
• Khloe is in gymnastics and Kara, her older sister, plays piano, golf, and swims. - Laura B., Mom of Desitra Star, Khloe
• Jenna has been involved in gymnastics since she was 4. It's the only sport she has chosen to be involved in and dedicate herself to! Just over 7 years now! Her two older brothers are busy in Scouting and Band. Drew recently earned Eagle Scout and Evan earned All County in Percussion. Our kids keep us very busy and we wouldn't want it any other way. - Amy K., Mom of Destira Star, Jenna
• Both of my daughters are gymnasts and my son plays basketball. - Amanda M., Mom of Destira Stars, Ava and Ayanna
• Bree does gymnastics and dances.  Aside from sports, she plays the violin.  She also participated in a robotics team, Engineering team, and chorus, played the Cajon drum, and K-Kids (community service group) through her school.  She is also in a Girl Scout troop. - Tiffany S., Mom of Destira Star, Bree
• I was once a soccer mom and dance mom. I’m currently a gymnastic mom and a football mom, my son has played tackle football since he was 5. He will be playing for his middle school this fall. - Ashley M., Mom of Destira Star, Brooke

• What is the best part about watching your child(ren) in their respective sports?
• We’ve found our girls are happier when they’re active – they eat and sleep well and are more patient and thoughtful (when they use their energy)!  We feel being in sports provides them the opportunity to be part of something bigger – a team, spend quality time with friends, and build confidence, skills, and coordination.  By no means, do they stick with all sports, but they have loved trying everything over the years.  Now that they’re older, they’re each narrowing down their favorite sports, and their teammates are becoming their closest friends, and they are improving and building confidence.  - Jen A.
• Nothing brings as much joy as watching your kids do what they love! Sports are exciting and fun, but most importantly, they teach our kids how to navigate success and hardship, wins and losses, and learn valuable life skills like teamwork and determination. - Jodi L.
• I was not an athlete and was very shy as a child so I love watching my girls thrive in a competitive atmosphere and learn how to be part of a team while growing in confidence, humility, and strength. - Laura B. 
• The best part about watching my kids in their respective activities is seeing their motivation and dedication to what they do. I am so lucky to have kids that are passionate about school and their extra-curricular activities. Watching Jenna struggle with bigger skills in gymnastics only to see her knock them out is so inspiring! It's such a great feeling to accomplish big goals and I love seeing their expressions when it happens to them. - Amy K.
• One of the most amazing things about watching my kids play their sports is seeing them overcome huge struggles and hurdles. It’s pretty incredible watching them inch their way closer and closer to their goals through their own hard work and perseverance. It makes me really proud of the people they are becoming. - Amanda M.
• For me, the best part is seeing her confidence in herself grow and seeing her face light up when she is proud of what she accomplished. - Tiffany S.
• It’s amazing seeing them build confidence in themselves and overcome fears. Seeing their excitement when they accomplish a new goal! At the end of a practice seeing them with a huge smile on their face makes this worth it. - Ashley M.

• How do you encourage your child(ren) to keep going when they face a challenge at the gym, field, court, etc.?
• Sport teaches life lessons.  For example, my youngest daughter loves playing goalie (soccer).  She gives it her all – truly, but of course,  the other team still scores! This is a high-stress position (nail biting for a mom, right? Hah!), but we always talk about teamwork. When she gets down that ‘she let the ball go in’ after a game, we remind each other that the ball actually got by the entire team!  It’s a team effort – this is a huge life lesson.  When my girls succeed, we make sure we connect the discipline, tenacity, and commitment to the win, not the luck.  It’s the hard work that drives performance.  This is a foundational skill where hard work and associated results can be applied to school, work, etc. -Jen A
• Challenges on the court are growth skills for life. When my kids are discouraged, I focus on the life lessons available from the experience. I try to say things like “I know you’re disappointed with the loss, but one thing I like about you is you’re the type of person who bounces back and tries hard the next time.” I also ask broader questions, and when they talk, I fully listen. Phones away, full eye contact, and a smile so they know I care and am engaged. - Jodi L.
•  I always like to talk to the girls about their gifts and talents and how failing/losing is part of the journey and how it fuels us to be better and stronger. How it teaches us to overcome and persevere and through that you truly get to experience pride in yourself and your capabilities. - Laura B.
• I try to keep my kids encouraged by reminding them that hard work eventually pays off. No one is perfect. I remind them to stay focused and stay determined especially when it feels impossible. “Hard Work Beats Talent” - is one of our favorite quotes!  - Amy K.
• I try to remind them that the feeling at the end when they reach their goals is going to be worth every tough moment. I also let them know that whatever they’re feeling in that moment won’t last forever. They can do anything they set their mind to so set their mind on positivity and make sure you speak kindly to yourself. - Amanda M.
• I encourage her to look at the progress she is making, no matter how small.  I encourage her to find victory in that small step. - Tiffany S.
• I tell them they are brave, and they can accomplish anything they put their mind to!  - Ashley M.

• What is your favorite memory of being a Sports Mom?
• A favorite memory of being a sports mom is watching my oldest daughter run her first 5K.  Girls on the Run is a great organization that reinforces sportsmanship, and a positive attitude.  It was awesome to see my daughter cross the finish line and prove to herself she could do something that she had no idea she could do.  Another favorite memory is watching my middle doll in her first softball season, crack the ball with such a hard hit across center field.  Again, surprising herself, doing something she didn’t know she could do.  Finally, my youngest, watching her in her goalie jersey, a small and mighty 7-year-old, ready with fierceness and readiness, so different from her lighthearted, silly personality. -Jen A.
• My favorite memory as a sports mom was watching my son Levi’s baseball team win the 10U State Championships in Oregon two years ago. They played nearly 70 games that season and there was some intense competition. There was so much time put into practices and mindset. The #1 goal of the season was to be positive and to create a fun and safe place for the kids to play. It was fantastic to see their efforts and focus on fun pay off with a #1 title! - Jodi L.
• For Khloe, it was when she finally received her 1st invitation to the state banquet. After years and years in the sport and almost always being 2nd or 3rd, she finally received her 1st gold in a regional event that has been one of her harder events since the beginning of her gymnastics journey. For Kara, it was watching her perform at her most recent show and truly enveloping herself in her music and just being so confident and free and happy. My heart burst with joy and the tears welled in my eyes seeing her thrive and overcome her nerves. - Laura B.
• There have been so many good memories of my kids and their successes! One of my favorite memories of Jenna at gymnastics is when she got her flyaway. She was so happy and proud of herself. Her coach was thrilled and her teammates were all cheering so loudly for her. I was not only proud of her, but so thankful to see so much support from her coach and teammates. She also got her layout flyaway and cast to handstand on bars, along with her standing back tuck on the floor just last week! These were huge goals for her and she got them all in the same week! Watching her work so hard these last 6 weeks and her never even thinking about giving up was amazing! She proved to herself that hard work and determination pay off and I couldn't be more proud of her! - Amy K.
• There are too many to recount. There is always something new… a most recent proud sports mom moment. - Amanda M.
• My favorite memory of being a sports mom is seeing my daughter cheer on her teammates and be happy for them even if she does not have the best meet.  She always cheers on her friends and for me as a parent that is way more important than winning. - Tiffany S.
• My favorite memory of Brooke has definitely been when she scored out of level 5 and seeing her excitement that she was an optional! Honestly seeing every win, big or small is always so exciting! My favorite memory of my son is when he scored a touchdown for the first time! Athletics doesn’t come super easy to him like his sister, he’s a lot smaller compared to the other boys his age, but he has the biggest heart! - Ashley M.

The Destira Community is filled with so many superhero moms. Happy Mother’s Day to all of the moms out there today. Thank you for all of the work you do each day to keep us going. We are forever grateful to have a world filled with a mom’s love for her family.