The panic of leaving the house with your family to attend an event can sometimes be extremely overwhelming. Making sure your kids have all they need, ensuring you have your car keys and wallet, prepping the car for the drive – these are some of the gazillion things that run through your mind when going out. And even after all this hassle, the kids usually end up forgetting one thing or the other.
Such situations can be very frustrating and kill the whole fun of the trip you are planning. You will get angry, scold your kids for not acting responsibly, beat yourself down for forgetting, and that is that. You all will spend the event in bad moods. Therefore, we suggest you stay well-prepared a day before your trip.
One similar situation may ensue when mothers take their kids for sports practices. Oh, the horror of making sure your kids have all of their stuff for the sessions. But the best way to go about it is to make yourself a survival bag. It can include anything and everything that your child may need at their sports practice. You can tweak the contents of the bag one day before your trip to add or take out anything that you may or may not need. But the notion is to have a planned sports survival bag with you.
So, without further ado, here we have some tips on what you should pack when creating a survival bag for basketball players.
1. First Aid Kit:
Since playing sports is a physical activity, there are chances you might experience some injury or harm. Even though the wound may seem insignificant, it is best to take care of any open cuts or injures immediately. And this is why you should always have a basic first aid kit in your basketball survival bag.
A basic first aid kit should include the following:
- An emergency card that gives out all medical information in an urgent situation, such as contact information, relevant medical data such as allergies and current medication routines.
- Cold packs in case of a sprain or muscle spasm. Sprains are statistically the most common type of injury during outdoor sports-related activities.
- Bandages in different sizes and shapes
- Sterile gauze pads
- Roll gauze
- Antiseptic solution
- Antibiotic ointment
- Bandage scissors
- Hand sanitizers
- Alcohol swabs
- Tweezers
- Safety pins
- OTC pain subsiding medications
Even though the coach or the administration may already have a first aid kit on them, it is wise to also have a first aid kit with you. It is best if you are not negligent and over-reliant on others for your medical safety. Therefore, your basketball survival bag should always have a basic first aid box in it.
2. Electronics
In this day and age, we cannot imagine surviving without our electronic gadgets. Whether looking for directions on Google maps or connecting with our mates through WhatsApp messaging, having your gadgets on you is imperative now. And this is why we advise you to manage all your electronics a day well before your sports trip. Make sure your phone is fully charged before you leave, and if you can afford it, get yourself a backup charging cable to keep in your bag.
Moreover, having a power bank on you is really helpful when you cannot find a charging socket at the venua. If you love clicking photos, you might as well spare your phone and pack in a camera for your sports session.
3. Extra Pair Of Clothing:
Since physical activities can sometimes get rough, you never know when you end up tearing or spoiling your clothes. It is best to keep an extra pair of your sports attire for such situations so that you stay free of the embarrassment of shooting hoops in a torn shirt.
4. Water Bottle:
Staying hydrated before a sports activity is essential since you lose water through sweating while playing outdoors. You can easily get dehydrated if you fail to keep a proper intake of water. One thing most people tend to forget commonly when going out is their water bottle.
It is ideal to keep an empty backup water bottle in your survival bag to counter such situations. It can stay there until the day you forget your water bottle at home, and then you can take it out. You can fill it up with the water at the practice venue, and you do not have to stay thirsty throughout the game.
5. Snacks:
It is normal to feel famished after any physical activity. You run, jump, and work your body resulting in a massive burnout of calories. Imagine feeling hungry during your basketball practice and having nothing around to eat? And this is why we advise that you should always have some snacks in your basketball survival bag.
Although you can pack in anything you like eating during practice, it is best to store non-perishable things. Forgetting eatables and letting them rot in the bag will easily result in a disaster. If you are packing a day before, you can look into keeping oranges, apples, bananas, etc., as a snack. Raisin boxes, carrot sticks, or berries are also good options. If you are looking for non-perishable items, nuts, dried fruits, jerky, and granola bars are very effective in giving you that energy boost you need during a basketball game.
7. Sunscreen:
Good skin is a blessing we often take for granted in our earlier years. As kids or teenagers, we usually are not well aware of the significance of applying sunscreens when outdoors. And even if we do, we tend to not be responsible enough to use sunscreen religiously when playing in the sun. Having sunscreen in your bag all the time will make sure you can apply it whenever you remember it. If you are a mother accompanying your kids for practice, you can always ask them to put on the sunscreen. Since you will have it in the bag, you can easily ask them if they have forgotten to apply.
Also, sunscreen should be reapplied after every two hours, especially when you are sweating profusely. Hence, keeping a sunscreen in your survival bag is best to allow you to reapply your sunscreen whenever you feel the need.
Athletes usually practice outdoors, which is why it is imperative to have sunscreen on. Even though basketball is an indoor sport, practice sessions can be conducted out in the field. And this is why you should always have sunscreen in your survival bag. You never know when you would need to apply it.
Conclusion:
A sports survival bag should include anything and everything you may need at the game or the practice session. It is best to have everything with you so that you stay stress-free during your basketball game. The above list gives you an idea of what you can stock up in your survival bag. However, this list is surely not exhaustive, and you can add whatever you think may help you during your game. Have a good time shooting hoops!