Being members of the Professional Football Players Mothers' Association (PFPMA), Marilyn Pointer, Tammy Davis and Sharon Stoutmire are able to stay active in their son's football careers - whether he is currently playing or has since retired from the game.
Being a part of the action is something these women have always enjoyed, and it started back when their youngsters were suiting up to take the field for the first time.
Pointer's son, New York Giants linebacker Michael Boley, and Davis' son, former St. Louis Rams wide receiver Brandon Williams, both began playing America's favorite sport at the age of 7. Stoutmire's son, former Washington Redskins safety Omar Stoutmire, didn't get his start until he was in ninth grade.
Despite the age differences of when their sons first began playing football, all three mothers said they immediately wanted to find a way to show support for their son by helping out as a "Team Mom."
"I think my son appreciated it a lot because it's important for the children to be out there and know that it's not just dad that can be involved, but mom can too," Pointer said. "They see you out there in the stands yelling and screaming and that gives them more incentive. They get up and wave, and they like to know their parents are out there."
Football is traditionally big with fathers, who commonly get involved with coaching games and practices, but it's something that more and more moms are gaining interest in as well.
"It's great for the moms," Pointer said. "It's a male sport, but moms can be involved, and then the kids think that their moms can be involved in whatever they're doing too."
It takes more than just the work put in on the field for a team at any level to run successfully. Here's where youth football moms can step in and make a difference.
Pointer said "Team Moms" kept in touch with the kids year-round, and when it was time for signups, everyone was ready. During the year, planning trips for away games and working the concession stand were other ways to help the team and coaches.
Davis and Stoutmire both helped organize fundraisers to help their son's youth football programs. Davis coordinated efforts to help raise money for uniforms and was the treasurer for her son's team. Stoutmire joined other parents in running celebrity basketball games three years in a row for Long Beach Poly Technical High School in California. The money raised bought different uniforms and equipment for the training room.
As Stoutmire said, volunteering her time was not only beneficial for her son's team; it was beneficial for her as well.
"It was one way of meeting other parents," Stoutmire said. "If you couldn't be there at a game and another parent was there or if somebody needed something, we were there to lend that helping hand and give support for each other."
Davis likened the work she did with Williams' youth team to a business manager checking in with the coaches to make sure things were running smoothly. She also made it her responsibility to take care of the little things.
"I took Brandon to practice and I stayed, so while the kids were out there practicing, we sold hot dogs, chips and drinks because there were a bunch of teams there. Every other week, a parent was responsible for bringing drinks and chips to the games. I facilitated to make sure every week a different parent was responsible."
Besides the volunteerism that went along with being a "Team Mom," Davis ranked being knowledgeable about the game of football very highly. She said if it meant a lot to Williams, it meant a lot to her, and having a mom that understood the game was something Williams could be proud of.
"It was just important to know what's going on and to find out about football," Davis said. "Even if their sons are in high school, college or the NFL, they may not even know how it works. Instead of being a spectator, you need to know what he's doing out there. You need to know what's going on."
After seeing how much Omar enjoyed the game and the success he was experiencing, Stoutmire knew the best thing she could do was to back him in whatever direction he went with football. She said it's just one more way for mothers to be a part of their sons' lives.
"Stay very supportive, be active with them and get involved," Stoutmire said. "Just be a big support system for them."
After Boley was drafted in the fifth round by the Atlanta Falcons in 2005, Pointer wanted to continue her "Team Mom" role as part of PFPMA and acted as the liaison between the team and other organizations and activities to help get other parents involved - something she can now bring to the Giants. Having gotten her start at the youth level when Boley was just a kid, this is just the next step for Pointer.
"It was important to me to be an active part of my children's lives, and it was rewarding to me to watch them play and show my support," Pointer said. "It was always fun getting to know what they're doing, so I enjoyed it and still do."
