Soccer and Powerade Play is a Killer Combination

This is sponsored content from BlogHer and Powerade.

I was given POWERADE PLAY to try in my own home, and was paid for my time to write the review. I was not paid to write a positive review and all thoughts written below were my own.

We are a big time sports family. For years and years now, I've watched my kids run (insanely fast) around a field, chasing a ball and kicking it away from the opponents. Soccer. It's really just running a long distance race for an hour while showcasing stellar ball skills. It's hot and demanding and takes every bit of energy that you don't know you still possess.

Take these girls for example, my 12 year old daughter's Advanced Team - do NOT get in the way of them when they are going for the ball. Just a heads up for all of us.

After games, they are hot and tired and need SOMETHING, NOW, PLEASE, MOM, and DON'T THINK OF MAKING ME WAIT. I WILL DIIIIEEEEE, MOTHER. Never mind the fact that I bring oranges, or grapes, frozen water bottles and the like - it's not sweet enough and it's not refreshing enough and I'm begged every time, CAN YOU JUST PLEASE BUY ME A DRINK FROM THE CONCESSION STAND???

Enter POWERADE PLAY, the newest drink from POWERADE, especially geared for the young athlete. Sweetened with a combination of Stevia and sugar - no high fructose corn syrup, yippee! - the good sized 12 fluid ounce bottle contains just 60 calories. The drink is enhanced with 100% of the Daily Value (DV) of Vitamin C and 20% DV Zinc to help support a healthy immune system, and 20% of the DV of Vitamins B3, B5, B6 and B12 to boot. And like the well known big brother POWERADE, PLAY contains POWERADE's ION4TM electrolyte system, which helps replenish four electrolytes lost in sweat (sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium).

Doesn't do anything about the smelly cleats, socks and uniforms. You are on your own for that. Sorry.

The 100% natural flavors of Mixed Berry, Fruit Punch, Grape and Orange are familiar to kids, as they as the same flavors offered in regular POWERADE. So, how does it taste? I gave the girls a selection of the flavors, and here's what they had to say.

Thanks to Blogher and POWERADE PLAY, I'm giving away a $125 giftcard to be used for your children’s sports teams/activities. To enter, tell me what you offer as a snack after practice.

You can earn an extra entry by blogging about this on your own site and another for tweeting it.

This contest will run from 5/10/10 to 6/10/10. Please see the official rules for all the details.

Check out the official round up of all participants on BlogHer.com special offers page for 7 other chances to win $125 and one big chance to win $500!

For more information on the Powerade Plus Sweepstakes, please visit the POWERADE website

Comments

[Sarah Lena]

We like the little single serving peanut butter packs with some pretzel sticks.. quick protein. As for drinks, we almost always stick with water just because we have it around.

[girlsmama]

My girls are gymnasts/cheerleaders, we love to take veggies and ranch dip. I always have gatorade 2 in the small bottles for them as well. Powerade Play sounds like it will be a great choice!

[mami2jcn]

We go for apples or baby carrots.

[Tammylyne]

As snacks goes it depends..if it is summer I make my little ones favorite Fruit ka Bobs.

In the Fall its usually some apple thing I have baked from all the apples we get from apple picking :)

In the winter her favorite snack is a cup of my homemade chicken noodle soup!

These snacks travle with us and we always have something in our car!

Gardenstatemom(at)aol(dot)com

[Elizabeth Koziel]

Water - fruit, granola bars, sometimes dried fruits - and sometimes not so healthy stuff like gummies.

[KG]

Grapes are a favorite here but my son is rather underweight so we take him for a milkshake. How I wish I could go for a milkshake after MY workouts! lol

[WendyS]

Apples, baby carrots or cut up oranges. Usually we stick with water, but sometimes gatorade.

[Michele D]

Pretzels for the most part. We've done popcorn too.

[Annette D]

I like to give my kids all types of fruit and they enjoy pretzel as well.

[Nita B]

Juice boxes, raisins, or trail mix

[Abella]

We're big fans of chilled melon balls and lots of cold water with lime slices.

[Charming Bitch]

We're pretty boring, it's almost always either oranges or peanut butter & apples.

[Angela]

Apples and oranges

[Mar]

Frozen grapes are the favorite at our house. String cheese and crackers are a close second.

[A Simple Twist of Faith]

Well, my pre-schoolers are not in organized sports yet. However, they love grapes, sliced apples w/peanut butter dip, and right now fresh strawberries and yogurt.

[addy]

During her sporting years, there was a lot of gatorade, water and fruit and fruit snacks. Plenty of water...

[maggie]

sports drink, oranges, protein bars

[Beth]

Actually, it's powerade and oranges (or other fruit) for my football boys and soccer girl - and with 5 of them playing CONSTANTLY, we could always use more!

[Thumper]

Bummer...I serve no snacks after practice because there is no practice (hey, my kid is 27, he can get his own snacks now ;)...but I don't want to know what he's doing to get all sweaty) but Powerade Zero is gonna get me through training for the Susan G. Komen 3 day walk for the Cure. Well, unless my feet fall off. That's a distinct possibility.

[Elizabeth]

Charlie plays soccer at the Y. Since he's only 5 (as the rest of the team)our drinks tend towards water or juice boxes. Snacks are goldfish, pretzels, or gummies for the most part.

[Christymccauley]

It seems like there is always at least one kid on the team who is allergic to nuts and/or dairy products so I try to provide a couple choices...usually string cheese and some kind of cracker snack...along with Powerade or Gatorade. Last season, I was really impressed by a parent who baked really healthy muffins for the kids...however,the kids were not so impressed...

[Naomi]

tangerines are the big hit right now.

[Colleen]

I have 3 sons who are involved in a variety of sports. Because each likes different things we serve a variety. Clementines are a favorite post game snack and lunch box treat.

[Betsy]

water and maybe a Z-bar...

[Julie]

granola bars, cheese stick with a beef stick, go-gurt, or fresh fruit. With water, Powerade or Gatorade. My kids like the Powerade more though.

[Jennifer B]

I offer peanut butter crackers + mandarin orange slices

[Emily C]

My kids aren't into organized sports yet, but whenever there's a pick-up game I'm the first to offer nuts and dried fruit.

I figure they're a quick way to replenish some of what they just burned off.

[elz]

My girls are still young enough that we can get away with raisins, animal crackers, and a fruit juice or water after swimming or gymnastics.

[Monica Morris]

I always do oranges, fresh pineapple, apples with peanut butter and/or crackers. To drink we do Powerade, water, and Capri Suns. We also get a bunch of stuff and let the kids make their own trail mix, which everyone loves.

[tiffany]

Water,Cheese and whatever fresh fruit we happen to have laying around

[Amanda A]

We like to have GoGurt! Actually, my son is bringing the snack for soccer tomorrow and that's what we will bring. The kids love it and I like knowing that I'm not filling them up with junk right after they exercise!

[Jill H.]

I offer mozzarella sticks and apples for a snack after practice!

[jadine]

After baseball, my boys like fruit, veggies, and Grape Powerade.

[Rox]

I volunteered to be "snack mom" for my kids' teams so that I can cut off the flow of unhealthy snacks ... As a basketball coach over the winter, I was horrified by the amount of junk (Krispy Kreme donuts, frosted cookies, Oreos, etc.) that parents brought in for their turn on snack duty -- each trying to "out cool" the other families, I'm afraid. So, with the coaches' buy-in for softball/t-ball season, I stepped up to be "snack mom" and insisted that they back me on a health-snacks-only policy. Usually that means something like a Clif Z-Bar, clementines, and water ... sometimes string cheese and apples ... and the kids haven't complained once!

[Susan]

Grapes, oranges, water

[kellyann]

Well we do soccer, softball and lacross. Usually its powerade, gatorade or water plus fruit, granola bars, a hidden choc bar for one of the diabetic girls just in case. One of the moms has started freezing grapes for snacks..yummy

[Randi]

We do alot of string cheese, orange slices or celery and peanut butter for snacks for year round goodies. In the summer frozen grapes are always welcomed. Powerade is used for the really hot days or when we've been swimming or playing (softball) for a while. I have even froze in ice trays for mini power "pops", and the kids loved them.

[Paige]

I like juice boxes and peanut butter crackers. Sometimes donuts. I once followed your suggestion and did hot dogs after a soccer game. That was a bit hit!

[Crystal Hodgdon]

Fruit or granola bars. Water or sports drinks.

[Erin from Long Island]

we usually go for fruit or veggies (whatever is in season locally), sometimes I bring homemade granola. To drink its water or seltzer, or hot tea if its cold out.

[Erin from Long Island]

tweeted

http://twitter.com/erunuevo/status/14216937091

[suzi]

granola bars, water, Powerade or Gatorade, fruit, 100 calorie snacks, etc.

[b]

Pretzels or Granola Bars....I like to make sure they get the salt back in their bodies!

[karen p]

I dont have kids in organized sports but after a good play time or workout we usually have bananas

[karen p]

tweet

http://twitter.com/KarenP_KarenP/status/14281478634

[Beth]

I give my son oranges and water. He would prefer a triple stack from BK, but I am one of THOSE mothers who is so mean and won't give the kid (16 yrs old) everything he wants :)

[Jean D.]

I keep a bowl of fruit on the kitchen counter. Hopefully, then, that becomes the easiest thing to grab when my kids come home hungry, or when they're they're having fun on the run.

Thanks for a great giveaway!

[Jean D.]

Tweeted!
http://twitter.com/Ida_Sessions/status/14385952143

[Clerissa]

Hello! We love using powerade or gatorade and then raisins or a granola bar. Our sport event is dancing, and my daughter's teacher is not found of parents who bring candy or cookies or brownies, so we make sure to bring good healthy items :D

Thank you for the contest :D
~C

[Clerissa]

I just blogged about the giveaway on my plug blog, www.myplugs.blogspot.com :D
Thanks!
~C