MOM-V-Ps
Giving the moms their flowers this Mother's Day Weekend
Moms at the Met: The moms of the Met Gala slayed on Monday night. Serena Williams, mom of two, dazzled like a modern Cinderella in a sea foam green Moncler x EE72 gown. WNBA superstar and mom of two, Breanna Stewart, rocked an ivory tuxedo ensemble with every detail on point. And Ciara, mom of four, singer, and Russell Wilson’s better half, sparkled in a LaQuan Smith dress dripping with crystals and black satin.
Moms To Be: Besties are in the making as Mallory Pugh Swanson and Sophia Wilson are both expecting babies. Mallory and her husband, Dansby Swanson, Chicago Cubs star, announced their baby news earlier this week. Sophia shared her exciting news in March. Meanwhile, mom-to-be and model Olivia Culpo and her hubby, Christian McCaffrey from the 49ers, celebrated their bundle of joy at a darling baby shower.
Ice Moms: The PWHL playoffs are heating up, and we see their mom power! Watch the moms Natalie Spooner (Toronto), Brianne Jenner (Ottawa), Emerance Maschmeyer (Ottawa), and Kendall Coyne Schofield (Minnesota) work their way to the PWHL finals. Toronto and Ottawa are leading the charge as games continue this weekend. Kudos to the league for scoring big on maternity benefits—they offer full salary, benefits, nursing accommodations, and nanny support until the season finale for their players.
Founder Friday: My Intrusive Mom Thought
Lily Shimbashi, Sportsish Founder
I wrote the following piece last Mother’s Day and it rings even truer this year. I spent the last half of my twenties carrying and delivering my two babies and now sit with the task of chasing my dreams while simultaneously raising them. I often feel I did it out of order, envying those around me who get to build without the task of mothering. But the truth is that having my children unlocked my deepest power, ripping my heart wide open while giving me an edge and confidence that didn’t exist before.
May 2024-
I’ve been having an intrusive thought recently. You know, the type of thought that you know you shouldn’t have, that you don’t want to have. But occasionally, while I perform my daily juggling act in this circus that is full-time-mom, full-time-business-owner, I think about how much more successful my business would be if I was not a mother. My mind wonders if I had just started a few years earlier, before ever having children, if Sportsish would be right where I want it. I think the about the hours I would have had to just work, the laser-sharp focus I would have to grind because my mind was clear, it wasn’t sleep deprived and crowded with things like preschool permission slips and pediatrician appointment reminders.
I think about people who chase their dreams without kids. People who have built broadcasting empires, fortune-500 companies, those who make 30 under 30 lists. I envy that they probably don’t have to change diapers in-between business meetings.
But this weekend, as I did my usual multi-tasking, I had another thought that pushed out the intrusive one.
With my kids, building a business is hard. The hardest thing I’ve done.
But without them, I would have never started.
I had the idea of Sportsish for a long time. It started to form in my brain as a college sports anchor who cared way more about reporting the personal lives of the athletes than what the score of the game was.
But the idea was always swept away but the insecurity that plagued my twenties. I was highly concerned about what others thought about me. I was so focused on everything I wasn’t, I could never see what I actually was.
So I stuffed the dream down and worked comfortable jobs. I had accepted my little girl goals were fantasy. Working in sports, starting my own business, they weren’t in my cards anymore.
And then I became a mom.
In November of 2019, as a 26-year-old, I gave birth to a beautiful, blue-eyed boy. And for what felt like the first time in my entire life, I believed in myself.
I could do hard things, I knew this before but I believed it now. I had pushed a baby out. I was running on such little sleep yet still smiling. I walked my dog while pushing a stroller at the same time. I could stir a pot of pasta sauce with my hands while bouncing George in his lounger with my foot. I could pick myself up every day, even when it felt impossibly hard.
And as I rocked that boy to sleep every night, I gave him affirmations.
“You are brave”
“You are important”
“You are loved”
In a way, I think I was also giving them to myself. In a way, I think I was realizing that I too could be these things. And while I taught my son of his potential, I slowly convinced myself of mine too.
So when George was 9 months old, and my husband had a steady job, I took the leap. I began to chase the dream I had stuffed away. With my newfound confidence, I started Sportsish.
It’s been three years since I did it. In those three years came another baby, this time a girl. Her affirmations are slightly different, I make sure to emphasize her strength.
Hearing her say, in her 19-month voice, “I am strooooond” (strong), reminds me that I too, am strong. And I need that reminder more than ever before.
I’m a mom, and I’m chasing my dreams.
I take most business meetings virtually from our apartment, in a chair that frequently has mac-and-cheese stuck to it. Sometimes I have a child at my feet, sometimes I’m frantic to finish before they wake up from their nap.
Many of my meetings prove to be unsuccessful, they don’t want to continue the conversation. Sometimes I wonder if it’s because the bags under my eyes are too dark.
I get little sleep. Sometimes it’s because I have a teething baby or a four-year-old who had a nightmare. Other times it’s because 11 PM is the first time all day that the house has been quiet and clean and I just need to sit in it to feel a sense of normalcy.
The word balance makes me want to cry. It’s not something I understand. It’s not something I have. Some days I am a horrendous business owner, but a really fun mom. Some days, I pump out incredible content, and my kids have watched way too much Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.
I record podcast episodes before the sun comes up, and consequently my children. I have team meetings at 9 PM, after they’re asleep. Miss Rachel helps me complete my morning business tasks. My stress is almost as high as my screen time.
But here’s this.
Instead of living my days as I did in my twenties, wishing I was someone else, wishing I had the courage to chase my dreams, wishing but never actually doing, I am now in fact doing.
And I’m doing it because of the two little souls who made me a mom.
xo,
Lily
It’s Mother’s Day weekend and we are celebrating moms everywhere. Here’s what we are shopping, playing, obsessing over, recommending, and treating our moms to this weekend.
Shopping: Celebrate your favorite mom with this personalized icon tote.
Playing: This podcast with the Kelce brother’s and their incredible mom, Donna.
Obsession: We’re still tearing up about this video.
Recommending: Watch this video Kevin Durant’s MVP speech if you want to cry more.
Treating: On Sunday, we’re treating our moms to this cake.
A Moment For the Moms
While the athletes we watch are amazing, we know that they wouldn’t be here without their mommas. Here are some of our favorite athlete x mom stories.
Sabrina Greenlee: DeAndre Hopkins, the Ravens wide receiver, has a special bond with his mom. When DeAndre was 10, Sabrina Greenlee, his mom, was left blind after a horrific attack. Now, he plays in the NFL, and his mom is unable to watch. Sabrina’s daughter comes with her to DeAndre’s games and provides commentary on what is happening in the game. When he scores a touchdown, DeAndre picks up the game ball and takes it to his mom so she can feel it. He says, "I deliver it to her when she sits in the stands so she can touch it, so she can feel that I scored. And that together, we won against all odds.”
Lindy Khron Lund: This year was historic for Lindsey Vonn, and while the crowds cheered her on, one person was missing—her mom. Lindy Khron Lund, Lindsey Vonn’s mother, had a stroke during childbirth that left her with physical limitations for the rest of her life. Lindsey mentions never hearing her mom complain once. She added, "[My mom] has always given me the will to keep fighting back whenever I had an injury or obstacle in skiing and in life.“ In 2022, Linda passed away after being diagnosed with ALS. Linda’s resilience helped inspire Lindsey to come back to skiing and keep fighting to be on top of the podium again.
Tatyana Ovechkina: Alex Ovechkin made history this NHL season as he became the NHL's All-Time Goals Leader. And to support him in the stands? His mom, Tatyana Ovechkina. As an incredible athlete herself, the former basketball player has won two Olympic gold medals, a world Championship, and several European championships. Earlier this season, Alex shared how she is his favorite female athlete. Today, she runs the Russian women’s basketball program. The Great Eight wears the number to honor his mom, who was also #8.
To moms of every kind everywhere, thank you. We are your biggest fans. 🫶