Theresa Anderson watches from the stands as the Paly football team takes the field.  She blends in with the rest of the crowd, but her contribution to the team is more than most.

The night before, she was one of a few Palo Alto High School football moms orchestrating another weekly team dinner.  After the game, she and the other football parents will plan for the upcoming Senior Night.

“It can be tiring and stressful, but it’s rewarding, ” Anderson said.

Team parents, such as Anderson, are essential to help a team run smoothly and allow the coaches to focus on the sport.

“Basically everything that goes on outside the field [the team moms coordinate] because I know that the coaches are pretty occupied,” wrestler and baseball player Christian Lonsky (‘12) said.

As a team mom of cross-country soccer, and lacrosse for the past two years, Margie Cain understands the importance of her role, as well as other team parents.

“I think parents are a necessary aspect of high school sports [because] there are too many details for a coach to to take on alone,” Cain said.

To create an organized athletic environment, team parents spend hours managing, facilitating, planning, and communicating between coaches and other parents.

Brent Schroder (‘13), a water polo player, understands the extent of the tasks that his mother Barbara Schroder does to help his team.

“[My mom] sets up carpool rides, snacks for after the games, [takes] stats, and [sets up] all the volunteer work [and] concessions,” Schroder said.

Barbara Prati, mother of football captain Tori Prati (‘12), explains her contribution to the football team.

“I make sure everything runs smoothly because there are a lot of things that need to get done like team dinners, senior night, team banquets, and overall communication,” Prati said.

The unrelenting hours of devotion to the various Paly teams reflects their love for the game in their willingness to help.

“I’m not [being a team mom] to get my kids more playing time, or favor with the coaches at all,” veteran team mom of boys’ soccer, wrestling, basketball, and baseball Melinda Christopherson said.  “I love sports and I love to go and root on all Paly teams [and] I am doing it to be [of] help.”

Another reason team parents are willing to dedicate an extensive amount of time and energy to the team is to share the experience with the team and their own kids.

“I do it more because the boys are really fantastic,” Prati said. “ It’s a real pleasure to work with kids that are so great and the parents are so supportive.”

Fellow team mom Anderson has a similar view to Prati.

“It just makes you feel good that you are a part of the team and you are sharing the experience with your kids,” Anderson said.

Similarly, Cain has found that being a team mom has helped her get involved with her children and their friends.

“When you have kids in elementary school and middle school it is easier to find opportunities to volunteer in the classroom, drive on field trips and be on campus so it [is] easy to get to know your child’s friends.” Cain said  “By volunteering with high school sports, I had the opportunities to get to know my kids’ friends on and off the field.”

Even though the job at hand can sometimes be thankless and overwhelming, when their own kids graduate, team parents remain dedicated to Paly athletics.  This year with her last son, Joey Chrisotpherson (‘12) graduating, Melinda Christopherson is one of many team parents involved in Paly sports who is confronted with a bittersweet end to her many adventures as a team parent.  Although her days coordinating soccer, wrestling, basketball, and baseball are nearing their end, she is still going to volunteer in the Paly athletic community through Paly Sports Boosters in the years to come.

“[Being a team mom has] been a lot of fun and it’s sad to see Joey, being a senior,”  Chrirstopherson said.  “I am sad to see it all end.  It’s such a fun and rewarding way to give back to your community, even though your kids may be gone.”

Paly teams are grateful for their team moms’ support.  Despite all the duties that come with it, team moms remain grateful for the opportunity they are given to partake in Paly athletics.

“You do a lot of work but you get a lot back,” Anderson said.  “I feel very lucky that I can do that.”