Sure, it’s the kids who score the goals and make the saves.

But if you want the safety net that captures how all those games go on smoothly, including the plethora of them at the Bill Eisenwinter Hot Shot Tournament here this weekend, it’s the soccer moms who handle a lot of that.

They’re on clubs’ board of directors, lining fields, registering teams, ensuring players have submitted proper paperwork to play, bringing snacks, calling around to be sure everyone is on the same page and taking care of a lot of what comes up. They are, largely, behind the scenes.

And there’s the obvious — providing the wheels to games and practices and rooting on their teams on the sidelines.

For Mother’s Day today, many have a hard time thinking of a better place to be than where they’ve been many times before — at yet another tournament cheering or helping out.

“Kids learn a lot of life skills through competitions and team sports, and I love being a part of that,” said Dawn Crabb, Hot Shot tourney director, Coeur d’Alene Sting Soccer Club board member, manager of her daughter’s team and former coach and player.

“Soccer made me stronger to achieve whatever challenge was in front of me. Even if I wasn’t fast or strong enough, soccer proved me wrong.”

Crabb savors the busyness, which she simply calls “a phase of life.”

“I had my young married time,” she said. “And this is my children’s time to be kids.”

Crabb’s son Patrick went through the Sting system and her daughter Samantha plays for the Sting under-14 squad.

“Without her passion for the club and tournament, we would not be as successful as we are,” said Mike Thompson, Sting director. “She’s a rock star. She’s the one who makes this tournament happen.

“Dawn has taken this tournament by the scruff of the neck and elevated it tremendously.”

Planning starts in the fall, making sure the fields are secured. This year, the 22nd of the tournament, a record 207 teams are competing.

Tiffany Williams of Post Falls, whose son Taegan is playing for an Idaho Thunder soccer team and daughter Rikenna is playing volleyball, said soccer complements other activites she and the kids are involved in.

“Many people always ask why I am so busy and it is because I choose to,” Williams said. “I love seeing my kids experience life and grow as individuals. We as parents are given the privilege to raise our children, and it is a gift.

“It is only a very small amount of time before they are grown, so enjoy every minute, and embrace every experience you can share with them.”

Williams said the kids love having their parents at all their events and involved in what is special to them.

“More than anything — and no matter what kids do — the main thing is to be there,” she said. “Our kids are the future and they want parents a part of it. Being involved in everything is tiresome and some days — ask my kids — I can’t hold my eyes open at the end of the day, and they put me to bed. But, in the end, it’s worth every minute.

“Life is a choice. Choose kids and choose to be a part of their lives.”

Barb Patton, Sting registrar, has volunteered between 10 and 30 hours a week, depending on what’s going on, for the past decade. Her son Montana went through the Sting system and played at the College of Idaho and her younger son McCoy plays on a U-13 team.

The involvement is a labor of love and carrying on tradition, she said.

“It’s an awesome way to spend time with your own kids and to get to know their friends,” Patton said. “My parents set an example to be involved in the community. They were the parents who volunteered to coach a park and rec team, hold a team barbecue at the end of the season and have an extra kid in the car.”

So how does she handle the stress that can come with being on the run?

“I coach volleyball (which her daughters have been involved in),” she said.

Patton believes sports is more than wins and making friends — they prepare kids for life — and that’s why she’s all in as a mother.

“When you get a job, you don’t get to choose who you’ll work alongside with in most cases,” said Patton, adding that sports, along with life, require that you adapt.

Having had one son go through club soccer and one still in it, Patton has the perspective of having realized a potential pitfall well-intended parents can fall into — taking the sport too seriously and not enjoying the experience.

“Take time to enjoy the kids,” Patton said. “College recruiting doesn’t begin at 8 years old. Kids put enough pressure on themselves (without any being added).

“When they go off to college — whether they continue to play or not — you don’t have that interaction as much.”

Patton recalls a time when her older son was refereeing a soccer game and another parent, not knowing Patton was his mom, got on his case. Patton approached the other mom at halftime and struck up a conversation that led to both learning who their kids were.

“It would’ve been really easy for Mother Bear to come out,” said Patton, adding that she instead wanted it to be a teaching moment.

“Whether you’re winning or losing, those players or referees are somebody’s kids or spouse. Enjoy the game.”

Patton said the payoff for her dedication to soccer boils down to the rewards that come with family bonding time.

“It’s my job to see everything good the kids do and praise them for that,” Patton said. “These are memories you’ll have forever.”