Behind the Sports Mom with Zoya Lehrer
Zoya Lehrer is a sports mom of three and founder of Orgo, the app she created to help families stay sane through the chaos of youth sports. With three daughters - ages 14, 10, and 7- who play year-round on travel teams for swim, soccer, lacrosse, and more, Zoya’s life is a full-contact sport. Between early wake-ups, late-night laundry cycles, and long weekends filled with tournaments and tubing, she’s also growing what she lovingly calls her “fourth baby”—her startup. We talked to Zoya about how she manages the madness, what inspired her to build ORGO, her sideline style (equal parts supportive and strategic), and why she’ll never leave home without her sideline jacket. Spoiler: she’s doing it all with humor, hustle, and a whole lot of heart.
⚽ LIFE AS A SPORTS MOM:
How many kids do you have in sports, and what’s your typical week/weekend look like?
We have 3 girls, ages 14, 10 and 7 (send prayers and Sephora gift cards lol). They each play year round sports and are on travel/club teams for Soccer, LAX, Swim, plus some track and dance sprinkled in. We like a balance between the individual and team dynamics - so much to learn from and develop from each!
I’ll be honest, the summer is a grind and allow me to also preface by saying that the startup Founder life is all consuming. Full credit goes to my husband for stepping up to take on additional coverage, as I birth what feels like our 4th child.
Ok so our girls swim year round and in the summer do long course, as well as camp and Swim & Dive in the afternoons. They enjoy it and of course take days off when needed but let me give an example of a typical summer week in July :
- 6:10am the 10 and 7 year olds wake up for morning swim
- 6:30am my husband drives them to 7am practice; he runs while they swim so at least there’s the upside there!
- 8:30am practice ends and they do a quick change in the car en route
- 9:00-2:30pm they're at camp locally in town, as my husband is in the office and I'm mostly WFH, unless in our Orgo HQ office or in NYC for meetings
-2:30pm comes around fast bc we need to get them changed/cooled off and snacked
- 3:00p-5pm Dive practice at the lake and they absolutely love it. Lots of social time with friends and there’s a snack bar - enough said.
Meanwhile, the teenager wakes up (a bit later than I’d like but I keep telling myself her body needs it lol) and takes her online AI courses, helps with chores around the house, walks the dogs, works out, and babysits for local families depending on the day.
- 5:00pm Swim practice for all 3, unless there's a Swim Meet or a Dive meet that evening
- 7pm or later everyone has dinner then straight to bed around 8:30/9pm.
- We run endless loads of towels and laundry to get the gear turned around and pre-pack lunches for the following day. By 11pm, I likely wrap up writing my LinkedIn post scheduled for tomorrow and any emails that are giving me anxiety haha.
Weekends in June and July are filled with LAX tournaments for the teen and swim meets for the others. In between, we fit in lake fun and even try to take our vintage ski boat out for some tubing. Anytime they're around water, the sibling fighting seems to be at a minimum so a win-win there!
The days are LONG but the years are short, that we know - and as long as they keep enjoying and continue to show up, we wouldnt change it for the world.
What’s your sideline personality?
I’m loudest at the swim meets and quietest on the sidelines. The strategy is this: swim is easy to cheer for and the pool is usually filled with hundreds of parents who drown out my voice. Watching the meets is such an adrenaline rush and as a non-swimmer myself, I have tremendous respect for these little kids whose bodies perform in ways that mine cannot. Their work ethic, mental stamina and dedication to shave a single second or less from their goal times - incredible.
The sidelines are different - I feel so much pressure to yell the “right thing” at the right sport lol. Especially LAX, am I right? I have my standard rotation of “wheels!”, “stop ball!”, “good save, keeper”, and “get there!” but beyond that I just stay carefully glued watching, ensuring that I maintain the “right” amount of eye contact bc heaven forbid I look away the ONE time which she will notice. Every time haha.
The rides home differ depending on the kid - my middle is very intense and usually needs a few moments before engaging. Good news she is easily revived with Starbucks and off we go with our day from there!
What’s the one thing you never forget to pack in the car before heading to a game?
For those early Fall, Winter and even late Spring games - I do not leave the house without my Sideline jacket. My car keys are permanently snapped within of the many pockets and I am good to ride. There has never been a time that I’ve regretted wearing it and get asked so many times about it! (Well thank you for the Sideline Jacket shout out Zoya ❤️)
What’s a moment in your sports mom life that totally melted your heart - or made you cry in the best way?
Every year, without fail this gets me which is a feat, bc and I’m Eastern European, we do NOT cry! At the annual swim banquet, the seniors make speeches and every single one of them acknowledge their parents - the early mornings, the drives, the overnights, the cheering, the packing, the laundering. So much recognition in hindsight for the boundless sacrifice that we as sports parents make. I’m sure like all kids at the time they took it for granted but listening to their heartfelt delivery and tearful voices, makes me believe they really do get it! I ask my kids every year their thoughts on the speeches, in an effort to even for a moment, allow them to be present and appreciative for how much we do to support their development.
Have you ever had a sideline “fail” moment?
Back to the sideline cheering - I’ve mistakenly clapped when the other team made the shot; I’ve erroneously called out the wrong player name; I’ve showed up at the wrong field at the right time… but we all have, right? Right?! =)
What’s one thing being a sports mom has taught you about yourself?
I love seeing others win. Not just my kids but getting to know their friends and watching them grow through the years brings me pride and joy on their behalf. I love showing my kids that we need to celebrate each other and feel it necessary to model the behavior, even if it means they made the cut and my kids didn’t.
What does your support system look like? Who helps make the madness manageable?
Let me preface by saying that the startup Founder life is all consuming and full credit goes to my husband for stepping up to take on additional coverage. Despite not having much family around and being scattered all over the world, I am very fortunate to have my mom nearby who loves helping out with the kids. Now thanks to Orgo she takes even a more active part in their sports life and feels super confident when contributing to carpools etc.
🔄 JUGGLING IT ALL
How do you switch gears between business and motherhood on a busy day and what’s your go-to strategy when everything starts to feel like too much?
Now we all know that “IT ALL” is a misnomer - there’s no such thing. I’m of the strong opinion that none one of us as parents should feel the pressure to attain the perfect balance (or juggle). At best, I aim for productivity and efficiency (shocker, I know haha). Some days will be busier than others and I feel successful when those are executed without too many blunders. Other days are slower and allowing moments of just being ‘low” or going at a slightly slower pace is so necessary. I even find myself saying out loud to my husband on those days “I’m feeling low energy today” and he knows what that means haha. Most times, I will be buzzing around like a crazy person the following day to compensate so it all balances out that way.
How do you recharge when you finally get a moment to yourself?
My go-to recharge is watching Bravo’s housewives. Judge, I don’t care - it’s the mindless unplug that I need. My husband will walk by and the wives be screaming in the background, he’s like “how is this relaxing?”. The fact that he has to ask is honestly offensive and we won’t dignify that with a response lol #iykyk.
💡 MOM WISDOM & REAL TALK
What advice would you give to another sports mom just entering this lifestyle?
Be open. Be open to the journey getting crazy with commitments you did not see coming, pressures you were not prepared for, but also friends you didn’t think you’d make. Spending time on the sidelines might be your social outlet so make the effort to build relationships and choose those who serve you.
What’s something you used to stress about as a sports parent that you’ve now learned to let go?
Can’t say much. I did not grow up with sports, having immigrated here at a young age and living in BK for the early part of my childhood. So I have no precedent or expectations. I do not live vicariously through my kids but rather marvel at this achievements, supporting them on the journey as long as they are willing to put in the work and maintain love for the game.
If your kids had to describe you in one word, what do you hope they’d say?
My teen said “go-getter”. I’ll proudly keep it and humbly agree =).
What’s one sports mom myth you’re happy to bust?
That sports moms are all type As, loud and in charge. I’ve seen every type and depending on the day, I’ve felt every type - some days I have my sh*t together, others I don’t and that’s OK! Just show up and your kids will see you trying. These memories will last a lifetime.
📱 THE ORGO ORIGIN STORY
When did the idea for ORGO really click for you? What problem were you trying to solve?
Two working parents, 3 athletes (all girls, send prayers) and a life overrun by youth sports. Look, we did it to ourselves, right - kids showed a lot of promise, we worked hard to support their dreams, next thing you know we were drowning in confusion, miscommunication, and mounting stress. Our household was built for speed, yet we were all headed for burnout.
I don't have to paint the picture - you already know. Showing up at the wrong field at the wrong time, dropping the ball on carpools, bringing the wrong uniform to the game. Worst of all, the kids were starting to develop a negative association with their sport. Not due to their lack of success or abilities, but due to the mounting anxiety that surrounded it all. The joy was gone, the shared experience missed.
This observation quickly grew to frustration, until it demanded action. In April ‘23, I left my 20 year exec career in tech to build a solution for a problem shared by 30M US families - stressful logistics of youth sports. I assembled a talented team of 4 "doers", themselves collegiate athletes, parents, coaches - and yes, technologists. We bootstrapped to personally design, develop, and launch Orgo in April '24. We are now building faster, with more conviction and urgency to help more active families find joy in the shared experience of youth sports and keep more kids in the game, longer.
A personal note from CSM Founder - Danielle:
I met Zoya on Instagram shortly after I started Chillin Sports Mom. She quickly became a cheerleader of my sports mom content and we started chatting here and there on DM’s. Since then we have had phone calls and have collaborated together on social media. She is intelligent, thoughtful, humorous and one of the biggest supporters of my business. So thank you Zoya! It was an honor to include you in our Behind the Sports Mom Blog series!
Follow Zoya and her Sports Mom journey all while building the best youth sports logistics app Orgo!
*Search for Orgo to find us in both Apple and Google Play Stores or go to www.orgoHQ.com
SOCIAL:
FB/IG is @orgoapp and @zoyalehrer
TT is @techie_sportsmom
Leave a comment