If you have a child who's thinking about playing soccer, you're probably overwhelmed by the quantity of equipment available you need to buy. Jerseys of their favorite player, a whole ballbag full of soccer balls, top-of-the-line cleats, and a whole lot. But do you really need to purchase all this equipment?
No- you don't.
As a player, ref, coach, and trainer, I understand a few things concerning the game. And that i can tell you there are only three key pieces of kids soccer equipment that you'll need for your little soccer tot. And they are all pictured to the right!
Cleats
Yes, your little soccer tot will certainly need cleats. Now there is an important distinction I have to make between cleats and soccer cleats: make sure that you buy your child soccer-specific cleats crampon mercurial. Like a referee, i was expected to not let any player with baseball cleats to the field because baseball cleats have an extra stud right at the top near the toes that soccer cleats do not have. This extra stud can do serious damage, not only to other players but for your own child as well. Even though kids' knees tend to be more rubber than tendon and bone in a early age, planting and twisting on that stud can continue to result in a serious knee injury. Along with a knee injury at a early age may potentially convey more serious consequences.
For a youth soccer player, you don't need any fancy cleats.An easy pair of Nikes can get the task done. They're simple looking and i have always preferred Nike cleats, since I have narrower feet. If your little one has wider feet, try Pumas, which tend to be just a little wider. Either way, don't spend more than $30-40 on the pair of cleats for the child, the quality simply isn't there.
Balls
And you'll notice I made that plural. Being a parent of a soccer player, it's your responsibility that the child brings a ball with him/her to every practice and each game. As a trainer, I've got a policy when someone turns up to rehearse with no ball, they run laps. Soccer balls are remarkably simple to lose, regardless of how much permanent marker you scribble your child's name with. Knowing that, it's important that when getting started, you purchase a minimum of 3 soccer balls for your child: one for practice, one for home use (beyond course!), and something game-ball that is a little nicer compared to other two. My website has recommendations for soccer balls, including some rather colorful options which will surely make your child's ball stick out in the pack.
Shinguards
The only real piece of padding in soccer, shinguards are absolutely, 100% required equipment for any soccer player at any age. As a referee, the very first rule you learn isn't any shinguards, no play.
Now, there are plenty of shinguards out there and more than several factors to consider. First there's size: make sure that the shinguard actually covers your son or daughter's shin. I've played with many guys which have the dinky shinguards that barely rise above their ankles, so that as a defender, their uncovered shins were my first target. Keep the kid protected with adequately-sized shinguards.
However, I strongly recommend avoiding shinguards with ankeguards. Number one reason is that they're ineffective. If your child takes a slide tackle towards the ankle (which he/she shouldn't until at least age 12), a quarter-inch of cheap fabric won't stop an injury. Second, they're horribly uncomfortable nike hypervenom. They rub upon your skin, chafing away and becoming dry the skin beneath the padding. In this regard, they end up doing more damage then good! And third, they usually cost more than regular shinguards.
So what remains for you to buy? Stay with regular shinguards which are easy and don't have ankle guards. They normally are available on Amazon or from Modell's as well for $10-15 max.
That's it for the time being; hopefully you've much more of a handle on which kids soccer equipment is really necessary and what's just for show. Visit my site for more info about youth soccer, training tips, and expert product critiques to make sure that you're getting your money's worth whenever you purchase your soccer training equipment.