If you have a child who's thinking about playing soccer, you may be at a loss for the amount of equipment available you need to buy. Jerseys of their favorite player nike mercurial superfly, a whole ballbag filled with soccer balls, top-of-the-line cleats, and a whole lot. But do you want to purchase all of this equipment?
No- you don't.
As a player, ref, coach, and trainer, I know a thing or two concerning the game. And I let you know there are only three key bits of kids soccer equipment that you'll need for your little soccer tot. And they're all pictured to the right!
Cleats
Yes, your little soccer tot will definitely need cleats. There is an essential distinction I need to make between cleats and soccer cleats: ensure that you purchase your child soccer-specific cleats. As a referee, i was instructed to not let any player with baseball cleats to the field because baseball cleats have an extra stud right at the very top near the toes that soccer cleats don't have. This extra stud can do serious damage, not only to other players but to your own child as well. Even though kids' knees tend to be more rubber than tendon and bone at a early age, planting and twisting on that stud can still create a serious knee injury. And a knee injury in a young age may potentially convey more serious consequences.
For any youth soccer player, you don't need any fancy cleats.An easy set of Nikes will get the job done. They're simple looking and I've always preferred Nike cleats, since i have have narrower feet. If your child has wider feet, try Pumas, which tend to be just a little wider. In either case, don't spend more than $30-40 on the pair of cleats for the child, the quality simply isn't there.
Balls
And you will notice I made that plural. Being a parent of a soccer player, it is your responsibility that your child brings a ball with him/her to every practice and every game. Like a trainer, I have a policy when someone turns up to practice without a ball, they run laps. Soccer balls scarpe da calcio magista are remarkably simple to lose, regardless of how much permanent marker you scribble your child's name with. Knowing that, it's important that whenever getting started, you purchase at least 3 soccer balls for the child: one for practice, one for use at home (beyond course!), and one game-ball that's a little nicer compared to other two. My site has recommendations for soccer balls, including some rather colorful options that will surely make your child's ball stand out in the pack.
Shinguards
The only real piece of padding in soccer, shinguards are absolutely, 100% required equipment for just about any soccer player at any age. Like a referee, the first rule you learn is no shinguards, no play.
Now, there are plenty of shinguards available and most a few things to consider. First there's size: make sure that the shinguard actually covers your child's shin. I've used many guys which have the dinky shinguards that barely go above their ankles, so that as an opposing player, their uncovered shins were my first target. Keep your kid protected with adequately-sized shinguards.
However, I highly recommend avoiding shinguards with ankeguards. Number one reason is the fact that they're ineffective. If your child takes a slide tackle to the ankle (which he/she shouldn't until a minimum of age 12), a quarter-inch of cheap fabric won't stop an injury. Second, they're horribly uncomfortable. They rub upon your skin, chafing away and becoming dry your skin underneath the padding. In this regard, they wind up doing more damage then good! And third, they often cost more than regular shinguards.
So what's left for you to buy? Stay with regular shinguards scarpe nike hypervenom which are simple and do not have ankle guards. They normally are available on Amazon or from Modell's as well for $10-15 max.
There you have it for the time being; hopefully you have much more of a handle on what kids soccer equipment is really necessary and what's only for show. Visit my site for more info about youth soccer, training tips, and expert product reviews to make sure that you're getting your money's worth whenever you purchase your soccer training equipment.