Outdoors

For young people today, soccer is a fabulouschoice because you need hardly any equipment to play it.  Basically, you need a ball and some space – about all.  Walk into your local sporting supply store, though, and you will soon start to believe that you need to have a very large bank balance to afford all the soccer equipment the salesman will say you need to play the game.

The truth is that if your child is just likes to muck around with a soccer ball, you probably don’t need a great deal of soccer equipment.  But if they want to get involved in a team and start some soccer training, then it’s worth spending a few dollars to be sure they have good quality gear.

If your child is planning to join a team, then it’s highly likely the team will have its own uniform.  This will involve a top, shorts and matching socks.  Some teams are happy to use fairly generic uniform, others will have a personalised design.  It may be possible for you to buy a second hand uniform from another team member who has outgrown theirs – it’s certainly worth asking around!

Shoes are the next item on the list.  It’s possible to play soccer in standard trainers, but it may not be a good idea for your child’s feet and ankles.  Grass can be slippery if it’s a little bit wet, and soccer often involves rapid changes of direction.  If you can manage, it’s worthwhile buying soccer footwear with cleats.  These will help to provide much better traction on grass and reduce the risk of slipping over and twisted ankles.  It’s worth spending a few extra dollars to get a good quality pair, because they will certainly be subject to some tough punishment!

Shin guards are optional, but are a good idea even at the beginning level.  They need to be firm, but still allow enough movement and flexibility to not interfere with the player’s movement.  It’s important to try them on to make sure they are the right fit for your child.

If your child needs a soccer ball to practice with at home, then check what size ball is used for games.  Smaller children use a smaller size soccer ball, and it’s important to practice with the same size ball at home for consistency.  If your child already has a standard size ball it may still be worth buying a smaller one to match what they use with their team.

Some other soccer equipment that you can also consider, but which falls under the heading of “likes” rather than necessary equipment, includes:

- Practice goal – but you’ll need some space to use it! 
– Soccer equipment bag
– Soccer cones for drill practice

When your child takes up a new sporting interest, like soccer, it can seem a little overwhelming in the beginning to buy all the necessary equipment.  But if you can afford to buy good quality soccer equipment then your investment will pay you back with interest by surviving a lot of the rough usage and energetic activity that goes with soccer and not fall apart quickly.  Better to buy new soccer equipment because your child has outgrown it, instead of because it’s fallen apart.

If you want to find out more about soccer equipment, check out http://www.infoaboutsoccer.com