Nothing will help your child’s soccer skills more than practicing with her own ball in the correct size and getting used to how the ball bounces around her foot, notes Deborah Crisfield in “The Everything Kids' Soccer Book.” Purchase a ball in the correct size for your child so that she can play with it at home or at team practices. Write your child’s name on the ball so that she can keep track of it.
Types
Size-3 balls are designed for children under the age of 8, notes Dick’s Sporting Goods. They are 23 to 24 inches in circumference and weigh between 11 oz. and 12 oz. Size-4 balls, aimed at players between the ages of 8 and 12, weigh from 12 oz. to 13 oz. and measure 25 to 26 inches in circumference. Size-5 balls, used by players 13 and older and by adult players, weigh 14 oz. to 16 oz. and have a circumference of 27 to 28 inches. If you’re wondering what happened to sizes 1 and 2, these smaller sizes are used for promotions rather than match play.
Time Frame
Purchase the appropriate kid-size ball in advance of the season. Most youth leagues begin play in September, using age cutoffs determined by your child’s age on August 1. If your child turns 8 by August 1, you’ll likely want a size-4 ball; if she turns 13, she may be ready for a size 5. Younger children can stay with a size 3. Your youth soccer league may have different requirements for ball sizes, so check with the coach to find the correct size.
Expert Insight
Just as you don’t throw a classic novel at a child learning to read, you don’t give a small child an adult-size ball, writes Greg Bach in “Coaching Soccer for Dummies.” Because a child’s smaller foot cannot dribble, pass or shoot as well with a regulation ball, smaller balls were developed. Smaller balls build success and gradual improvement, and thus confidence, Bach writes.
Features
Check for the size printed on the ball near the air hole and for a stamp reading “official size and weight” or “FIFA approved,” recommend David and Kay Huddleston of SoccerHelp.com. Purchase a stitched ball rather than a seamless ball, which may be too hard. Look for a shiny, waterproof surface for greater durability. Toss the ball in the air to test it for roundness, looking for spin or wobbles to indicate a possible problem.
Considerations
Size-3 soccer balls range in price from $10 to $25 as of August 2010, according to Dick’s Sporting Goods, while size-4 balls range from $15 to $25, and size 5 from $15 to $150 for an official 2010 World Cup ball by Adidas. Sports Authority separates balls in sizes 3 to 5 into match-play balls suitable for official games, ranging from $17 to $90, and practice balls from $15 to $25. Match-play balls deliver high performance, have synthetic leather covers, feature four or five layers and are guaranteed to conform to official regulations, notes Bruce Rigsby of SoccerBallWorld.com. Practice balls are tough and highly durable, with four or fewer layers and a PVC outer cover.
References
- “The Everything Kids' Soccer Book"; Deborah Crisfield; 2002
- Dick's Sporting Goods: How To Buy Soccer Goals
- “Coaching Soccer for Dummies"; National Alliance for Youth Sports, Greg Bach; 2006
- “Coaching Kids to Play Soccer”; Jim San Marco, Kurt Aschermann, Tony DiCicco; 2007
- SoccerHelp.com: Tips & Basics for New & Beginning Soccer Coaches
Member Comments