Even if you never played soccer as a child, you'll find the list of necessary gear straightforward and simple, like the game of soccer itself. Since kids grow so quickly, you may not want the most expensive products available, notes sportswriter and soccer coach Sam Borden in "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Soccer Basics." One option is to suggest that your youth league set up a swap meet for outgrown shoes and shin guards, suggests Dean Conway, the former director of coaching for Massachusetts Youth Soccer, in "Soccer Calling: A Handbook for Youth Soccer Coaches."
Considerations
Because soccer is played on grassy fields and requires quick turns and cuts, regular sneakers won't do. Players need shoes with molded rubber cleats to grip the grass, unless they are playing on artificial fields, in which case turf shoes with nubby soles work well. Your child's kit also includes a T-shirt for a recreational team and a jersey and matching shorts for a more selective travel team, as well as long socks to cover up shin guards. Travel teams may have two uniforms, light and dark, for home and away games.
Features
Shirts and shorts can be made of a lightweight blended fabric, especially if you play in a hot or humid climate. Add layers such as turtlenecks and thin gloves for games at the end of fall season. Extra socks, shirts and shorts and a dry towel can help your child dry off at halftime of games played in rain.
Benefits
Your child will improve fastest if you buy her a soccer ball of her own for practice and playing with at home. If she is 13 or older, she can have a size 5 ball; ages 9 to 12 use size 4, and 8 years old and under use size 3, unless your child's league makes an exception to this pattern. Smaller balls allow for greater control by a child's smaller foot for basic dribbling, passing and shooting.
Function
While field players wear the team uniform, goalies by rule wear a differently colored shirt. Your child at the youngest age levels may get by with wearing a pinney in goal, Borden notes. Older children will want a goalie jersey with an eye-catching design, padding on the elbows and a loose fit, as well as goalie gloves to protect the hands. To protect the hips, outfit your child in goalie shorts or pants with added padding on the hips, as well as compression shorts, to prevent raspberries from diving.
Warning
Shin guards, hard shells of molded plastic that conform to the front of the lower leg, are mandatory in league play, and your child may be sent off the field if he forgets to wear them. Shin guards protect the shin bone from injuries caused by the impact of kicks or the ball.
Expert Insight
Label every piece of gear you buy your child, Borden advises: shirts, shorts, socks, cleats on the inside of the tongue, balls and water bottles. Things get misplaced in the confusion of a practice or game, and an indelible marker will make sure your child and her gear get reunited. A backpack or sports bag to hold all the gear will help you stay organized and arrive on time at practices and games.
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