5 Things Every Soccer Kid Needs Before The First Game

This post is about the Modell’s Sporting Goods #shop hosted by #CollectiveBias and its advertiser. All opinions are my own.

Soccer Season is officially here and our son had his first game yesterday. It was supposed to pour, but thankfully the rain held off and we were greeted with sunny skies and a brisk breeze blowing across the fields. As any soccer family knows, the weather can be your worst enemy, but we really lucked out.

A few years ago, all of the kids were playing soccer and my sister and I shared the carpooling and supervising each week. However, as they all developed new interests (like gymnastics, baseball, ballet and swimming), they all sort of left soccer behind.

So when our son asked us if he could play soccer again this year, we were caught off guard. After two years of him playing baseball, basketball and swimming, we thought he was done with soccer. But, he’s in a new school now and he heard that some of the kids in his grade were playing this season, and he thought it would be a good way to meet more people.

We were really impressed with his decision, but we weren’t even sure if we would be able to get him on a team this year. Online registration had closed weeks earlier, so we had to wait it out until yesterday to see if he could get placed on a team. When my husband came home with the game schedule, our son’s eyes lit up. He was so excited, even more so when he found out that his first game was later on that afternoon, and his team would be playing against some people he already knew.

It should come as no surprise then that we weren’t actually prepared for him to start soccer that afternoon, so off we went to Modell’s Sporting Goods. It’s right up the block from us and it’s our local haunt for all things sports-related. They pretty much have everything you could ever need or want for every sport you can possibly imagine. Being an active, fit family, we spend a lot of time in there. From sneakers to cleats, from balls to bats, you can find it at Modell’s.

Plus, every time we go in there, the customer service staff is always incredibly nice and patient with our kids. The younger staff members are always very energetic and spend lots of time making sure that our kids are happy with their footwear, which is really great! As a fourth-generation, family-owned business, I believe that Modell’s really understands the importance of attentive customer service and it shows in our local store.

As my son raced through the store (Yes, raced — he’s 8 and he never walks calmly!), he went right for the cleats. For some reason, that boy loves cleats. I think it’s a similar fondness that I used to have for my tap shoes. And I finally understand why our Mother used to get so frustrated with us whenever we tapped across her wood floors. Karma is funny – and I continually hear her voice pop out of my mouth whenever I see him running across my own wood floors in his cleats!

But I digress – as I have a tendency to do. So, I thought I would share a quick list of necessary soccer gear that any newbie soccer family will need to buy before the first game. Seeing that we just ran around Modell’s yesterday gathering up all of these goodies ourselves, I thought it would be a good idea to share it with all of you…just in case you’re enrolling your son or daughter at the last minute like we did!

5 THINGS EVERY SOCCER KID NEEDS TO HAVE BEFORE THE FIRST GAME

Uniform. Team issued, in most places. If not, ask your coach or league what the team colors are, and what the requirements are.
Soccer Cleats. These shoes are specially designed with short, rubber grips, or cleats, on the soles so kids can safely make contact with the dirt and grass on the playing field. Soccer cleats feel differently than regular sneakers, so they will need to put them on and walk around the aisles to see how their feet feel in them. Our son doesn’t like his cleats to fit too snugly – he likes to be able to wiggle his toes mid-game.
Soccer Socks. These usually come with the supplied uniform, but I like to have an extra pair on hand…just in case they have back-to-back game son the weekend. I always bring the supplied pair with us when we try on new cleats because the soccer socks are much thicker than regular sports socks. Again, squished feet in soccer cleats is a no-no, so I highly recommend trying them on with the actual socks your child will be wearing.
Shin Guards. These are a must-have. Soccer is all about kicking and you want their shins to be protected. They’re not always comfortable, which is why it’s important to have your child try them on under the team issued sports socks. If they’re too big, they’ll ride up against the knee cap – and that will be highly uncomfortable! They come also come with or without straps – it’s all a matter of personal preference. Our son doesn’t like how the straps feel, so we do without.
Water Bottle. It goes without saying that proper hydration is a must for kids, especially active kids. It can get pretty hot out on the soccer field, so we make sure we buy insulated bottles to keep the water nice and cold. Proper hydration keeps headaches, muscle cramps, and fatigue at bay – so drink up!
Soccer Ball. Soccer balls comes in several sizes. It is important to know what size ball your child should be using. This is usually listed on the league papers. If not, ask your coach beforehand. I always use a Sharpie to write our son’s name on the ball so they don’t get lost during practice drills!