Buying The Right Soccer Equipment
Playing soccer is a great way to keep active. Playing soccer keeps you on your toes and helps you to work out your muscles and fat and keeps you in shape. It makes you use your limbs as well as your brains at the same time, as you have to follow and some times even build up a strategy on the spur of the moment. If your child likes to run around and play with a soccer ball, then half your problems are over. In any case all you really need for playing soccer is a ball. You could run down to any store and get your child a soccer ball to start with.
Apart from a ball, you will need to buy a good pair of sport shoes which fit well and have a good grip. In case, your child normally plays on grass, you must get cleats for the shoes as grass get very slippery when wet and soccer does involve a couple of sharp turns here and there to save a goal. These shoes help to the player to keep his or her balance and prevent any kind of unwanted injuries like twisted ankles or hamstring pulls. The old adage of penny wise pound foolish does apply when buying sports shoes as they will be subject to harsh handling. So buy a good pair even if you need to spend a few extra bucks.
Soccer is a sport which involves running and ducking and occasional contact with other players. It may be a good idea to get your child shin guards and elbow guards.
When buying shin guards, make sure they are firm yet flexible and allow the child to move. Buying the correct size is important, so take your child for a trial before buying one. It does sound a bit overwhelming to buy so much of equipment for a sport but it is always better to play with the correct equipment rather than play with less than perfect stuff and get injured in the bargain.
If your child is not playing alone and is part of a neighborhood team, perhaps there may be some uniform for the team members. Most neighborhood teams have generic uniforms but there could be some specific design or logo to identify one team from another. Then you will need to buy the required color shorts, top and cap. If your child is in the growing stage and outgrows his or her clothes fast, then you could think of getting a neighbors' hand me down.
Regarding the soccer ball, these are available in different sizes for different ages. So make sure that your child practices with the correct size. The other soccer equipment includes a practice soccer goal, a soccer equipment bag and a few soccer cones for practice. These items are not essential and one can manage to learn the game without them too. Buying all the equipment in the first go may seem too expensive but it will be worth it in the long run.