16 items that all new soccer players need in their kits
If you are interested in starting to play soccer then you will need to put together a kit that you can travel with. This kit should contain everything you need to play and practice soccer whatever the weather.
Below we have listed 16 essential items you will need for this kit. Don’t forget to put them all in a waterproof bag!
#1 – A soccer ball pump
You will honestly be shocked by how often you will need a soccer ball pump, even if you only play soccer once a week.
Having a soccer pump in your bag is a great way to make friends on your team and at training grounds, because everyone will be so glad to borrow it.
In some soccer leagues, not playing with a correctly inflated ball is a fineable offense and teams can even be docked points for doing so.
#2 – Soccer Cleats
This may sound obvious but if you want to play soccer then you are going to need to get the right shoes – you will need soccer cleats.
Soccer cleats have sets of studs on the bottom of them which make it less likely that you will fall over or slip on slick mud while you are playing soccer. This can lead to injury, which is something we all obviously want to avoid.
Soccer cleats for men and women are slightly different because of the way they spread their body weight. Thankfully, soccer cleats for women are a lot easier to find than they were while we were growing up. For more information on women’s soccer cleats look here.
#3 – Face wipes
Face wipes have a multitude of uses for soccer players. Here are just a few:
Removing bird poop from your clothes or hands.
Cleaning mud from your face after a rainy match.
Quickly cleaning off your boots after a practice session.
Cleaning your hands.
Keeping sweat and sunscreen out of your eyes.
Keeping cool on a warm day.
We recommend keeping a pack of sensitive skin friendly face wipes in your soccer kit at all times. You never know when you or someone on your team will need to use them. You can now purchase biodegradable wipes. It is best to avoid fragranced face wipes.
#4 – Spare socks
There is honestly nothing better than putting on a pair of warm and dry socks after a long game of soccer in the rain. We always like to keep at least one spare set of socks and underwear in our kit. If the weather is really bad we will wrap these in a waterproof bag.
This way we know that no matter how cold we get, we will always have dry clothes to change into.
Having dry socks to change into also drastically reduces your chances of getting athlete’s foot or another type of fungal infection – like jock rot.
#5 – Practice cones
When you are practicing on your own or at home, practice cones can be your best friend. They are especially good for anyone who is trying to work on their precision and accuracy.
There are many different practice exercises that you can do with cones. These include dribbling exercise, passing practice, penalty shots, and much, much more.
One of the great things about practice cones is that they are small, flexible, and they stack so they are really easy to move around. So you can use them at home or easily take them with you to the park to practice.
#6 – A first aid kit
We always recommend carrying some kind of first aid kit around with you, but it is extra important when you are exercising. If someone slips and hurts themselves you want to be sure that you can look after them (or yourself if you get hurt).
In your first aid kit, you should have a packet of band-aids, strip bandages, triangle bandages, gauze strips, safety pins, cooling gel, aftersun, pain killers, a shock blanket, and saline solution.
First aid kits are especially useful if you are playing in the cold and wet when your skin is weaker and your blood flows closer to the surface.
#7 – A good water bottle
One of the most important things that you can do to increase your stamina while playing soccer is to stay hydrated. If you have long training sessions then you will need a larger water bottle so you can keep yourself hydrated. You will sweat a lot during practice sessions.
It is important to make sure that you are also replenishing your salt and sugar levels as well as your water levels. A good way to do this is to drink a mix of water, maple syrup, salt, and lime juice. This tastes delicious and is great for you after a workout.
#8 – A tasty protein bar
This is something that every sportsman should have in their kit. Protein bars make a great on the go snack that won’t leave you feeling sick. They can also help improve your athletic performance on the day and put you in a better mood (maybe it’s just us that gets in a bad mood when we’re hungry…)!
Make sure that you get a bar that is low in sugar and preservatives. These ingredients can actually hinder your ability to exercise and leave you feeling even worse after you are done.
We recommend cookie dough flavored protein bars.
#9 – Waterproofs
Unless you are lucky enough to live in a warm country in the Southern Hemisphere (or one of the states in the South) then you will be playing the majority of your soccer season in the cold and wet.
While you may not be allowed to play in waterproof clothing, it will be useful to have when you are walking to and from games. As well as wearing during practice sessions. Some coaches are even nice enough to let you put them on during halftime so you can keep warm.
Even if you live in a dry state, it is worth having these on hand.
#10 – Gloves
You may have watched some Premier League matches in November and December and wondered why all the soccer players are wearing gloves. Well, the simple answer is that it gets really cold in England (as well as Wales and Scotland where they play some of the games) during the winter.
As a soccer player, you don’t do enough with your hands during the match to keep them warm. To save yourself the bad circulation, the pain of defrosting, and the health risk – keep a spare set of gloves in your bag.
Fingerless or full fingered? Well, that’s up to you.
#11 – A personal soccer ball
While you won’t ever have to bring your own soccer ball to a match or training session – it can be useful to have one of your own.
Unless you are a professional soccer player who is going to training sessions every single day of the week, you will have to do the majority of your practice at home.
This is where it can come in handy to have your own soccer as well as your own set of training cones. You may also want to consider investing in a pop-up set of goalposts for your back garden or local park practice sessions.
#12 – Shin guards
Soccer players only wear protection on one part of their bodies when they play. Why? Because soccer is a non-contact sport, it is very common for soccer players to get kicked in the shins.
This happening time and time again can actually cause permanent damage to your shins and cause an injury called shin splints. Shin splints are really painful and make it difficult for you to run (and sometimes even walk).
You will find it a lot easier to walk around the day after a practice session if you have worn your shin guards the day before.
#13 – Sunscreen
Skin cancer experts say that we should all be wearing sunscreen every day – no matter the weather. The cancer-causing UV rays are actually strong enough to penetrate clouds and rainy days.
It is especially important that people who spend a lot of time outside wear sunscreen every day. Sportsmen and athletes fall into this category.
Therefore, you should always keep a bottle of sunscreen in your kit and make sure that you apply it before every training session. You might have to apply it multiple times on really hot and sunny days or if you are sweating a lot.
#14 – Towel
So far, we have mentioned the importance of preparing for bad weather. This is a situation where towels can really come in handy. There is nothing like drying yourself off with a clean towel after a muddy match.
But towels can be useful on hot days too. You can use them as protection against the sun, to keep sweat out of your eyes. You can even dampen the towel and wear it around your neck to keep yourself cool.
Towels have many, many uses for active soccer players. It is important that you wash your towel after every use to prevent the spread of bacterial infections.
#15 – A can-do attitude
We went 15 items without putting a single cliche in this article, any fans of soccer will know that is a great achievement. But a good attitude is perhaps the most important thing on this list.
There is no point in spending money and putting together a soccer kit if you don’t have the right attitude. Like in every sport, soccer requires you to be a hard working team player. You will need to be driven whilst being kind to those around you.
And most importantly you should be kind to yourself. One bad training session or match doesn’t mean that you are a bad player. Don’t be too hard on yourself and you will go far.
#16 – The home kit of your favorite team
Our final item on this list is the home kit for your favorite team. Most of us play soccer because we love watching it (and secretly dream of playing it professionally one day, no matter how old we are).
If you want to be involved in Soccer culture, it is important that you have a favorite team. This is a team that you can study, watch, and learn from. Many people like to represent their favorite team by wearing their home kit while they are practicing or during their day to day lives.
