Parent’s guide to selecting youth soccer gear: cleats, shin guards and balls
Picture yourself taking that picture of your son or daughter, scoring the wining goal, and winning that championship for the season. That would be would be a great photograph to hang on a wall, in your home. Would you prefer for you child to wear the latest expensive gear, and having limited protection, or not so expensive gear, but being well protected on the field. Speaking from personal experience of playing youth soccer myself, coaching both of my sons teams, and watching them and their team mates use several types of cleats, shin guards and soccer balls. Here a few suggestions of which soccer gear to purchase for your child.
Soccer shoes or cleats have changed a bit from my youth playing years. The most expensive were made out leather, which I wore as a child. The shoes were heavy because of the plastic cleats and outer lining material was thinner, which impacted the foot with stronger force, to the extent of pain while kicking the ball, which is not the best protection for a child’s growing foot. Now a days, the least expensive soccer shoes are made out of a innovative microfiber synthetic material called PU (polyurethane), which made the soccer shoes cleats lighter, softer lining, stronger outer lining and more durable. The thicker outer lining provides the ideal kicking soccer shoes, less impact on the actual foot, and virtual no pain while striking the ball. Personally, I purchase the least expensive shoes for my children, which provides the best protection for a growing foot on the field.
Parents, follow the play: a center support is dribbling the ball on the left flank sideline getting ready to turn right, to center and cross the ball in front of the opposite goalie, for the his team mate, forward support, the striker to score. The center support is tacked by a rear support (defense), on the opposite team, and the center support is fouled. I have seen this play many times, and for the younger players, which are wearing the shin guards that have the extra ankle protection, rarely get hurt. I purchase the shin guards that cover the entire lower leg up to the knee, and has an extended ankle cover with a lower strap support. I also look strap that rest on the calf supporting and holding the top of the shin guard in place. At times, this ankle support lower strap, can discomfort the foot due to sweat or pressure of the strap. Easy fix, put the long soccer socks first and slide in the shin guard on top of the socks, eliminating discomfort.
The size of soccer ball is important, and its age specific, the younger the age, the lower the number. There are so many options in the market, the outer lining is as important as the inner lining. I usually stick to PU material, mentioned earlier, for the outer lining, and Butyl Bladder for the inner lining, which makes the ball heavier but retains the air longer, excellent for practices, drills and scrimmages. For championship games, I usually use a PVC plastic outer lining material, with a latex inner lining. Latex inner lining is better quality, a bit more expensive, keeps its shape longer and has a softer feel, its lighter and softer to the touch. It feels similar to a volley ball, travels further, excellent for dribbling and speed passing.
I hope this information from my personal experience is helpful. Keep in mind, a child’s leaning is unique and may be different than others. Don’t get discouraged if the first few practices don’t go as planned. Encourage the child to watch soccer videos with you, so they can feed of your enthusiasm, this will keep the child motivated, and will look forward to the next practices and games. Remember to practice with your child at home, on challenges. See you on the field.