Kit & Equipment

Basically………..a ball always comes in useful! There are loads to choose from in various sizes – so from tots to teens, you can't go wrong. Most sports retailers will have a good selection and they aren't expensive either.

For team play, your child will need a pair of boots and a pair of shinpads (players will not be allowed to take part in any training sessions or matches without leg protection).

Boots

Boots vary in price from reasonable to very expensive. Unfortunately, it's an area where endorsements from professional players have the greatest impact. It's likely that your child will have a favourite player and his will be the only boots your child wants to wear! Don't despair though; most of the big brands have children's boots in exactly the same style as their heroes, if not quite to the same 'custom made' standards or the same quality. What may be £100+ for an adult could be £35 for a child.

However the quality is still excellent and perfectly suitable for all your child's football needs (particularly as they will be growing out of them so quickly). Shop around and you should get a reasonable price, particularly if you're happy to shop online.

There is also the issue of boots for hard ground or soft ground? Blades or studs? Pardon the pun, but don't get too bogged down in this – for the youngest players one pair of boots for soft ground (the pitch conditions most games are played on) will suffice. Should they ever play on hard ground where studs might be uncomfortable they should be ok wearing trainers.

Shinpads and other equipment

Shinpads will vary in price, but you will be able to get an inexpensive pair at a sports retailer or online.

If your child is a goalkeeper in the making, then he/she will need a pair of specialist gloves to aid handling of the ball Again they can vary in cost, but a decent pair at a modest price can easily be found.

After all that, you'll find the following useful

• Training kit – Shirt/shorts/socks to train in. All relatively inexpensive and you're likely to get your monies worth out of them. You'll find that they can be worn and washed again and again and again.
• Training shoes – particularly for training indoors in winter. Most kids will have at least one pair these days so it is unlikely that you'll need to make a separate investment here.
• Tracksuit/Sweatshirt – Something that keeps them warm for post-exercise purposes or winter training will be beneficial.

Beyond that, there are other items that can be useful. In the winter, even though the kids will soon warm up from running around, you may want to invest in kids' thermals. They are incresingly popular and there are some really good products on the market like well-known brands Skins, Canterbury and Under Armour which can be bought online or at specialist sports shops.

Beware replica kits! This is a huge industry, particularly for shirts. The downside is that they can be expensive and the styles change frequently. Most professional clubs have three different kits these days and none of them are around for more than two years. The upside is that they will probably be worn day in and day out (and they don't need ironing!) so over the longer term they can provide good value. Just be careful that the initial outlay isn't too excessive.