19 Kids Soccer Tips for Newbie Soccer Parents

It’s a new and exciting era for kids sports in our household. This season, BOTH of my girls will be playing soccer. We promised our younger daughter that she could start in the spring before Kindergarten, just like big sister did. And here we are!

I didn’t play a second of soccer growing up. I played softball, but it’s much different than soccer! So I knew nothing. Now that my oldest has played for four seasons, I know a little bit more.

In case you’re a newbie like I was, here are 19 ways to make sure this soccer season is successful!

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1) Bring more water than you think

At first, we would just bring a regular bottle of water for our kiddo. She was 5, how much could she drink? Answer: a lot, especially on hot sunny days. Those giant sports water bottle/coolers exist for a reason. Get one, fill it with water and ice and park it wherever your kid is sitting for the game. Don’t skip this step or you’ll find yourself pouring water from everyone else’s water bottle into your kid’s bottle. Ask me how I know.

2) Don’t forget sunscreen

Even if they day isn’t too hot, remember that soccer fields have ZERO shade. So you really need sunscreen. We’ve gotten sunburned on cloudy, cool days simply because we’re sitting out in the sun for 90 minutes. Put sunscreen in your kid’s soccer bag so it’s always there!

3) Bring camp chairs

As annoying as it is, you really need a chair. Blankets don’t work well because the ground is often wet, at least where we live in NC. So I suggest a folding camp chair for everyone, including kids. We like these kids camp chairs from REI because they clip closed and have a strap for carrying. My kids (4 and 7) can manage them on their own, which is critical when you’re carrying a bunch of stuff.

4) Pop-up tents are kind of the best

It seems ridiculous, but on hot days (especially in spring soccer), a pop-up tent is a welcome source of shade. If you can coordinate this with other parents on the team, it’s really nice to provide a tent for the team and one for the parents. I used to laugh at this when I saw it…but now I understand!

5) Put games on the calendar

Put all of the scheduled games on your calendar. Make sure to invite anyone who needs to know (husband, grandparents, caregivers, etc.). On every calendar invitation, list the field and jersey color (if applicable). That way, you’ll have all of the information in one place. The opponent isn’t really relevant as long as you know where to go and which uniform to wear.

6) GroupMe for Group Texts

In earlier seasons, we tried to use the soccer organization’s messaging platform, which was terrible. We also tried group email chains, which didn’t work well. Last season, our coach suggested GroupMe and it’s great. You can get app notifications, texts or both when someone sends a message to the group. You can also access the messages in a web browser. It’s a great way to get timely information, especially when you have weather cancellations.

7) Get a collapsible wagon if you have a bunch of stuff

If you don’t have another adult to help you carry gear to the soccer field, I highly recommend buying a collapsible wagon. This will help you carry the chairs, water bottles and soccer gear. At our soccer park, you usually have to walk a couple of field lengths from the parking lot to your field, so it can take a really long time if you’re struggling with stuff. Better to just get the wagon, unless there are multiple adults to share the load.

8) Bring an extra ball for siblings

I have seen older and younger siblings amuse themselves for an entire soccer game by kicking a spare ball around. There’s usually an open area or a free field that they can run around on. The siblings feel involved, and they get tired too!

9) Bring a small, grungy towel

When the field is even remotely wet, your stuff will end up covered in wet grass clippings and mud. It’s lovely! Make your life easier later by bringing a small towel to wipe down as much as you can before you get in the car. If you are packing your kid’s gear back into their soccer bag, the bag will end up pretty dirty if you don’t wipe down the ball and cleats first.

10) Get a cooling towel

Speaking of towels, get some cooling towels for hot days. These are special towels – you just get them wet, snap the towel, and it’s cold. It’s very cool (haha)! This is perfect for really warm days, especially if you kids tend to overheat. My children are both very fair and inherited my wonderful tendency to heat up quickly during a tough workout. The towel is great to help them cool down.

11) Never wear good shoes or sandals

Even if it’s hot…or you have to go somewhere afterward…do NOT wear sandals or nice shoes. The grass is often damp, and you’ll end up with damp grass all over your nice shoes. Sandals are even worse – you’ll have wet grass on your feet. Ugh. Just suck it up and wear closed-toe, grungy shoes. You won’t regret it.

12) Sunscreen your thighs

This is something we learned from many rafting trips over the years. It applies in soccer, too! You’ll be sitting in the sun for at least an hour. It’s very important to put sunscreen on your thighs! Otherwise you will end up with some very burned legs.

13) Bring a hat and sunglasses

It’s easy to forget how little shade the soccer field has…until you’re there. Bring a hat for everyone in the family. Your player may even want one to wear when they’re not in the game. When I’m out there without a hat, I can just feel my scalp getting crispy. Maybe I’m just sensitive now that I’m in my late 30’s but whatever! Sun protection is key.

14) Get a headband or pre-wrap for your player’s hair

If you have a daughter, find a way to keep her hair out of her face. Even girls without bangs tend to have wisps of hair come out of their ponytail during a soccer game. We like the wide Under Armour headbands with grippy silicon on the inside. One of our teammates swears by tying some pre-wrap on like a headband. It’s sticky so it stays put and you can always find it in fun colors.

15) Soccer sandals really are great

We spent a few seasons trying to get our kid not to run around on the hardwood floors in her cleats. One time, she was all ready to go to a game when she decided she needed to use the bathroom. I hoisted her up and carried her to the bathroom so she wouldn’t step on the wood floors. Sheesh. Now we just put on her socks and shin guard and sandals before the game, and then put her cleats on when we arrive at the facility (usually before we go onto the grass so her socks don’t get yucky). Then she can change into the sandals after the game and be much more comfortable for lunch, errands, etc.

16) Give yourself a bathroom buffer

At the soccer field, the bathroom facilities may be pretty far away from the field itself. If you have younger kids, build in time for a bathroom trip for all before the game starts. You’ll probably still end up taking someone during the game, but if you all go beforehand at least there’s a chance that everyone will make it through. Just allocate enough time to do this before you’re supposed to arrive for the practice or game!

17) Those who can’t coach…coordinate snacks

I know literally nothing about playing or coaching soccer, but I feel guilty that I really can’t coach. So I usually volunteer to help in other ways, like making a Signup Genius to organize after-game snacks! If it’s something I can do from my desk in 10 minutes, I’m all over it.

18) Make friends

Stay at practices and games and talk to the other parents. Not only does it make things more fun, but I guarantee there will come a day when you need their help for some reason, or they need yours. And on that day, having those relationships already established is invaluable.

19) Buy used shoes

Gently used soccer shoes can usually be found for a low price. Often, kids wear them for a season before either going up to the next size or deciding they don’t want to play. I’ve bought shoes in excellent condition for as little as $5 before. I now have a full range of girls’ shoes so I don’t think I’ll need to buy any more pairs for little sister. Hooray!

Our Gear Recommendations

We are fans of Adidas in our house. Here’s our list of gear, with size notes for my girls:

• Adidas Alliance Sackpack: Just fits a uniform, cleats, shin guards and size 3 soccer ball
• Adidas Youth Tastigo Shorts: Not too long, not too short, lots of colors
  • 4 year old girl = XS
  • 7 year old girl = S
• Adidas Ghost Youth Shin Guards: The kind that covers your ankle
  • 4 year old girl = M
  • 7 year old girl = L
• Adidas Metro IV Socks: Stretchy and tall, but not impossible to put on little feet
  • Both kids = XS
• Adidas Kids Goletto VI Soccer Cleats: We’ve had about 4 pairs of these and they’ve held up well
  • True to size