Youth Football Gear

Youth football organizations like Pop Warner and Junior All American provide much of the boys football gear. Things like uniforms, pads and helmets are usually owned by the league and checked out to players each season. Still there is some personal football equipment that you’ll want to purchase for your son. Here’s an overview of the basics.

Kids Football Cleats

Cleats are a must. With regular tennis shoes players will just slip and slide. You can get molded cleats, meaning that the spikes on the bottom are rubber and are part of the shoe. The other option is detachable cleats. The spikes on the bottom can be taken off and replaced when they wear out. If they’ll be playing on mud and grass, the detachable kind usually work better. If they’re going to be playing on the new turf fields, it’s a matter of personal preference. If you don’t expect your child to outgrow the shoe in one season, detachable can help them last longer by just replacing the cleats. You can find both kinds of football cleats in youth and adult sizes. Many players have a preference for high top cleats, which help protect the ankles or low top cleats, which allow more freedom of movement.

Youth Football Socks

You don’t need special socks for football, but it’s a good idea to get socks that go above the ankle to protect ankles and lower calves from being scraped up. Moisture wicking socks are great for comfort. Knee high athletic socks come in all different colors. Teams sometimes choose a color so that everyone matches. Otherwise go with black, white or one of your team’s colors.

Moisture Wicking Shirts

Kids need to wear a shirt under their pads and jerseys, and a moisture wicking shirt, also called a compression shirt, is much more comfortable than a cotton tshirt. They move moisture away from the body and reduce chafing. You can even buy one that has padding to protect ribs and shoulders.

Moisture Wicking Shorts

Spandex doesn’t stop with shirts. Compression shorts are usually worn under football uniform pants. Buy the kind with a sleeve for the cup, and jock straps are a thing of the past!

Mouthpiece

Mouthpieces are required to protect the teeth and jaw. Since coaches and refs want to be able to verify that they’re in easily, many require kids to have mouthpieces in colors other than white or clear. You can get the cord to keep the mouthpiece attached to the helmet, so your player can take it out easily without misplacing it. A carrying case is a good idea so that the mouthpiece won’t end up at the bottom of the football bag in a smelly shoe. It’s more expensive, but you can get the kind that allows kids to talk more easily with the mouth guard in.

Chin Strap

The helmets provided by the league usually come with chin straps, but they can be uncomfortable. Many players choose to buy more comfortable chin straps. Check with the coach before you buy one, though. They may require a specific color so that everyone looks the same.

Optional Football Gear for Kids

There are several more optional items that you could get if you wish. Here are just a few of them.

It’s a good idea to have a football at home for practice. Make sure you get the same size they’ll be using in games. Some players like to have football gloves to help them grip the ball better. Others never use gloves. It’s purely personal choice. Likewise, some like to have a small football towel that attaches to their belt so they can dry their hands during the game.

Helmets are expensive and can only be used for a couple of years. They also need to be painted and/or have stickers attached that match for the whole team. For this reason, it’s usually included as part of the Pop Warner football equipment. However, if you want to buy one for your child, they’re available. Make sure the face mask is the right color to match the team.

All this football gear needs to go somewhere, so a canvas bag is a good idea. You may have some kind of sports bag around the house and that will work just fine. Also, some teams get custom bags for the whole team, so check to see whether that’s the case before you go out and buy one.

Where To Buy Kids Football Gear

Your local sporting goods store may have a lot of it. I’ve found that online stores have a good selection and good prices. Here are a couple of my favorites.