Football Kit, Training Equipment, Goals and Balls
In most cases, everything that you need as a grassroots coach to run your team will be provided by your club – including football Kit, Training Equipment, Goals and Balls.
Football Kit
Your team will need to have the right number of matching kits – shirts, shorts and socks). In a lot of cases, this is funded through some form of local sponsorship. Whether its a parent or relative of one of the players, or just a local business seeking more exposure, clubs and coaches should always keep their ears on the ground for any sponsoring opportunities.
Footballs
Your grassroots club should provide you with somewhere in the region of 10 training footballs and a match ball at the start of the season. It’s a good idea to use a permanent marker to avoid them being pinched at training!
Goals
For training and home matches, some goals will be need – whether they are permanent or to be assembled. For mini soccer (up to U10) these are mini soccer Samba goals, which are made of solid plastic and separate out into sections for packing away. Assembling one of these for the first time is probably the most challenging thing you’ll do in your entire football coaching career (or life in general). Find someone who has done it before and beg them to help you. Otherwise you’re liable to end up swearing and in tears before your first training session has even started.
Samba goal instructions: https://www.sambasports.co.uk/Goals-Instructions.html
Nets will also be needed, once the goals are assembled.
Training Equipment
Various training equipment is required for use at trainings and at matches – this includes poles, cones and various other bits and pieces which are typically provided by your club. Normally, your club can also provide bibs and cones for you to take with you to matches for warm ups too, which are very handy especially when there is a kit clash.
Some managers like to buy some equipment of their own – that’s up to you if you choose to do so, but again, make sure you mark it as yours or you’re liable to find someone confuses it for club equipment and packs it away.
First Aid Kit
Every coach should have an FA-compliant first aid kit available to them at every training session and match. Again your club in most case will provide this.
Thanks to Langton Green Coaches for this article
