There are definite advantages to buy soccer gear online especially with the savings you can make compared to going to an established store. Many of the best known soccer gear stores are well well established online but savvy shoppers are heading to places such as Ebay looking for a bargain and to keep their budget within check.

Buying soccer gear for kids can be an expensive exercise given that kids will outgrow their apparel at a fast rate. It's here where a parent needs to be savvy with the spending and going online to get great deals on soccer gear makes a lot of sense.

Many consider it preferable to buy soccer gear from a sports store rather than a department store but in today's online dominated world, buying soccer gear online is fast becoming the norm.

Buying Soccer Gear Tips

Let's take a look at buying soccer gear and what you need to be aware of to cut costs and to ensure that your gear will last longer and give you more service.

#1..Parents need to know what type of soccer gear to buy for their children that will protect them from any injury. Specific soccer gear is required before children can start playing the game. Soccer gear includes soccer balls, soccer cleats, soccer shoes, shin guards, socks and soccer jerseys. Soccer gear identifies a player because their a certain jersey numbers to choose from.

#2..Soccer gear must be purchased at least two months before the start of the season. Parents should check with the coach to get a description of what colors the team is using. Soccer gear is not gender specific. You can use them all as unisex for girls and boys alike, but most girls would want to have their own type of soccer gear and they do sell specifically for girls as well.

#3..There is soccer gear for older players as well, but these vary in sizes and how they are cut. Read the labels to see if you are getting what you paid for. The cost of soccer gear can add up to be quite expensive, but at least you can use them for more than one season.

#4..When it comes to soccer balls, you have to think about which size you prefer. Players over 12 use a size 5 ball while those between the ages of 8 and 12 use a smaller size 4. Regulation balls are the official balls for soccer and have a stamp that read, “FIFA approved.”  These balls may be more expensive, but worth buying because unregulated soccer balls can sometimes be quite heavy to use. Players who are just beginning will prefer a softer ball instead of a harder ball. So be wise when you are buying a soccer ball. You want to purchase the right one.

#6..Keeping your gear and equipment in good condition is vitally as important as buy the right gear. There are other essential gears that are required for the game as mentioned previously. Your shin guards must be durable and so you will need to select a shin guard that will give you the most protection during the game. Make sure it fits comfortably.

#7..Socks are also an important commodity to the game of soccer. This is a personal item that must be kept clean for hygiene purposes. Select socks that fit you well and won’t affect your blood circulation.

#8..The goalkeeper’s shorts must have extra padding and should be longer than the rest of the other players to protect the goalie from any sustainable injuries when diving for the ball. The goalkeeper can wear longer pants but this is a personal decision since it can cause discomfort in some cases. Goalkeepers also must wear gloves to help them to catch the ball. The glove prevents the ball from injuring the fingers or bruising the hand. Gloves must be strong, durable and have some kind of flexibility to last for the whole season.

	Kwik Goal Soccer Agility Ball Sale Price: $15.00
	8" diameter agility training ball. Constructed from durable polyfoam. Water resistant. Used in training for deflections and irregular bounces. Improves hand/eye and foot/eye coordination. Can be thrown or kicked.

A Beautiful Game: The World's Greatest Players and How Soccer Changed Their Lives Sale Price: $9.99

Wherever you are on earth, it's only a matter of time before you come across children playing soccer. Another five minutes and you will probably find yourself having a ball rolled to your feet as an invitation to join in the game. Soccer is a common language and a culture shared: a joy, a passion, an escape, and an affirmation of identity understood and celebrated by children—and their parents—in every country around the globe. For this unique collaborative project, soccer writer Tom Watt talked to the world's top players about growing up and falling in love with the game: Argentina's Lionel Messi and Brazil's Gilberto Silva; England's David James and Scotland's Craig Gordon; Italy's Fabio Cannavaro, Spain's Iker Casillas, and France's Franck RibÉry; South Africa's Benni McCarthy and Nigeria's Nwankwo Kanu; USA's Landon Donovan and Japan's Shunsuke Nakamura; and the world's most famous player, David Beckham. A Beautiful Game tells their stories, in the players' own words—stories of boys who would grow up to be heroes for a new generation of young players and fans. They look back to their childhoods: to their family homes, to their schoolrooms, to the friends they grew up with, and to the places where they first played the game that has made them stars. The players' words are brought to life with over 160 full-color images that offer rare, emotive, and striking insights into childhood all over the world, and celebrate soccer's ability to touch the lives of children—and adults—wherever the beautiful game is played. Five percent of the originating publisher's revenue from sales of the book worldwide will benefit selected UNICEF sports-related projects.

Champion Sports Extreme Tie Dye Size 3 Composite Soccer Ball Sale Price: $10.26

Spice up your soccer practice with the fun and psychedelic Champion Sports Tie Dye Extreme Soccer Ball. Featuring a colorful tie dye design, these soccer balls are made of a soft touch composite PU cover, which features patented machine stitched technology. The Tie Die Extreme is suitable for all weather play and features a 2-ply butyl bladder for maximum air retention. Each ball is backed by a manufacturers one-year unconditional guarantee against all defects, so you can play your hardest! The size 3 ball is perfect for players ages 13 and up.

	Puma Men's Powercat 4.12 FG Soccer Cleat,White Puma Royal/Team Gold,10.5 D US Sale Price: $45.00

SoccerEdge Bungee Soccer Trainer Sale Price: $14.82

Easy to set up bungee cord soccer training aid, great tool for solo soccer training. When you kick the ball it comes right back to you! Practice free kicks, corner kicks, penalty kicks, goal kicks, even throw-in’s! Increase shot power. Work on accuracy and control. Improve strength in the weaker foot. Get a large number of touches on the ball in a short amount of time, far more then during the same amount of practice time with your team. Apply the skills your coach teaches right away and be ready for the next match. Get the edge by practicing on your own. Soccer Edge includes the Corkscrew Stake to practice shooting skills, 10-foot bungee cord, and net to hold all size soccer balls. With the Corkscrew Stake you can practice and strengthen your shots, just snap on the bungee and when you kick the ball it comes right back, no need to chase the ball. Soccer Edge Bungee Soccer Trainer lets you practice anywhere, anytime. With the special bonus Bungee Handle, SoccerEdge allows a player to practice both ball control skills and shooting skills using the same soccer training tool, just snap on the bungee cord, wind it around the Bungee Handle to the length you want and hold on to keep control of the ball- practice your dribbling, trapping, juggling, and ball control skills. Now with the Bungee Belt you can practice on indoor fields too. We combine all the elements you need to develop the skills of a well-rounded player. This soccer training aid gives you 3 ways to train for the price of 1. SoccerEdge is the Total Soccer Trainer. Our goal is to help you score goals.

The Everything Kids' Soccer Book: Rules, techniques, and more about your favorite sport! (Everything Kids Series) Sale Price: $3.37

It?s a goal! Whether kids play defense, goalie, or offense, they?ll have hours of fun with this book. Coach Deborah W. Crisfield gives kids tips and strategies for passing, heading, defending, and more in this fun guide. Kids also learn:How to stretch before a big gameProper throw-in techniqueRules of the gameDribbling drillsEffective on-field communicationMost important, this guide shows kids the importance of teamwork and motivates them to stay active and healthy. This book will be a hit with kids and parents alike!

	Adidas 2011 Glider Soccer Ball, White/Collroyal, 3 Sale Price: $15.00
	Multi-surface ball for all weather and field conditions. Butyl bladder for best air retention. Machine stitched. This construction (nylon-wound carcass/TPU) ensures soft touch and high durability.

	Katz Hoodie Soccer Black Youth Large Sale Price: $15.99

SKLZ Reaction Ball Sale Price: $4.25

Reaction Ball is perfect for improvement of hand-eye coordination and reaction time. Volley the Reaction ball between two athletes, or rebound it again a wall. Upon landing, the ball will bounce in an unpredictable manner. Repeating these steps will improve your speed and coordination. Gaining the winning edge in sports is often a matter of mastering the basics: quick feet, rapid change of direction, and sharp hand-eye coordination. The reaction ball is a multi-sport tool aimed at developing these basics while also presenting a fun challenge. Pair the reaction ball with agility cones to work on peripheral vision and position awareness. Volley the Reaction ball between two athletes, or rebound it against a wall. Upon landing, the ball will bounce in an unpredictable manner. Repeating these steps will improve your speed and coordination. Features: Develops quick reaction for players of any sport; improves reflexes and agility Six-sided high-bounce rubber design causes the ball to leap and bounce randomly For use on all hard surfaces and walls Great training tool for all sports Use solo against a wall or in a team setting Ideal for sharpening your hand-eye coordination

	The World's Greatest Soccer Players (The World's Greatest Sports Stars) Sale Price: $4.50
	Whether it’s smashing a home run, heaving a touchdown pass, or scoring the game-winning goal, fans love watching their favorite stars. With incredible photos and lists of stats, fans will love seeing the world’s best athletes and their amazing achievements up close.

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Article by JD Dean

Coming up with fun soccer drills for kids is easier said than done. One mistake many coaches make is taking a group of young children and throwing then straight into shooting for goal and header drills before they've even begun to master some of the basic fundamentals such as working in a tight space, passing, dribbling and receiving.

The key to keeping a group of kids in a happy frame of mind is to take the boredom out of the training. Shooting and heading the ball constantly will soon become laborious and for maintaining enthusiasm, developing soccer drills for kids revolves around instilling some competitive nature into their training.

Fun Soccer Drills For Kids

Let's take a look at a couple of soccer drills for children which incorporate some competitiveness but also combines teaching some basic skills such as dribbling, passing and balance.

- Drills where you pit one player against two or more are a great way to develop both the balance of a young player and their competitive nature. Ideally, for inexperienced players, putting two players are against four is preferred.

- Simply place the larger number of players around a made up perimeter of about 30 feet and then put the two other players in the middle.

- The larger group will then pass the ball to each other while the other two will be attempting to "rob" them of the ball. When one of the outside players surrenders the ball to one of the inside players they then swap positions.

The biggest benefits with this soccer drill is it teaches the kids to work in a tight space and not overwork the ball as well work as a team.

One On One Drill

This is another fun soccer drill for kids as it really gets the competitive juices going. No kid likes to look second best and when they are up against just one other opponent they generally want to win to not only impress the coach but also mom or dad who might be looking on not to mention gaining bragging rights.

- One player is the attacker and the other the defender

- Designate a space for them to work in but not too large

- The attacking player must try and pass a point(a line in the sand) using dribbling techniques

- If he succeeds he is award a number of points but if he doesn't then the defender gets the points

- Set up best out of five drills and to take it a step further, you could introduce a round robin where the last two standing get to square off in a final

Even young players can benefit from basic soccer drills for kids. Early skills like passing and moving the ball and playing as a team can be built by making practice fun. A few starting points to get you on your way include Keep Your Yard Clean, Killer Whale, and Breakaway Shooting Game.

• KEEP YOUR YARD CLEAN: Start with two equal areas of play next to each other, one team in each area. Each player has a ball to start the game at the coach’s whistle. The object of the game is to pass the ball from the player’s own area into the opponent’s area. After three to five minutes, the coach stops the game. The team with the least number of balls in its area wins. This soccer drill for kids teaches the basics of passing.

• KILLER WHALE: Build a large circle with cones. Play with four to 14 dribblers and one or two “killer whales.” Each dribbler gets a ball to dribble around the circle. The killer whales attempt to kick the balls out of the circle and score one point if successful. Keep up the play for about a minute, allowing the dribblers to retrieve their ball and start again if it gets knocked out. At the end of one minute, the killer whale with the most points wins. Be sure each player gets a chance to be a killer whale and a dribbler.

• BREAKAWAY SHOOTING GAME: Arrange two sets of cones facing each other with two cones in a line allowing distance between for dribbling. In between those two sets are two cones perpendicular to the first sets. In between these two cones stands the goalie. On each end are teams wearing colored flags or similar markings (for this example we will use Red team and Blue team). Blue team dribbles first, with a Red goalie in position in the middle and the rest of the red team at the other end facing blue. Blue1 dribbles to the first cone and must shoot before reaching the second. If the goalie saves the ball or the shot goes wide, he keeps the ball and runs to the end of his line, then Blue1 becomes goalie and Red1 steps up to shoot. Play lasts until one team scores 15 points.

Soccer drills for kids should be kept simple, fun and short. As they progress in the skills, more time, higher scoring or more opposing players can be added to increase difficulty.

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