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subject: What To Wear For Soccer And How To Wear It [print this page]


Soccer is a fun and interesting sport, and perhaps the most international sport in the world. What you wear is very important, and can dramatically affect how you play the game.

Soccer uniforms at all levels--from pre-kindergartners to professionals--are designed to enable players to move freely and easily up and down the field. At the lower levels, outfits typically consist of little more than a basic lightweight t-shirt and shorts.

At high school, college, and professional levels (for both men and women), jerseys and shorts tend to be made of mesh, which not only provides players with freedom of movement, but is known to provide a cooling effect. Shoes designed specifically for soccer emerged in the 1960's, but didn't really rise to popularity in the United States until the 1980's.

Today, the best soccer shoes are low-cut leather and have plastic spikes on the bottom. Soccer shoes are intended to not only keep the feet dry and provide solid footing on occasionally slippery and muddy playing surfaces, but to protect the feet--which in this game, is what is used to try to score.

Soccer socks tend to be made of heavy cotton that stretches to the knee. Scoring a goal in soccer is not for the meek.

The game can be rough, with player collisions and falls being a regular occurrence. So, while soccer players want to wear uniforms that offer effortless movements, they also must be certain to protect themselves from injury.

Perhaps the most popular piece of equipment is the shin guard, a piece of plastic designed to do exactly what it says--"guard" a player's shins from an opponent's accidental kick. A shin guard should stretch from the top of a player's shoe to within an inch from the bottom of the knee.

Some players also wear knee and elbow pads. Goaltenders have a different role than other soccer players, as the goalie is the last line of defense.

The goalie's focus is to keep the other team from scoring, and he does so by any means necessary. Unlike the other players, goalies are allowed to use their hands (in the designated area), and often find themselves diving after balls.

So, just as goalies have a different role, they are also outfitted differently than their teammates. Goalies almost always wear long-sleeve shirts and pants to avoid the scrapes and minimize the bruises that are certain to result in crashing to the playing surface.

Most of the time, these shirts and pants have light padding in the knees and elbows. Also, most goalies sport gloves designed specifically to protect their hands from the many swift-kicked balls that will be booted their way.

Consult with the rest of the team if playing soccer as a team sport. Each player should be wearing the same color jersey and socks.

Purchase and wear shin guards to protect the shins. Be sure the shin guards fit the length of the shin without moving around or becoming dislocated.

Wear soccer socks over the shin guards. Socks should be longer than the shin guards and fit snugly around the guard itself, stopping just below the knee.

Dress in soccer shorts that can be purchased at local sporting goods stores. Be sure these shorts do not have pockets as they can sometimes be snagged by another player.

Wear soccer cleats. Cleats are safer than regular shoes as the cleats can dig into the ground to help prevent slipping and sliding while running up and down the field.

Put on gloves when playing goalkeeper. Gloves will not only protect the hands in cold weather but also guarantee a better grip on the soccer ball.

This is outstanding, physically challenging sport if you have the right equipment. It also has a very high rate of injury-many people tear their ACL's, break legs or arms, or sustain gashes from cleats kicking them.

Protect yourself from these injuries and you will be able to continue playing this competitive sport for years to come. See your local sports equipment store for all the things you need-try the yellow pages for special equipment.

If you can't find something you can always order it online. Now get out there and play your heart out-be safe and have fun!

by: Terry Daniels




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