Expensive Football Kit or Jumpers for Goalposts?



Posted: Monday, July 16, 2007

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"Where's my football kit mum?" is probably still the cry in modern England when it's P.E. day, as it was when I was at school. However, how much does the modern football kit differ from the days of brown leather footballs and jumpers for goalposts?

Well, let's look at what the modern outfield player has to consider when choosing his (or her) total football kit and examine the different items that a player should have in his kit bag.

Firstly, there is his football boots - probably the most important thing for a soccer player to consider. They must provide:

· Support for the feet, a player must be balanced and able to turn and twist

· Protection to the foot from blows.

· Comfort - a player has to be mobile for 90 minutes without getting blisters.

· Grip - a player must be able to keep his footing on a variety of different turf conditions.

· Feel - on top of everything a player must be able to feel a good contact with the ball so that he can caress passes and bend free-kicks, etc.

Next part of a player's football kit is his strip. A lightweight, breathable fabric is preferable that allows for stretching and pulling without shape loss. Recent advances in fabric technology now allow modern football kit not only to be breathable but actually cooling as well. The strip's fabric pulls moisture from the player's body and allows it to evaporate on the shirt surface. Shorts can vary in size and material wit modern trends leaning towards larger shorts made from lightweight material. Socks need to be flexible with small soft seams. Another important part of the modern soccer players football kit is his shin pads, or shin guards. They are now a combination of strong plastics and foam that provide protection to the vulnerable shin area from kicks and raking studs (cleats in the USA). Not only do they need to be strong enough to provide protection they also need to be lightweight so as not to restrict the player's movement.

A warm-up top is another important part of a player's kit especially for footballers from colder climates. A warm, possibly hooded, preferably water-resistant training top that allows a player unrestricted movement to perform their warm-up routine, is a good addition to a players overall football kit.

Final parts of a footballers kit comes down to personal preference for the small accessories. For instance, players like to hold their socks up in different ways. Some will use elasticated Velcro ties, others will use insulating tape, others thin material ties. Other items of football kit that players will have their own personal preference for may include sweat bands for the wrists, jock-strap or jockeys for under the shorts, separate ankle pads, and knee, ankle and elbow supports.

The most important thing is that a players football kit is comfortable and once put on is quickly forgotten about. If every part of a player's football kit fits properly, and feels good, a player can then concentrate on mentally preparing themselves for optimum performance on the pitch and the game ahead.

Get professional advice on buying your football kit from the football kits specialist - soccerkings.co.uk

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