From gloves to girdles, mouthguards, and more, kids need the full suit of armor to push their pigskin game to the next level and stay safe on the field. If you’re not entirely familiar with the ins and outs of padding and protection, though, you may be wondering what kinds of football gear they should don before a game or practice.
To help parents like you safeguard their gridiron superstars, we’ve prepared this comprehensive youth football equipment list.
Check off everything your kids need to gear up for a game with top-of-the-line equipment that supports their safety, style, and swagger.
Why Proper Equipment Matters: Safety & Confidence
Over 20 million American kids play football every season and, annually, about 200,000 of them will experience one kind of injury or another. 1That’s only around 1% of total players—but, with proper protective equipment, that figure could dip even lower.
The right helmet, for instance, can reduce a child’s chances of head injuries by over 30%.2
Aside from preventing injuries, the right gear can also help your athlete feel confident on the field and, in turn, elevate their performance.
Head-to-Toe Breakdown of Essential Youth Football Gear
The following is everything your child needs to stay safe, speedy, and stylish on the field.
Helmet
Helmets are perhaps the single most important piece of football equipment you can wear. They’re essential for protecting against injuries to the brain, neck, and skull.
Make sure to look for a protective football helmet with2:
- A forehead pad
- A crown pad
- Back and side pads
- Jaw pads
- The ability to adjust your fit
Mouthguard
Dental work is costly, and teeth don’t grow back on their own. Luckily, a robust football mouthguard can prevent oral injuries and keep incisors intact.
Players who wear proper, custom-fitting mouthguards also have a reduced risk for experiencing concussions versus those who don’t.2
Shoulder Pads
While shoulder pads may sit around the base of the neck, they actually prevent injuries throughout the body. When a player is hit, falls over, or otherwise experiences an impact, shoulder pads are there to defend their3:
- Shoulders
- Sternum
Besides helmets, shoulder pads are considered the most important piece of football gear. Pick a pair that fits snugly, but doesn’t restrict your child’s breathing or movements as they race for the ball.4
Gloves
Youth football gloves can prevent injuries to your child’s palms and digits, keep them warm during late-fall showdowns, and complete their drip with complementary colors to their jersey.
The best football gloves even offer a tacky, sticky feel that can help kids handle the ball better. What are the stickiest football gloves from Battle Sports? We recommend our Ultra-Stick or Triple Threat models.
Football Pants and Pads
When it comes time to choose football pants (and their associated padding), you have two options to pick from5:
- Integrated pads – These have the necessary padding sewn into the pants. There’s no need to slip in extra pieces before taking the field.
- Separate pads – These pants have pockets for protective pads that you’ll have to slide into place.
Separate pads can slip around a bit within their pockets, requiring readjustment on the fly. On the other hand, integrated pads can feel bulky. This makes the choice between the two a matter of personal preference rather than performance.
Cleats
Cleats are meant to increase your child’s traction as they run—but different styles are more suitable for certain types of surfaces. In general, you have three types of football cleats to choose from:
- Molded cleats – These cleats are lightweight, work for nearly any position, and are optimized for performance on standard grass fields.
- Rubber-bottom cleats – With rubber studs lining the bottom, this style of cleat is designed specifically for traction on artificial surfaces and shouldn’t be used on real grass gridiron.
- Screw-in cleats – This style allows you to change the studs on the bottom to switch between grass and artificial turf. While they’re more versatile than other kinds of cleats, their interchangeable grip does take more time and maintenance to use than molded or rubber-bottom cleats.
Assess the conditions your child will play in, decide what cleat best suits their needs, and pick a pair that fits them firmly, yet comfortably.
Additional Accessories for Optimal Performance
The equipment listed above is the bare minimum for proper protection on the gridiron. When it comes to optimizing performance and swagger, however, you’ll also want to consider the following:
Arm Sleeves
Football sleeves can help your athlete cradle the ball against their body in much the same way gloves provide a better grip. Likewise, they protect the forearms from scraping, cuts, and impacts. Plus, they can complete the overall look with accenting colors and eye-catching designs.
Leg Sleeves
Tight leg sleeves can protect the body, and in recent studies, compression socks and leggings have been found to6:
- Improve muscle function
- Increase physical performance during exercise
- Reduce the amount of perceived pain people feel after finishing their workouts
With the right leg sleeves, your tackling tyke may play better and recover quicker.
Athletic Supporters
Protecting sensitive areas should be at the top of everyone’s mind before they step foot onto the field. Unfortunately, most young athletes skip out on groin protection and, currently, less than 15% of high school sports players use athletic supporters.7
Have your child pick an athletic supporter that fits comfortably and doesn’t restrict their movements—they’ll actually want to wear it come game time!
Girdles, Back Plates, and Rib Protectors
Like leg sleeves, girdles press up tight against the body to keep muscles compressed and engaged. Similar to football pants, they feature either built-in pads or pockets where you can slip in your own protection.
A football back plate protects the spine and tailbone by cushioning and distributing force from back and side impacts. They’re essentially pads that cover the entire lower back, but they shouldn't be excessively large to the point where they flap around or weigh your kid down.
Rib protectors go below the shoulder pads to shield the sides from impact injuries during forceful collisions.
Importance of Proper Fit for Football Equipment
All the gear and youth football apparel you get for your child should fit snugly and securely, but not so tightly that it restricts air or blood flow. It may be tempting to buy a size up for growing players, but ill-fitting pads and equipment can slide around during play, increasing your child’s potential for injuries.
Always pick the right fit from the right supplier for your youth football equipment to ensure player safety and performance on the gridiron.
Why Battle Sports is Your Go-To for Youth Football Equipment
From sleeves to mouthguards, back plates, and more, Battle Sports has the equipment your child needs to speed past the opposing line, outrun the other team, and drip style, sweat, and swagger all over the field. With top-of-the-line, scientifically-tested pads and accessories, we’re your one-stop shop for gridiron gear, apparel, and more. We even offer stylish football sports bags for hauling all your gear home comfortably.
Shop Battle Sports to prepare your kid for football season and help them dominate the field.
Sources:
- Stanford Medicine Children’s Health. Sports Injury Statistics. https://www.stanfordchildrens.org/
- National Library of Medicine. Helmets and Mouth Guards: The Role of Personal Equipment in Preventing Sport-Related Concussions. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/
- University of Utah. Protecting the Health of Football Players On and Off the Field. https://healthcare.utah.edu/
- National Library of Medicine. The Effect of Football Shoulder Pads on Pulmonary Function. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/
- The Chicago Tribune. The best integrated football pants. https://www.chicagotribune.com/
- National Library of Medicine. Effects of Wearing Compression Stockings on Exercise Performance and Associated Indicators: A Systematic Review. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/
- American Urological Association. Ball Security: Are Male Athletes Wearing Protective Cups?. https://auanews.net/
