What equipment do I need?
Be prepared to run great sessions
Get the most out of training.
Now that you know what you are going to do in training, you need to consider what equipment you will need for those drills. There’s a lot of equipment out there so this can seem daunting, but we’ve put together a list of the most essential items you will need.
With this equipment, you should always be prepared for whatever training session you plan, and ready to concentrate on your tactics on matchdays.
Footballs
The obvious one! Footballs come in different sizes, which are appropriate for different ages, so make sure you have the right ones. Size 3 footballs are suitable for players aged 6 and under, players aged 7 to 10 Size 4 , over 10’s Size 5 .Try and have as many balls as possible at training and if you can keep a few aside for matchday use only.
Cones and Poles
Cones are important for marking out your practice area, and feature in a lot of training drills, either as objects to dribble around, as markers for where players should stand, or boundaries of areas within the exercise. Training poles serve a similar purpose, but can also be useful as goalposts if you don’t have a set already. Make sure the poles with sharp tips are only handled by the coach.
Bibs/Pinneys
You’ll need bibs/pinneys for any exercises where you are dividing players into teams, as these stop you from having players on different teams in the same colours or forcing you to pick unbalanced teams based on shirt colours. This is especially important if your team doesn’t have a training kit, as you’re likely to have your players training in their favourite team’s shirt – so you’ll have a lot of different colours on display!
Medical Bag
A medical kit is absolutely essential for all coaches at all levels. Even with the best preparation in the world, an injury could happen in any session and you should have some basic equipment ready to deal with it. A bag with some plasters, bandages, antiseptic wipes, deep heating muscle sprays, and cooling packs at an absolute minimum is required – though obviously for more serious injuries you may need to call for an ambulance.
Water Bottles
You’ll often have players forgetting to bring their water bottles to training, and on hot days some of your players will need extra – so it is always a good idea as a coach to bring a rack of reusable water bottles so your players always have enough water to stay hydrated.
Matchday Equipment
There are a few extra items you should bring on matchdays (as well as the kit!) which you’re unlikely to need for training. We’d recommend having a few spare pairs of shin pads in the kit bag, for example, so you have some if one of your players forget to bring their own. A magnet board can also be helpful for explaining your formations and player roles to your team. Finally, you should check to find out if you need to bring linesman’s flags, corner flags, or goal nets as this may vary depending on your league and where you are playing.