I’ve been playing some co-ed rec soccer recently. It’s been a lot of fun, and also a reminder that I’ve gotten out of shape and I’m getting older (I’m now 34, and everyone else on my team is in their 20s). But I’m enjoying it nonetheless.
Anyways, I thought I’d share my current soccer kit — the gear I use when I play soccer.
My Cardio Workout
First, I have to call out the “John Terry Treadmill Workout”, because it’s what’s been most helpful in (slowly) getting me back into soccer shape. It’s brutal, but effective. As this Reddit post clarifies:
- Warm up for around 5 mins or so
- Set your treadmill to a 12% incline
- Turn up the speed. Terry does his at 18 km/h (11.2 mph) but if you’re not used to running at that speed, start lower and work your way up. I’m currently at 8.2 mph!
- Run for 20 seconds, then rest for 40 seconds. I usually leave the treadmill running at the full speed and just step off, either fully or with a leg on each side.
- Repeat for 15 rounds
My Soccer Gear
- Adidas Samba Indoor Soccer Shoes (These are what I wear on the way to the game and when kicking around a soccer ball in my backyard)
- Puma Attacanto Turf Shoes (These are what I wear for our indoor soccer games on turf)
- Mitre ULTIMATCH Soccer Ball
- ETENWOLF P300 Plus Ball Pump
- Adidas Defender 5.0 Duffel Bag
- Festty Glasses Straps (I’m near-sighted, so I wear my regular glasses during the game so I can see down the field. I’ve considered getting sports goggles, but haven’t yet.)
- Northdeer Soccer Shin Guards (Turns out, no one wears shin guard in my current league, but these are nice for if/when I need them! I’ve also got some long Adidas soccer socks to go over them, but I usually end up wearing shorter Adidas socks for our indoor games)
- Open Goaaal 3-in-1 Soccer Training Rebounder & Goal (for solo practice at home, plus my kids love it too)
- Soccer IQ: Things That Smart Players Do, Vol. 1 and Soccer IQ: Things That Smart Players Do, Vol. 2 (great books for learning/refreshing soccer tactics and strategy)
For other things I recommend, see my Recommended Tools and Resources page!