Volunteering to coach your kids football team is hugely enjoyable and can become surprisingly addictive.
It can be difficult to not get too lost in it and let it take over your entire week, from team selection to making notes for the next training session.
If you’re on the fence whether to coach your kid’s team, or even just to help out, I’d heartily say give it a go.
If you are running training sessions for the team on a weekday evening and have a game Saturday/Sunday morning during the winter months, here are my recommendations for the best coaches football kit you should buy to stay warm, whilst barking orders from the sidelines.
I’ll start from the bottom and work my way up.
Feet
Cold feet are a nightmare. Once the cold gets in, it can become very distracting, very quickly.
Modern, low weight, mesh trainers like Nike Revolution look great, but they are useless in the winter, especially when you’re standing still for an extended period. Get a pair, but keep them for the sprint/summer training sessions.
Instead, buy yourself a cheap pair of 5-a-side football boots, with a faux leather lining. Unless you’re heavily style conscious, I wouldn’t bother break the bank for these. They will get muddy and messed up pretty fast.
Combine them with either football socks or full on thermal socks and you won’t even notice the cold.
They’ll both help stop the cold from getting in, and your body heat escaping. I’ve found that a decent pair of football socks always does the job, and are cheaper than thermal socks.
Legs
Tracksuit bottoms alone just don’t cut it. The cold gets in and you’re in big trouble if there is any wind.
Torso
My go-to combo for evening training in the depths of winter are a long-sleeve thermal top, Nike quarter-zip dri-fit training top and a large, padded coaches top. The coats can be a bit expensive, but they are worth the investment.
Those three together keep me toasty and warm, no matter how low the thermometer drops.
Hands
Gloves are an obvious choice, but I’ve also got some electric hand warmers for that extra touch.
They are also useful if you have a couple of subs getting cold on the sidelines. Pass them a hand warmer each to stop them freezing before they get on.
Head
It’s rare I use a hat or even put up a hood, but if the weather is extreme enough, a simple Thinsulate-based beanie ticks all the right boxes.
