My daughter has been playing soccer for several years now. This past year, she stepped up her game playing in the local travel league. This meant a bigger commitment from her with practices 2 -3 times a week, almost year round and games and tournaments many weekends in the Spring and Fall. For me and her Dad, this meant we needed to improve our sideline gear. From spending many long afternoons at parks and farms across our region this past year, we have a list of things that are always in the car or in our bag ready to go. Here are some of our recommendations that make up the ultimate list of sideline survival gear for Soccer Moms and Dads:
Coleman Oversized Quad Chair with Cooler
You'll need a comfortable portable chair. These quad chairs are sturdy and easy to carry. You'll need one with a cup holder and this model has some extras for keeping supplies handy. Order one for yourself in team colors.
Pro tip - When using the chair, tie the carry bag to the armrest so it doesn't get lost.
Stadium Waterproof and Windproof Blanket
I hate being cold. Even worse is being cold and wet. I have one of these blankets that is soft fleece on one side and the opposite side is backed by a waterproof and windproof material. So while it's intended purpose might be for a quaint picnic on a sunny day. These blankets are also great to wrap up with on the sidelines on a cold dreary day.
Pro tip - Keep the blanket in your car. Being super portable, it is a great alternative to lugging the chair out when you'll only be waiting around for a few minutes at the end of soccer practice.
Travel Umbrella with Double Canopy
My husband's company gave him an over-sized umbrella many years ago. It wasn't a golf umbrella, but was large enough for both of us to huddle under without it being too big. After having it for almost 20 years, it is on it's last legs so I'm on the hunt for a replacement. With 100% 5 star reviews, this looks like a great replacement. I like that it has a double canopy so it handles the wind better than a traditional umbrella. The size is larger than a regular umbrella and smaller than a golf umbrella.
Sun Visor
For sunny game days, I wear my favorite sunglasses, but a good visor is key. I prefer a visor to a ball hat just because its cooler. But the visor keeps the sun off your face so you don't end up with raccoon eyes from getting too much sun while wearing glasses. You know the look I'm talking about.
Pro tip - This one comes in so many great color choices, you'll be sure to find one to match the team's colors.
Mac Sports Collapsible Folding Outdoor Utility Wagon
We're condo people and we live in a city, so we recently got this cart to bring groceries in from the car. I store it in my car so it is always handy, but also because we have no inside storage for these types of items. But this has totally been worth it. We use it at all of the weekend games and tournaments to haul our gear to the sidelines. It is available in many popular team colors, so again, team colors make a great choice.
Portable Travel Toiletry PouchThese colorful pouches are cute, but honestly, the type of bag doesn't matter as much as the supplies you'll want to keep handy. Grab a spare makeup bag and pack it with 1) travel size sunscreen, 2) bug spray, and 3) one of those small packages of tissues and 4) some of these PURELL Hand Sanitizer Wipes (in case you need to visit the portable potty).
Pro tip - leave the pouch in the car so you don't forget it at home.
Sport-Brella Versa-Brella All Position Umbrella
My husband volunteered to be team scorekeeper. This meant that he had to bring the iPad to the game each weekend to track the stats on the app recommended by the coaches. During hot and sunny games, his iPad was overheating, becoming unusable. During rainy games, he had to hide the iPad under my waterproof blanket. I got him this umbrella this Spring, and it has worked like a charm. He can clip it to his chair and adjust it to provide shade as the sun moves throughout the day.
Lands' End Fleece JacketI am a big fan of fleece zip ups. I own several. They are super comfortable, warm, washable, and affordable. In the fall, I prefer Lands' End 100 fleece, but when temperatures drop and winds whip up, I reach for my 200 fleece. I got one (yep, you guessed it) in team colors this season. I also recommend the fleece gloves, scarf, and hat. Grab the men's fleece for Dad.
