Equipment Shopping Guide

Equipment Checklist + Break-In Playbook for Parents

Not sure what gear your kid really needs—or how to break it in so it actually feels good?

This guide from The Coaching Dad gives you a simple, no-stress roadmap for youth sports equipment. It combines:

• Sport-by-sport checklists for football, hockey, baseball, and softball (what’s required vs. nice-to-have)

• Fit reminders for helmets, pads, skates, gloves, and cleats

• Break-in tips for the most common problem items:

  • Baseball/softball gloves and catcher’s mitts

  • Composite bats

  • Hockey skates and goalie gear

  • Cleats

Perfect for:
Parents new to youth sports, busy families juggling multiple teams, and volunteer coaches who want a simple resource to share with their teams.

Make equipment one less thing to stress about—so your kid can focus on playing, learning, and having fun.