A goalkeeper is the leader of the team on and of the field – he or she tends to perform the best under pressure and is always prepared for the next challenge. Can your gear bag say the same? Do you have anything other than the necessities for the just in case scenario. Other than your goalkeeper gloves, uniform, socks, shinguards, and cleats, here are the next 4 things you should have packed in your soccer bag.
An extra goalkeeper jersey (of a different color) -
No matter the level of soccer, if your game is officiated by a referee, he or she will not allow the goalkeeper wear the same color jersey as one of the teams. It’s important that the referee is always able to distinguish the goalkeeper from the field players and if a goalkeeper has the same color jersey as one of the teams it may be difficult to do so. I’ve had instances that the referee asks me to change my black goalkeeper jersey because it is too close to the opponent’s navy jerseys. When you buy your second goalkeeper jersey, make sure it’s not the color of one of your team’s jerseys or close in color to your current jersey. Usually if you don’t have an extra jersey to change into, the ref will ask you to wear a pinnie and that’s something that may mess with your game.
Sometimes you’ll be able to find a reversible goalkeeper jersey. I’ve seen reversible goalie jerseys from many of the top soccer brands including reusch and Nike. The knock on reversible jerseys is that they tend to to not keep cool as well and if you have your number printed on both sides, you’ll feel the stickiness of the number unless you wear a shirt underneath.
An extra pair of goalkeeper gloves -
If you want to take it a step further, carry a pair of gloves for dry field conditions and one for wet field conditions. Some may say this is unnecessary, but it’s definitely not uncommon. A goalkeeper should at least carry their practice gloves in their bag along with their game gloves mainly for what-if scenerios and if weather conditions are harsh, the goalkeeper can warm-up in the practice pair and change into the game pair for the actual game. This will help keep the match gloves dry rather than getting soaked before the game starts.
Back to the wet weather goalkeeper gloves. Don’t forget you can wear a pair of wet weather goalkeeper gloves on a sunny and dry day. It’s just important to keep your gloves wet (as opposed to moist) during play – so you can keep a water bottle by the goal.
A water bottle - How can you keep a water bottle by the goal if you didn’t bring one?! When you watch professional soccer or even college soccer, you’ll always see a goalkeeper bringing a water bottle by the goal. There’s many reasons for this – goalkeepers aren’t subbed out, you’ll never be able to get water from the bench unless it’s halftime. Goalkeepers tend to talk the most on the field and spit on their gloves to keep them moist and extra tacky – this will dry out your mouth. The third reason is that you can be your defenders’ savior when they only have 30 seconds to catch their breath before a corner kick – they’ll be able to get a quick sip of water from the goal (rather than being subbed or running to the side lines).
If possible, try to get a non twist water bottle. The twisting caps are not the most forgiving to the foam on goalkeeper gloves. Something with a pull top/squeeze work the best.
A different pair of cleats (firm ground, hard ground, or soft ground) - 
Similar to the reasoning behind packing an extra pair of gloves, it’s wise to pack an extra pair of cleats as well. It’s even more wise to invest in a second pair of cleats that are for a different type of ground than your everyday pair of cleats. If you tend to play on hard and dry grounds you may want a pair of firm ground cleats and hard ground cleats. If it tends to rain a lot, soft ground cleats will make a great second pair of cleats. It’s vital for a goalkeeper to have cleats with solid traction and to be confident that his or her cleats will get the job done.
Don’t rush off to buy your second pair of cleats just yet! Many soccer shops will have both hard ground and soft ground cleats on sale before the soccer brands’ new releases. Of course firm ground cleats will go on sale as well – there’s just no reason to buy the latest edition cleats for your back-up pair.
A small towel – Keeping a small towel in your soccer bag will pay dividends. It will prolong your gloves’ lifespan (granted that you use the towel to clean off your gloves after each use) and it can help dry off your gloves during wet weather. You may also want to keep a larger towel (the size of a beach towel) in your car for those practices and games when you’re extra dirty. Just put it over your seat so you don’t dirty your car on your drive home.
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