Preparing for your child’s first basketball game

The game of basketball is a great way for your children to get exercise, make new friends and even build skills. It is a sport that can welcome the growth but in order to play, your child needs to prepare for the game. You need strong joints and be flexible on the court so ensure the child is primed to play basketball and they know the rules and how to protect themselves during the game.

Getting a physical

If your child is new to sports or hasn’t played a physical, fast paced sport like basketball then you should schedule a physical for your child first. Your local doctor can look over the child their joints, vital systems, coordination and check their medical history to ensure they can handle all the demands that come with the sport. Your doctor can also give you advice as to how to stay safe, how to recognise injuries and plenty of other vital information that is important for your child to know.

Get the gear

In basketball you are jumping, running and quickly changing directions your child will require a decent pair of shoes that are made for basketball. They will need loose fitting shirts and shorts to help them move freely. Protective gear that is important is mouthguards and if the child wears glasses, athletic glasses are needed. These will ensure the child stays safe and have good performance. If your kid has a phone and intends to use it between the game during breaks, make sure that they have the right phone gripping accessories for the ease of use and handle.

Follow this checklist in order to get everything you need:

You can get all your gear from your local sports shop and if you don’t know what to get or are a little confused the professional staff will assist in helping you get everything you need.

You need all the right equipment to play at your best. It is important to start from the bottom up starting with the shoes. You need good supporting shoes that work for practice matches, friendly game after a match and for the whole game. There are lightweight low top shoes that are good for speed players and for aggressive players high tops are the go. They come in all different shapes and sizes.

Warm up suits and jackets for the pre-game are basketball shirts, shorts and a good practice jersey. A basic fleece jumper just a cheap one works well for this and can just be thrown in your locker. Compression layers are important like tanks and shorts or leg sleeves.

Next is the equipment which includes a ball pump, needle and an extra basketball. Extra additions that make everything work smoother like water bottles, wristbands, cooling towels and your mouthguard is essential. Depending on the club some make it mandatory for young children to wear helmets, but this will depend on the individual club.

Don’t forget you will need something to put all the gear in for easy organisation and pack up. Basketball bags can be purchased or any other gym type bag that have a special part for sweaty clothes and a special part for your shoes to keep them away from your clean clothes. Finally, make sure that you prepare for the game by charging your camera or phone to record your kid’s first game. This is going to be a monumental moment which you would want to cherish for a long time and show it to your child in the future to see the milestones him/her have covered in life. Prepare your phone and the accessories such as a selfie stick, remote, tripod stand, timer, etc. for the big game. Show your child that you’re a proud parent and be prepared for it all.