For kids, soccer is a great sport to play because you need so little equipment to play it. Basically, you need a ball and some space - that's it. Walk into your local sports supply store, though, and you may well start to think that you need to have a very large bank balance to afford all the bits and pieces that the salesman will tell you are vital to play the game.

The reality is that if your child is happy to just muck around with a soccer ball, you probably don't need much in the way of soccer equipment. But if they want to get involved in a team and start some soccer training, then it's worth spending a few dollars to make sure they have the right gear.

If they're going to play in a team, then it's most likely the team will have a uniform.