Here we go, after a bit of a break from football which also led to a break from the site we are back. The break from the game has resulted in me playing for a new team which is a very new start up but more on that in it's own post soon. The new team started up after this seasons leagues begun so currently we are playing friendlies to gain that valuable game time before the new season begins later this year. I can't complain though as the friendlies are providing me with opportunities to work on my fitness & technique before we enter the league.
A new team though also means new kit & training gear and that fun part of packing your bag on a Saturday evening to ensure you have everything you need before heading off to a game on a Sunday. I love the Saturday evening before a game, getting my kit laid out ready and filling my bag with those essentials and here is what I pack...
My kit doesn't actually go in my bag as I make sure I am ready before I head to the game but I couldn't help including our training kit in the post as I just love it, the colour is perfect and the fit is even better. We are currently wearing training kit to games as we await our new kits arrival which I am really looking forward to as the design is brilliant.
The first thing in the bag are the shin pads and I have treated myself to a lovely comfortable pair from Nike for these friendlies and probably into the new season. These are already my favourite shin pads as they fit much better and are much lighter than my old Puma ones. To be honest these have to be one of the first things that go into my bag as I can guarantee if I forget anything it would be my shin pads.
Next up we have the trusty sock tape which I actually use to hold my shin pads in place. The shin pads come with sleeves but with how tight my socks also are the sleeves just seem to restrict me and I am not a fan. A bit of this sock tape around the shin pad though does the trick just as well as the shin pad is held in place. These are super cheap on Amazon too and the colour matches the socks perfectly.
The knee strap is then put straight into the bag as I have done a few training sessions without this and been in pain after. My knee issues are never going away however, this strap is one of the best I have ever owned as it has massively reduced the game day/ training pain in my knee and again it was a bargain off of Amazon.
The inhaler is an absolute essential and before I head out of the door on game day I think I check about 5 times to make sure this is definitely in my bag. I am hoping once I shift some weight I might not rely on this as much as my fitness should be increasing quite a bit but for now as I am pushing myself more and more the inhaler is always easy to access.
I am growing my hair out and I didn't realise how much of a nightmare it would be when I am playing football. Just in case it ends up really irritating me during a game I have one of my favourite Miss Kick headbands in my bag so I can quickly put it on and get my hair out of my face.
With us playing on 4G/5G I always make sure I have some form of plaster in my bag just in case I come off the pitch and notice any bad cuts, they also come in super handy if my boots start to rub me which fingers crossed hasn't happened yet.
I am so unfit it is untrue so in my bag I always make sure I have one of these energy gels. The gel is an essential for half time and as soon as the whistle blows I am straight into my bag to get the gel down me before the second half starts whether I am starting that half or not. These SIS gels are certainly my favourites and I love how you can get the packs in Home Bargains which contain a nice mixture of flavours.
Alongside the gels I also have a bit of a snack in my bag for post game as sometimes I just can't wait until I get home to have something to eat. The snack is 9 times out of 10 a protein bar which is always beneficial after playing and helps with the post game recovery which is always much needed, it is a much better option than a chocolate bar.
I always have a bottle of water with me on game day as if I have a Lucozade these days I tend to struggle, plus I have a pretty high daily water intake target so the water switch is certainly beneficial. I am going to start adding an extra bottle in to the bag though for post game which includes a scoop of EAA's & creatine as these should help with the recovery process.
We live in England of course a jacket is included in my bag every game day and even if I start of wearing it the jacket ends up in the bag at some point as I am not planning on losing it anytime soon. My jacket of choice at the moment (yes I have 3 already and 2 are different types of 1/4 zips) is this simple 1/4 zip. The quality is amazing and has got me through plenty of warm ups whilst it has been freezing. This is probably the smartest looking 1/4 zip I have had in a long time and quite possibly the comfiest.
Yes I have better boots than these however, I am saving those boots for when the league is up and running next season (I am a bit paranoid about destroying them before playing competitive again). These Adidas are slowly becoming a favourite of mine though and are really tempting me to opt for Adidas as my next pair of boots as they are much more comfortable than my Nike's to say what the price difference is, but again there is a whole other post comparing the two boots coming very soon. These are certainly well worn but are still really comfortable which is what is needed due to the mixture of surfaces we are on these days.
So there you have it that is what is in my bag on game day these days. I am absolutely loving being back on the pitch and these friendlies are really making me push myself so that I can head into the new season in the best shape possible. I wonder how much the contents of the bag will change over the course of this extended pre-season and as we head towards the new season later on in the year. The boots will definitely be a change as the new season rolls around but will they be the Nike's or something different I guess we will see nearer the time.
What do you always have in your game day bag?
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