Competitive youth soccer can get pretty expensive so parents look for ways to save money wherever they can. Soccer jackets/pants for warmups, soccer backpacks, and soccer socks are some places you can save money. Many clubs order jerseys and warm ups through a 3rd party to make sure that all the players get the right jerseys, the right number, and get them on time for the next season. There are definite benefits to getting your uniform through the soccer club but cost is definitely not one of them.

Soccer Club Orders

What we’ve noticed over the years is that gear through the club costs more than it would if you bought it individually. You’d think that the group pricing would allow the club to offer kits cheaper to players but the middle man always adds fees and sometimes the coaches get free gear which increases the cost to the players.

If you’re playing for a club that requires you to order through them there’s not a whole lot you can do in terms of the kits. Some clubs do offer need based scholarship programs if the overall costs are too high but many families just grit their teeth and bear it.

Soccer Jacket Discounts

There are a few ways you can save money when ordering soccer gear. Many times you can get the same warmups and soccer bags from other places for a better price. Here are a few examples.

An Adidas Tiro warmup jacket was $50 dollars when we bought it through the club fulfillment but I just saw similar ones for $19.99 at Costco. They don’t have a club patch or number on them but for the difference in cost it might not matter to you.

Same with the pants, they were $45 through the club but as you can see in the photo they were $14.99 at Costco. That’s $60 in savings for warm ups and it’s an even bigger savings if you have 2 or 3 kids with the club. If your club uses a unique color it may be harder but Costco had red, navy blue, and black for the pants and jackets in all sizes: Small, Medium, Large, X-Large.

Of course you can only save money in that example if you’re a member or Costco but you can find similar deals online. These warmup pants were $45 when ordering through the club but we passed and instead bought them on soccer.com for $40

Pants are probably the easiest place to save because most pairs of black or navy warmup pants look the same. It’s a little more obvious if your kid’s warm up jackets is a different style or if it’s missing a patch or number so that might bother some players.

From experience it is nice having the player number on the jacket to make sure they don’t get them mixed up and to help keep some other player from accidentally walking away with the wrong one. Of course, you can always add on a number after the fact if you don’t mind the hassle.

Soccer Backpacks & Socks

Another way to save money on uniform club orders is to order team backpacks online. The same year we saved money on the pants orders this team backpack was $56 through the club but only $45 online. Again, it didn’t have the team patch or player number but you can add a number to the bag when you order for a few extra bucks.

Is it worth it to order the bag separately to save $10? All online orders charge shipping which adds to the cost but many offer free shipping if you spend over a certain amount. An order for a team bag or warm ups should get you free shipping on most sites.

One way to bump up the total for your order if you need to spend a little more for free shipping is to add in a pair of socks or two. Most clubs require you to order one pair of socks with the team kit but we all know it’s easy to misplace team socks when you’re in a hurry to get to a game or even to lose them all together.

Many parents buy an extra pair or two at the start of the season, you can probably save some money ordering the extra pairs online rather than through the club if you combine them with a bag or warmup and get free shipping.

These socks were $16 a pair through the club but we can get them for $13.50 through soccer.com. Not worth a whole separate order but if you’re already placing an order and need to get free shipping adding in a pair or two of socks could get you there and save you a few bucks.

Personally, if I’m going to spend money on youth soccer I’d prefer to spend it on soccer training rather than on gear so we’re always looking for ways to cut costs on things like warm ups, backpacks, and socks. Hope this helps!