What’s the best soccer ball for 8 year old?
As your child grows, so should the soccer ball he/she uses. So when your child reaches the age of 8, what soccer ball should you buy for your 8 year old? There are a few factors that will help you determine the size of the best soccer ball for an 8 year old. Here we will help you make the best decision on a ball for your 8 year old.
If you don’t care about quality or other factors, just go here to Amazon and order the 2017/18 Nike La Liga Soccer size 4 ball. Sometimes just a cheap soccer ball will do and that’s totally fine. But if you really care about your 8 year old’s soccer ball choice, you might want to keep reading and learn how to choose the best soccer ball for an 8 year old!
When your child was first starting out, lets say at 5 years old, a small ball was just fine because they weren’t do much more than just kicking it around and bouncing it. Kids should start out with a size 1 ball and progress through all the sizes until they reach 13 years of age and then they play with the size 5 for the rest of their lives.
Most kids start playing at around age 5-6 years old, when mom or dad signs them up for the AYSO program or some other type of recreational soccer program in the community. At this time the kids start learning about the game and begin to develop their soccer skills. The majority of the recreational programs will be playing with a size 3 ball at this young age.
It is at age 8 years old when it gets a little confusing because of the divisions that are set in place by the leagues and soccer programs. An 8-year-old, depending on their birthdate may be playing in a U9 soccer league. It is at U9 that youth soccer leagues in the United States begin playing with a size 4 ball. So it will not be the age of your youngster that determines the size of the ball for an 8 year old, it will be the youth soccer league division in which he or she plays.
Our recommendation at SoccerShopForYou.com is that you take your 8 year old’s development into consideration. If your child is just starting out at 8 years old, buy them the smaller size 3 ball regardless of what division they are playing in. The reason we recommend this for an 8-year-old is that the smaller the ball, the better it is for their development. You want your child to improve their skills as much as possible as quickly as possible.
Why does the size of the ball matter? Well, have you ever seen a goalie playing with tennis balls? What about a basketball player dribbling tennis balls? What about a baseball player trying to hit pin pong balls or waffle balls? The reason they train with smaller balls is that it helps improve their hand-eye coordination. This is what you want to do with the smaller ball for your 8-year-old. You want them to improve their foot and eye coordination which will make them a better player.
Check out the soccer ball size chart used in the United States. This is also similar to many other countries around the world. Remember that these soccer ball sizes are for COMPETITION and not necessarily for training, although most countries will recommend the same size ball for training and competition.
The ball your child plays with will have a huge impact. Buy the smaller size ball when your child is 8 years old. Every team, regardless of the league your child plays in has to provide the game ball. It is not the responsibility of your child or you as a parent to provide the game ball. For this reason, you should buy your 8 year old a size 3 soccer ball. This will allow your child to practice with the smaller ball at home and at training. When the game starts, just put your child’s size 3 soccer ball away and they can play with the size 4 ball if they play in a U9 division. If your 8 year old happens to be playing U8, then even better, your size 3 soccer ball will be able to be used as a game ball, if you want it to.
Here are the balls we recommend for your 8 year old, both are size 3. Remember the two most important factors.
What age group does your child compete in? Are you the coach?
How much do you want your child to improve their development?
Comparison Chart
Champion Sports Extreme Series Soccer Ball, Size 3 – Youth League, All Weather, Soft Touch, Maximum Air Retention – Kick Balls for Kids Under 8 – Competitive and Recreational Futbol Games, Yellow
Kids Training Soccer Ball – Size 3 Youth Smart Football with Tether for Juggling, Foot Control, Kicking Practice – Adjustable Cord – Outdoor Soccer Equipment (Pink)
Runleaps Traditional Soccer Ball, Size 3 Soccer Training Ball for Kids, Children, Teenagers, Adults for Indoor and Outdoor Practice Recreation Games, Black and White
Adidas MLS GLider Ball
- Part of the MLS Soccer collection, the design is inspired by the three MLS pillars of club, country, and community
- Special TPU exterior material is designed to resist abrasion and last longer
- Butyl bladder for best air retention to keep the ball’s shape and stay inflated longer
- Size 3 ball suggested by adidas for ages 8 and under; size 4 ball suggested for ages 8-12; size 5 ball (official size) suggested for ages 12+. Size 1 is a mini ball. DO NOT FORGET to check with your local league for size requirements.
If you are the coach and have to provide the ball for your competitions, you should check with your league and see what ball they recommend. Even after this, you should buy two balls, a size 4 for competition if required, and a size 3 soccer ball for your 8 year old to train at home and practice. It is more difficult to manipulate a size 3 soccer ball because of the smaller size, this will help your 8 year old improve their ball control and eye/foot coordination.
Forget about the quality of the ball, as long as it is a good regular ball, you will be fine. It doesn’t have to be the finest ball in the store, but it does need to have some good “true bounce” so your 8 year old can learn to be familiar with the ball. Don’t worry about the name brand either, at this young age there is no need to pay extra for name brands.
You could also take a look at a futsal ball for indoor training. If you want to know more about futsal balls check out the encyclopedia of futsal balls here.
Champion Sports Extreme Series Composite Soccer Ball
This composite soccer ball from Champion Sports is perfect for beginner to intermediate athletes. Built for high-retention activity, this ball won’t lose its composite and instead will provide optimal surface coverage and handling, no matter the weather.
Unlike many other soccer balls that are made for children, all of Champion Sports’ balls are made from TPU, which provides smoother juggling, handing, kicking, and passing. It also dramatically reduces the chances of injury.
With their patented, machine-stitched panels, the Champion Sports Extreme Series composite soccer ball is reinforced for extra strength and rough handling so that you can be as hard on the ball as you want without worrying about damaging it.
Whether your kid is part of a recreational league, school team, or just training in the backyard for fun, the Champion Sports Ball can meet all of their diverse sporting needs every time.
Messi Training System Soccer Ball
Messi Training System understands that, if you want to be great, you must train like the greats! Their Messi training ball is one of the best ways for young athletes to improve their skills on their field, and a size 3 soccer ball is ideal for practicing footwork and learning how to make excellent shots.
This soccer ball is unique because it comes tethered with a cord which can be adjusted to accommodate your child’s height. It works great for both boys and girls, and its ergonomic grip is designed so that your children’s hands won’t get hurt during drills.
This training ball is excellent for practicing body positioning, foot-eye coordination, chesting, heading, dribbling, juggling, and all other aspects of football.
The tether on the Messi Training System ball works perfectly to keep the ball exactly where you want it, making sure that you never lose track of it, which is helpful if your child isn’t great at ball control yet.
Franklin Sports Soccer Balls
The Franklin Sports soccer ball features a foam cushioning system that provides the ball with a soft, responsive feel that takes some of the sting out of your more viscous headers.
It comes with an all-weather PVC ball covering that makes it water-resistant, allowing you to be confident that your ball will be able to weather any storm or weather conditions. You never have to worry about leaving it outside again.
Franklin Sports manufactures their soccer balls with high-quality air retention bladders so that you don’t have to worry about deflation or leaks. We all know how frustrating it can be to pick up your ball for a practice session only for it to crumple in your hands.
The great thing about this ball is that it ships to you already pumped up, so you can get to practicing and playing as soon as it’s in your hands.
Runleaps Traditional Soccer Ball
If you’re on the market for a soccer ball that can withstand even the strongest kicks and blows you have to offer, then the Runleaps traditional ball is the one for you. It is made using durable, high-quality TPU exterior material and is specially built for rough surfaces like concrete and asphalt.
The ball’s butyl bladder keeps the internal air pressure stable while also improving your ball control. The smooth service and fine sewing technique on this ball increase your accuracy and stability when in flight, ensuring that your shots always hit the target.
Runleaps put a lot of excellent craftsmanship into this ball so that you can pass, kick, and hit like a pro. Its lightweight design makes this ball perfect for teens that are starting their journey in the world of football, especially through recreational matches.
The classic design gives the ball an iconic appearance.
Wilson Traditional Soccer Ball
Wilson is known for its high-quality sporting equipment, so it should come as no surprise that their kid’s soccer ball is one of the best on the market. It comes in black and white, as well as blue and black colors so that your child can choose the one that suits their preferences the best.
The Wilson ball features a synthetic leather cover that provides it with increased strength and durability so that it can withstand all of your most powerful shots. You will never need to worry about damaging your ball ever again, thanks to this steadfast ball.
This ball features a butyl rubber bladder on the inside that allows it to retain both its shape and the air pumped into it excellently without leaking. This means that you won’t have to pump it up nearly as frequently as you would have to with other balls.
A Training Ball with an Integrated Sensor
With the adidas Smart Ball you’ll fine tune your technique and kick like a pro with instant feedback on power, spin, strike and trajectory, along with exclusive tips and guidance.
A training tool for place kicks, the adidas Smart Ball is a size 5, sorry this is the only size they have. So it may go against our recommendation of a size 3 ball for your 8 year old. An integrated sensor package records strike point, speed, spin and trajectory when you kick the ball.
Kick data is sent instantly back to a companion iOS or Android app over Bluetooth Smart, enabling users to perfect their technique for power, bend and knuckle balls.