Soccer Season with Tweens: Survival Guide, Carpool Hacks & What You Actually Need
I can’t believe soccer season is about to start again. How did it come round so quickly?
Both of my twin girls play soccer and once the season begins it’s complete chaos in our house. Between practices, games and carpools we basically live out of the car for three months.
Weeknights are a blur of homework, uniforms and rushing out the door. And most weekends? You’ll find us sitting on the sidelines of a soccer pitch somewhere with a folding chair and a coffee.
It’s busy. It’s chaotic.
But honestly? I wouldn’t trade it.
Watching them play a team sport has been one of the most rewarding parts of parenting tweens.
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Why Soccer Is So Good for Tween Girls
Team sports like soccer do so much more than just keep kids active. They teach life skills that stick long after the season ends.
1. Teamwork and leadership
Soccer is the ultimate team sport. Every player has a role and they have to learn how to work together to win. Research shows that teamwork and leadership are among the most common life skills girls gain from sports participation.
My girls are learning how to communicate, support teammates and step up when the team needs it.
2. Learning to deal with setbacks
Both of my girls have had seasons where their team lost… a lot. And honestly those seasons were some of the most valuable.
They had to keep showing up, keep trying and learn how to bounce back after losses.
Resilience is a huge life skill.
3. Handling pressure
Games can be intense — especially for kids who are naturally anxious. There are moments when they feel the pressure of the team depending on them.
But working through that pressure builds confidence and emotional resilience.
4. Building lasting friendships
Some of my girls’ closest friendships have come from their soccer teams. There’s something about going through practices, games and wins and losses together that really bonds kids.
5. It keeps them moving
Tween girls often start dropping out of sports around middle school. Soccer keeps them active, outside and building healthy habits.
6. Confidence
There is something powerful about watching girls run onto a field knowing they belong there.
Confidence like that carries into school, friendships and life.
The Carpool System That Saves My Sanity
If your kids play sports you know that carpool is everything.
Between practices, games and sibling activities it can feel impossible to keep up with all the carpools that you have going.
One thing that has saved from losing my mini me is using the Carpool Kids app. It makes organizing carpools incredibly easy and keeps everyone on the same schedule.
Highly recommend if your calendar currently looks like a chaotic mess of soccer practices.
Pre-Season Soccer Checklist (Things You Actually Need)
Here are the things I always make sure we have before the season starts.
These are all items we use every single season.
Sideline Essentials
👉 Coleman Camping Chair: A soccer-sideline classic.
👉 GCI Rocking Chair: The rocking motion is perfect for long games and tournaments.
👉 GCI Rocking Chair with SunShade: All the bells and whistles—rocking and sun shade in one.
👉 Kijaro Folding Chair: This no-frills chair is great value for money.
Large umbrella for rainy games
👉 MRTLLOA Extra Large Golf Umbrella
Insulated coffee mug
👉 Yeti Rambler 20oz
👉 Owala 20oz
Cooler
👉 Igloo Roller Cooler with Wheels: Large enough to hold drinks for the whole team.
👉 Ice Packs
Because soccer tournaments = dead phone batteries.
👉 INIU Portable Charger: Wired fast charging for Android and iPhone. Will provide multiple charges
👉 Anker Power Bank: Wired fast charging for Android and iPhone. Slightly more compact than the INIU, but fewer charges.
👉 Anker 621 Magnetic Portable Charger : Ultra compact and magnetic (no cable needed). Great for iPhones. Good for one charge and slower than the wired options.
Items for warm weather
Sunscreen (face + body), sunglasses, baseball hat, bug spray
Items for cool weather
👉 Stadium blanket like this
👉 Hand warmers like these
If younger siblings are with you:
picnic blanket, toys/activities, snack/drink
Player Gear
Soccer bag
👉 This has space for ball and cleats
New shin guards (because last year’s are… questionable)
👉 This pair is really comfortable
Large water bottle
👉 Igloo 1/2 Gallon Water Bottle
What I Keep in My Soccer Car Bin
- Extra socks
- Extra hair ties
- Bandaids
- Wipes
- Granola bars
- Sunscreen stick
- Bug spray
- Towel (for rainy days)
- Garbage bag (for wet gear)
- First aid kit + Ice packs
👉 Trunk organizers like this keep it all together.
Once you have these ready the season is much smoother.
Photo by Jeffrey F Lin on Unsplash
Snack Duty Ideas (What to Bring for the Whole Team)
If you’ve ever been on soccer snack duty you know the struggle of feeding 15 hungry kids.These are easy options that work well and can be bought in bulk:
Drinks
Snacks
Pro tip: Bring a cooler with ice packs and hand out drinks immediately after the game. The kids will think you’re the best parent on the team.
Fun Gifts for the Coach
Coaches put in a lot of time — practices, game planning, dealing with parents.
A small gift at the end of the season goes a long way.
Ideas that always work:
You can also have all the players sign a soccer ball.
Photo by Adrià Crehuet Cano on Unsplash
Small Team Gifts That Help Build Team Spirit
Some teams love doing small gifts at the beginning or end of the season.
Ideas that are cute but inexpensive:
Team color scrunchies
Hair ribbons
Personalized drawstring bags
Water bottle stickers
Team bracelets
The girls love matching accessories at games.
A Fun Mother–Daughter Soccer Movie Night
If your daughter loves soccer, a great bonding activity is a soccer movie night.
The classic is Bend It Like Beckham — such a fun mother-daughter watch and a great conversation starter about confidence and following your passions.
Popcorn and a cozy couch required.
Photo by John Cardamone on Unsplash
Final Thoughts
Yes, soccer season is chaotic.
Yes, it means a lot of evenings in the car and weekends on the sidelines.
But watching our girls grow in confidence, teamwork and resilience makes every minute worth it.
Plus… there’s something kind of magical about those early morning games when the sun is just coming up and a bunch of determined girls are running across the field chasing a ball.
Soccer season is chaos.
But it’s the good kind.
Photo by John Cardamone on Unsplash
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