35 Back-To-School Sports Gear Essentials Every Young Athlete Needs

Emma Chao/Fatherly; Getty Back-to-school season does not just mean notebooks, lunch boxes, and the shoes your kid insists everyone else already has. If your kid plays sports, it also means damp socks wedged into the back seat, a gym bag that smells like evidence, water bottles with no lids, and a towel that is wet, rank, and somehow still in use. Most young athletes need the same basic stuff, no matter what they play: a sturdy water bottle, sweat-ready clothes, socks that do not quit, sunscreen, towels, deodorant, recovery gear, and something to contain the mess. Nothing here is precious. Nothing is so sport-specific that it only works for one season. This is the Amazon gear parents end up buying anyway, pulled together before the season takes over the sports bag, the laundry room, and your will to live. Water Bottle A good water bottle is the first thing every young athlete needs, and the first thing they will leave on a bench somewhere. Look for one that is durable, easy to clean, and big enough to get them through practice. Our Pick: Yeti Yonder Water Bottle Yeti Water Bottle Amazon - The 50-ounce size gives kids enough water for long practices and tournament days, and the tethered leakproof cap means one less loose lid rolling around the car. It is also lightweight, clippable, and dishwasher-safe, which matters because no parent needs another thing that requires special handling. Sports Drink Some practices are long, hot, and sweaty enough that water alone may not cut it.…