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Storelli Leg Shields

Soccer shin guards, especially for kids, are usually terrible, Most have a sock-like bottom with heel strap, and then an elastic strap to go around the calf, fastened with some velcro. They are difficult to get on - and even more difficult to remove, once your player is a sweaty mess. The velcro strap digs in, comes undone, and eventually rips off at one side or another, rendering them useless. Adults commonly have “slip in” shin guards, but kids usually don’t have enough surface area on their shin to keep that style in place under their sock, even with the sleeve they come with to help hold them in place. Frustrated with buying shin guards every 3 months, and having them break in the same way over and over again, I stumbled upon Storelli and their Leg Shields. Storelli is a New York company that specializes in protective equipment for soccer and baseball/softball players. The Leg Shield is a stretchy, thin sleeve that is pulled up the shin like a sock, with a heel strap to hold it under the foot. On the outside of each leg is some protective padding, as well as around the top of the ankle. At the inside of the top cuff, the sleeve has some sticky rubber/latex pads to help hold the sleeve. They work quite well, and the sleeves never slip down in use. Most importantly, they have a pocket in the front where a standard slip-in shin guard fits easily, and holds them securely, but comfortably, in place. When you pull your soccer sock on to cover the whole sleeve, the pocket plus the sock lock the shin guard in place. These things have been a dream come true in our house. No longer do we deal with sweat soaked shin pads, stuck directly on the skin (and the worry of bacterial infection), ripped straps, or pulling my kid’s leg off as we struggle to get them off his sweaty ankles. The sleeves let us use standard slip in shin guards that have no “moving parts” - no straps, no velcro, no stitching to come undone. They also usually have “channels” on the back to promote air flow. Since the sleeve surrounds the shin guard, it’s padding is never in direct contact with the skin, allowing for airflow, and minimizing the risk of bacterial skin infections. One set of sleeves and shin guards have lasted us a complete season of club and town, which for us means 5-6 days a week of soccer. Storelli has a decent sizing chart, but I still had a difficult time guessing what size to get. In the end, a youth medium fits perfectly on my 4′8″ 85-pound player. If you or your kids play a lot of soccer, I can’t stress enough how amazing these have been for ease of use and functionality. Youth BodyShield Leg Guard

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Soccer Balls

Today we review soccer balls. I know, not the most exciting way to start, but in my household, there are a LOT of soccer balls floating around. My sons play, my daughters played, and I coach, and like any activity you put effort into, having quality equipment makes a difference.

Until now, I’ve never dug into the actual data behind all these soccer balls, but I always had a feeling that they are not created equal.

They ALL have stamped on their side “Official size and weight” but a few minutes with any collection of random soccer balls, and you quickly realize that unless that statement refers to a range as wide as a mile, something isn’t quite right.

First, soccer balls come in primarily 3 sizes for gameplay (there are other smaller sizes, but they are not used for actual game use. We looked at the three sizes in use across the world for youth through adult play, size 3, 4, and 5.

In each size, we took our collection of soccer balls in our house, in all three sizes, weighed and measured them, photographed them, and compared them to international standards for size and weight.

We weighed them in grams on a digital kitchen scale and measured them in centimeters with a cloth measuring tape. Each ball was inflated to the recommended minimum pressure as printed on the ball and tested with an analog pressure gauge designed for sports balls. We used metric because it was easier to match up to international standards, and, when you do science, you use the metric system!

Here is the link to our full data sheet.

First, let’s look at the size 3 data:

From the chart, it seems there is one ball that meets the “Official size and weight” label, and that is the adidas Native Top Glider MLS. 

This list has 1 big caveat - all these balls are at least 1-2 years old. However, almost all of these balls were weighed and measured when they were new (but I don’t have that data here).

Here they are, clockwise from top left, Nike Strike Ciento, adidas Prime, adidas Native, Nike Pitch.

In use, I can tell you a little about each ball.

The 2 adidas balls, when new, were underweight, and also bit undersized. Over time, being left outside for extended periods of time, they’ve gained weight and stretched out. Rain, snow, sun, heat, and cold all conspire to break them down over time if left exposed to the elements, and these certainly were!

The adidas balls have a firm feel on foot - they are not a comfortable ball to kick, for adults or kids. The flight on them is crazy if hit square - lots of movement in the air as they travel. There was much talk about the adidas balls used during the 2010 World Cup, and these are decedents of that ball.

The Nike Pitch ball was always a heavy feeling ball - decent padding, but dense feeling - it was barely below maximum weight when new, but felt much heavier. It did not have much spring off the foot and was never a favorite in our house.

The Nike Strike, on the chart, looks like a complete bust, but this particular ball has been USED. New, it was definitely within specification - it was the only one right in the sweet spot for size and weight. This ball was LOVED - constantly used for 2+ years, 5+ days a week. During our U8 years, my son used this 5+ days a week. It was our match ball during games, and the first one choosen out of the shed for backyard fun.

Take a look - a quick wash and scrub in the sink and:

That ball is 2 years old - I swear.

Now, for the size 4 balls.

Here’s the chart:

And here they are clockwise from the top left; Nike Strike Team, Nike Strike PL, Nike Strike Copa, Mikasa.

See a trend here? As my son moved on from U8 town to club and U10 soccer, we moved up a size, and we tended to stick with what had worked. The bottom right Copa ball became the #1 for my son with his club team and was used 5-6 days a week, on turf and grass fields all spring long. It was only recently replaced with the Nike Strike Team ball in the top left because too many of his club players had the same ball, and it was getting hard at the end of practice to find his ball amongst the 40 balls scattered on the field.

The size 4 Nike Strike balls continue to have the same excellent feel as the size 3 balls. Nice feel on the foot, a lively snap off the foot when struck, consistent travel in the air. Put some spin on it, and it curves predictably. Hit it square, and great movement - but not utterly unpredictable like the size 3 adidas above!

The Mikasa was an attempt to find a good cheap alternative to the terrible balls we were using in-town. The town league has to buy in bulk, so I was looking for a decent ball and a reasonable price, and the Amazon reviews seemed good. The ball is pretty good if a bit heavy feeling. Decent padding, so a nice soft feel, but that padding contributes to the overall feel of heft. For under the $20 I paid, it seems like it would hold up to town team use and abuse, but it never had a chance to supplant my son’s favorite.

For the upcoming season, I’ll be coaching a U10 team, so I purchased 5 of the Nike Strike PL balls for myself. The chart shows the 5 ball average for that model. I was able to get them for $20 each on sale - likely because they are ugly as sin (to my eyes!). I don’t know who picked the color schemes for all the Premier League balls (La Liga and Ligue 1 too!) in 2016/2017 - looks like a colorblind peacock exploded on all of them!

OK - now the adult size 5 balls.

Here’s the chart:

And, once again, clockwise from top left; adidas Native, Nike Ordem 3 Summer, Nike Strike, Nike Ordem 3 Winter.

Finally, we can compare some everyday soccer balls with true, top of the line, FIFA match approved balls. The two Ordem 3 (replaced this year with Ordem 4′s) are the same ball you saw on TV watching any top-flight match - they cost $160+ new each - certainly not something most local teams and clubs can afford - definitely not bags full of them!

The adidas entry here is an NFHS certified ball - so basically it’s a match ball for any high school tournament. Strangely, the size and weight range for NFHS balls differ from FIFA standards. For the sake of consistency I stuck with the FIFA standards - if it’s good enough for the rest of the planet, I don’t know why NFHS has to be different.

Even though the adidas is under-sized, it has a decent, if heavy feel. Well padded - a better feel than the size 3 adidas balls, for sure. My U14 team liked it, but given a choice then went after the Ordem 3 ball.

The Ordem 3′s are definitely premium feeling - the cover is detailed, the colors are vibrant, and the feel is different from all the other balls. There is a sure feel to those balls when struck - it does what you expect; however you strike it. The summer ball is a little heavier, but that is likely because it was game used. The winter ball is one that sits in my office - I think it’s too gorgeous to get dirty.

I loved the 15/16 Premier League winter hi-vis ball on TV, and when it arrived at my house, it was even better looking in person. I declared immediately that this ball was never to be used - even my 3-year old knows not to take this one out of the house!

However, they are not THAT different from the Nike Strike - certainly not $130 different!

Conclusion

This is not a comprehensive review of every ball on the market (I own all these - no one is sending me soccer balls to try!), I do have the opportunity to see and try a wide range of soccer balls at practice.  

I find that sad, because if you provide a kid with a quality ball, then they use a tool that is sized appropriately for their age and development. Playing with a ball too heavy is frustrating and possibly harmful physically. Playing with one too light gives a false sense of development and doesn’t develop proper touch.

As the chart shows, a decent ball can be purchased for $20-$30, and will last at least 2 years, even with almost daily use.

I can wholeheartedly recommend any of the Nike Strike balls in all 3 sizes. They seem to have somehow taken the top of the line Ordem series, and brought all the best features down from a $160 ball to a $30-$40 ball.

Take a look at the closeup photos here of the Nike Aerowtrac texture on the Ordem ball, and then compare it to the Strike ball.

Ordem 3 above, Strike below:

The fact that these 2 balls are $130 apart is remarkable. Nike should be commended for this - the consistency of the Nike Strike line is impressive, even across years of manufacture.

Nike Strike - 👍🏼 ⚽️

Nike Team Strike Ball [WHITE] (3)

Nike Strike - Size 4

Nike Strike - Size 5