What you actually need, by sport.

Team sports

• Baseball Glove, bat, helmet, cleats. Tee-ball through middle school.
• Basketball Shoes, ball, athletic gear. Indoor sport, low overhead.
• Football — Flag Mouthguard, cleats, gloves. No pads, no helmet.
• Football — 7v7 Skill-position 7v7. Mouthguard, cleats, gloves, optional skull cap. No tackling, no linemen.
• Football — Tackle Helmet, full pads, cleats. The most equipment-heavy youth sport.
• Hockey Skates, helmet, stick, full pads. Plan for serious investment.
• Lacrosse — Boys Contact version. Helmet, gloves, full pads, stick.
• Lacrosse — Girls Non-contact version. Stick, goggles, mouthpiece.
• Soccer Cleats, shin guards, ball, water bottle.
• Softball Mostly the same as baseball, with a few specific tweaks.
• Volleyball Shoes, knee pads, ball. Indoor and beach variants.
• Rugby Mouthguard, cleats, shoulder pads, scrum cap. Growing fast in youth.

Individual sports

• Pickleball Paddle, balls, court shoes. Youth pickleball is growing fast.
• Crew Most gear is club-provided. What you actually buy: a few specific things.
• Cross country Trainers, racing flats, layered cold-weather kit.
• Golf A starter set, gloves, balls. Used clubs are fine.
• Gymnastics Leotards, grips, tape. Most apparatus stays at the gym.
• Martial arts Gi, belt, mouthguard. Discipline differs by style.
• Wrestling Singlet, headgear, wrestling shoes. Folkstyle through high school.
• Swimming Suit, cap, goggles. The cheapest sport on the list.
• Tennis Racket, shoes, balls. Stringing matters more than you think.
• Track and field Spikes by event. Sprints, distance, hurdles, jumps, throws.

Performing arts

• Ballet Slippers, leotard, tights. Pointe later, on the teacher's timeline.
• Band Instrument, reeds, accessories. Rent before you buy.
• Cheerleading Shoes, bow, practice clothes. Competition uniforms via the team.
• Choir Almost no equipment. The list is short and cheap.
• Dance Shoes, leotards, tights, recital costumes. Style-specific.
• Stunt and tumbling Mat shoes, bracing, athletic tape. The tumbling-track essentials.
• Theater School plays, community theater. Mostly time, less equipment.

Essentials

• First aid kit Bandages, tape, cold packs, and what you use on the sideline every week.
• Season essentials Recovery, hydration, travel logistics. The kit that runs the season.
• Sideline kit Chair, cooler, blanket. The gear that makes watching comfortable.
• Recovery gear Foam rollers, massagers, bands, ice. What helps by age and what to skip until high school.

Coach gear

For the parent who's also on the bench. Clipboard, timer, video, training gear, and event supplies.

• Parent-coach gear Clipboard, timer, pennies, bag, whiteboard. The stuff you actually need on the bench.
• Video and tracking Phone tripod, action cam, ball pump. Film practice, inflate everything.
• At-home training gear Foam rollers, resistance bands, speed ladders, rebounder. The YouTube rabbit hole, organized.
• Boosters and events Folding table, payment box, PA speaker. For the parent running the table.