Three days, four games. The kid needs more than you think and less than they pack.
Game-day kit
Two uniforms (one breaks, one is in the wash). Two pairs of socks per game day. Two pairs of cleats if possible (one always wet from morning dew). Slides for between games.
Sunscreen. Cooling towel. Water bottle that holds at least 24 oz. A second water bottle in the cooler for refills.
Two warm layers. Tournament fields are cold at 6 a.m. even in July. A hoodie and a long-sleeve shirt under the uniform handle the morning chill.
A hat. Game hat for the field, second hat for between games to keep sun off the kid’s face.
Hotel kit
A book. Charger. Headphones. The kid needs decompression that’s not a phone.
Pajamas they like. Hotel sheets are weird. Familiar pajamas help sleep.
Slippers or socks for the room. Hotel carpet is the carpet of strangers.
Food kit
A real cooler in the car. Bottled water (more than you think). Bagels. Bananas. PB sandwiches in plastic containers. Yogurt cups. Hard-boiled eggs. A small box of Cheerios. Sliced apples.
Three favorite snacks the kid eats no matter what. Whatever those are. Don’t experiment at a tournament.
Parent kit
A folding chair. Big sunscreen for you. A hat. Cash for the entry fee parking lot. A power bank for your phone. A book or downloaded show because you’ll have a 90-minute window between games.
A small plastic bag for the wet uniform pieces.
What you forget
Every parent forgets one of these every tournament. Bandages. Spare laces. Quarters for the laundry machine. A pen for the scorebook.
The team that handles tournaments well has a parent group chat where one parent forgot it last time and brings extras of one specific thing.
The summer tournament kit is the shorter version focused on essentials.