Once your child starts competing more seriously, travel soon becomes part of life. Whether it’s a weekend tournament a few hours away or a competition abroad, good preparation makes a huge difference to how your child feels and performs.
For younger athletes, most of the organising falls to parents and coaches. In team sports, the club, school or governing body will often handle much of it. As your child gets older, encourage them to take more responsibility for their own preparation. It’s a great life skill.
Learn from every trip
The more you travel, the better you’ll get at it. A simple system helps:
- Keep two lists: a packing list and a planning list (bookings, documents and so on).
- Make notes as you go. Whenever you realise you’ve forgotten something, or something goes wrong, jot it down on your phone.
- Update your lists when you get home. Next time, you’ll be better prepared.
Over time, you could build different packing lists for different trip lengths, such as a weekend, five days or ten days.
Packing checklist
Sport
- Training and competition kit, plus spares
- The right footwear for the surface, plus trainers
- Any equipment for their sport
- Recovery kit, such as a foam roller
- Water bottle
Everyday
- Clothes for the trip, plus something smart or casual for evenings
- Flip-flops and swimwear if there’s a pool
- Wash bag
- Sun cream, sunglasses and a hat
- Waterproofs
Health
- First aid kit (plasters, antiseptic wipes, bandages)
- Any regular medication, such as an inhaler, in its original packaging. Check any medication on Global DRO (globaldro.com) if your child competes at a level where they could be drug tested.
- Contact lenses or glasses
- Avoid supplements unless they’ve been recommended by a professional and tested by Informed Sport.
Food and drink
- Healthy snacks for the journey and between events
- Plenty of water
Tech and entertainment
- Phone, chargers and a power bank
- Headphones, books or downloaded films for the journey
- Travel adaptors if you’re going abroad
Hand luggage tip: When flying, pack a set of training and competition kit, plus their footwear, in hand luggage, in case the main bag goes missing.
Planning checklist
For every trip
- Tickets and travel plans, including how long the journey will take
- Accommodation confirmation
- Competition details, entry paperwork and organisers’ contact details
- Any governing body membership or licence
- Contact details for coaches, team managers and support staff
- Money and bank cards for any emergencies
For trips abroad, also check
- Passports: Check they’re valid, with enough time left on them for your destination.
- Visas and entry requirements: Check the government’s travel advice (gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice).
- Vaccinations: Check what’s needed well in advance with your GP or a travel clinic.
- Insurance: Make sure your travel insurance covers sport, and take a UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) for Europe.
- Medication: Check any rules on taking medication into the country, and carry a letter from your GP if needed.
- Food rules: Some countries restrict what food you can bring in.
- Baggage allowances: Especially if you’re carrying sports equipment.
- Phones: Check roaming charges, and download a translation app and offline maps.
If your child is travelling without you
Make sure you know who’s responsible for them, where they’re staying, the sleeping arrangements and how to reach them. Any club or school trip should have clear safeguarding arrangements and a named lead. Don’t be afraid to ask.
Coping with heat, altitude and jet lag
For athletes competing internationally, these can have a big impact on performance.
Heat and humidity
- Arrive a few days early if you can. The body adapts to heat over time, though it can take up to two weeks to fully adjust.
- Drink plenty of fluids and keep eating well.
- Cover up and use sun cream when out and about.
- Find shade between training and competition, and avoid sitting in the sun beforehand.
Altitude
- At high altitude, there’s less oxygen, so breathing and heart rate increase. Some people also get altitude sickness.
- Arrive early and ease into training gradually. Full adjustment can take up to two weeks.
- Keep well hydrated and eat well, even if appetite drops.
- Seek medical advice if symptoms such as headaches, nausea or breathlessness continue.
Jet lag
Crossing time zones throws the body clock out. Your child may feel tired at the wrong times, wake up in the night, lose their appetite and feel less alert. That can affect speed, reactions, concentration and focus.
To reduce it:
- Start adjusting before you go. In the days before travelling, gradually shift meal and bed times towards the new time zone.
- Switch to local time straight away. Eat and sleep at local times from the moment you arrive.
- Get daylight at the right times. Being outside in daylight during the local day helps reset the body clock. A morning walk is particularly helpful.
- Keep naps short. If they need one, keep it to around 30 minutes, and avoid sleeping until local bedtime.
- Arrive early if you can. Jet lag is usually worse travelling east than west, so allow more time to adjust on eastward trips.
Prepared and relaxed
The better prepared you are, the less stressful travel becomes for everyone, and the more your child can focus on enjoying the experience and performing at their best.
