The schedule says 7am. You wake up at 5:45. You are not ready. Your kid is not ready. Here is what you need.

Coffee for you

A travel mug. Filled before you leave. The field has no good coffee. The drive is your one good drink window.

Breakfast for the kid

A banana. A piece of toast with peanut butter. Eaten in the car. Don’t try a sit-down breakfast at 6am. Won’t work.

Real food for after

A small cooler with the post-game food. Cheese stick. More fruit. Crackers. The kid will be hungrier after the game than they were before.

The kid’s gear, double-checked

Jersey, shorts, socks, shin guards, cleats. Lay it out the night before. Verify in the car at the field, not at home. Forgotten shin guards are common.

A blanket

For the bench. For the bleachers. For the back of the car if the warm-up went long. 7am is colder than 7pm.

Hand warmers

Not for the kid. For you. Two of them. One in each pocket. They make the difference between watching the game and shivering through it.

A folding chair

If the field has no bleachers. Most early-morning fields don’t.

A real jacket

Not your kid’s jacket. Your jacket. You will be standing for 90 minutes in 40 degrees. Wear the warmer one.

Water

For the kid, two bottles. For you, one.

A change of socks for the kid

The wet grass at 7am is wet. By 8am, the kid’s first pair is soaked. The second pair makes the post-game car ride civilized.

Hand sanitizer

The portable bathrooms at most fields are bad. Hand sanitizer goes a long way.

Wipes

For the inevitable mud, snot, drool, bird poop, juice spill. One pack covers most.

A trash bag

For the wet stuff to go home in. The trunk thanks you.

A small tip you’ll forget

Sunscreen even at 7am. The sun comes up by 7:45. The kid is out for two hours. Sunscreen on once before you leave.

The thing not to bring

Toys for the bleachers. The kid does not need a tablet at the field. The game is the entertainment.

The 5:45 ritual

Bag is packed Friday night. Coffee starts brewing automatically at 5:50. Kid’s clothes are in a pile by their bed. You can be at the field by 6:50 if you don’t add steps.

The 7am Saturday game is survivable. With the right list, it can even be pleasant.

Drive carefully. Most morning drivers are still half asleep too.