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As a parent, you’re often presented with challenges when raising your kids. First, there’s potty training, and then teaching your kid to dress themselves. But one curve ball you might’ve not seen coming is your child’s interest in baseball. Parents new to little league don’t need to fret about the equipment needed for baseball for kids.
Safety First – Protective Gear for Young Baseball and Softball Players
As a parent, the only thing more frightening than your kid coming home with detention is them getting hurt. In the early stages of baseball, children need the best protective gear they can get. When a child is new to a sport, especially at a young age, collisions are going to happen. Providing the most protection for your child as they play should be your number one priority.
The first piece of safety equipment you’ll need is a youth baseball helmet. Helmets will protect your child’s brain from trauma. There are several different styles of helmets you should consider for your child. First, there’s open face helmets. These helmets offer protection to the upper head, but leave the face exposed. Second, there’s helmets with jaw guards. These helmets protect the batting side jaw from getting hit. Finally, there’s fastpitch softball helmets. These helmets protect the lower portion of the face.
What to Know About the Right Baseball Cleats
Cleats are important to baseball. Could you imagine making those tight base turns without good traction? You may end up looking more like a cartoon than a baseball player. A good pair of cleats can make all the difference when your child is making their way around the bases.
Baseball cleats should fit snugly but not too snug. This will prevent them falling off in the middle of a game or practice. Good youth cleats also need to comply with your child’s particular league. Each league may have different cleat requirements, so it’s better to ask around before purchasing a pair.
How to Find the Right Bat for Your Player
What’s baseball without a bat? A good bat will not only help your child perform better, but also it’ll help them develop their skills. Youth baseball bats come in two varieties: metal alloy and composite. Choose the right youth baseball bat so you can see your child shine on the field.
If your child plays fastpitch, they’ll need a specific kind of bat. Fastpitch bats are also made out of alloy or composite. The difference between these bats and youth bats is that they are a little smaller and easier to handle.
Which Glove Is Best for My Little Player
Another essential part of youth baseball equipment is the glove. Gloves protect the hands from high speed baseballs and may even help prevent your child from picking the grass in the outfield. There are four types of youth baseball glove: batting gloves, catcher’s mitts, infielder gloves, and outfielder gloves.
Your child will need a batting glove when they go up to bat. Batting gloves can give your child a better grip and reduce the sting from making contact with the ball. Catcher’s mitts are position-specific gloves used only by the catcher. They offer the most padding of any glove to deal with fast pitches. Infielder gloves have less padding than outfielder gloves because infielders need more hand dexterity. Outfielder gloves have more padding so the hand is more protected when catching fly balls.
Picking the Right Catcher’s Gear
The catching position doesn’t always get the recognition it deserves, but that doesn’t mean you should skimp on the gear. Catchers are in a dangerous position because they are the target of each pitch. Catcher’s gear helps protect vulnerable areas while receiving a pitch.
Catcher’s gear has three main pieces: a catcher’s mask, a chest guard, and leg protectors. You can find all three pieces sold in sets known as catcher’s gear sets. Most sets have matching colors, so your little one will be quite the looker on the field too.
Now That You Know…
There’s a lot of equipment that goes into youth baseball and softball, but that shouldn’t deter your child from enjoying themselves. Having the necessary equipment means your superstar will not only be prepared but also protected.
i believe the best/greatest practice you can provide for your little ones is pretty close to your own home…it was where i put my roots down in our front lawn; hundreds of ground balls from dad or older brother…then at ages 6-8 it was pitching rubber balls into our front 5 step backstop up to our house/porch…we had a willow tree as 1st 15′ from our bottom step; an elm we used for 2nd, another 15′ away, and 3rd was an ash tree another about the same distance…we would make rules of how to get to bases determined by how hard we hit the ball, and if it was fielded cleanly…at age 10 to 13 we had rubber balls with about 1/3rd of them missing, which made for nice curve balls, in any of all 4 directions…i do believe this is where i learned the most on how to ‘track’ a pitch as i was considered a sultan of swat’, like my bro…we both played at high competitive levels and to this day, believe that front lawn, sandlot if you will, was our birthing on being great hitters/players….we never had/needed helmets, masks, shin gards, batting gloves (why on earth?) cleats, chew, cups, med kits, etc… we played our hearts out against each other and used our creative skills to set the rules and play by them…dad was also an ump from time to time….he loved it and we loved having him for making sure he had old mitts, bats and balls to play with…i wished i could go back to those times, and hope you can get your little ones out there to do the same…no co$t to anybody, but the payback was monumental…
i believe the best/greatest practice you can provide for your little ones is pretty close to your own home…it was where i put my roots down in our front lawn; hundreds of ground balls from dad or older brother…then at ages 6-8 it was pitching rubber balls into our front 5 step backstop up to our house/porch…we had a willow tree as 1st 15′ from our bottom step; an elm we used for 2nd, another 15′ away, and 3rd was an ash tree another about the same distance…we would make rules of how to get to bases determined by how hard we hit the ball, and if it was fielded cleanly…at age 10 to 13 we had rubber balls with about 1/3rd of them missing, which made for nice curve balls, in any of all 4 directions…i do believe this is where i learned the most on how to ‘track’ a pitch as i was considered a sultan of swat’, like my bro…we both played at high competitive levels and to this day, believe that front lawn, sandlot if you will, was our birthing on being great hitters/players….we never had/needed helmets, masks, shin gards, batting gloves (why on earth?) cleats, chew, cups, med kits, etc… we played our hearts out against each other and used our creative skills to set the rules and play by them…dad was also an ump from time to time….he loved it and we loved having him for making sure he had old mitts, bats and balls to play with…i wished i could go back to those times, and hope you can get your little ones out there to do the same…no co$t to anybody, but the payback was monumental…