Baseball season is here, and your kids will need the right gear to be the best on the field. You don’t want them to wear baseball with large-sized gloves that probably won’t let them play comfortably. Buying the baseball gear for your kid before the start of the season will help them get ready to catch, bat, run, and mark their win before the first pitch is thrown. Whether they’re new in the field or have become regulars, you must give proper thought to buying the right gear for them. To do that, let’s take a look at the things you must consider before buying baseball equipment for kids.
- Right Size of Pants
Baseball pants are arguably the most important part of a baseball uniform. They are crucial for your kid’s smooth, and unrestricted movement. Therefore, before buying the pants, you must take the measurements of the kid. Because you don’t want them the wear pants that don’t stay in place or ride up. You can choose knickers or ankle-length pants, as both of them come with reinforced knees, that’ll help your little one make a better slide into home plate.
- Right Size of Gloves
Buying the right sized and best baseball gloves for your kid’s needs is as important as the correct bat size. It is crucial for the game and high-quality gloves can last a few years, so investing in costly gloves is a wise decision.
Don’t cheap out of the buying process, as the low-quality ones can inhibit the players from catching the ball correctly. Generally, a glove that fits perfectly on your kid’s hand and doesn’t flop around when moving, is an ideal choice. Too big baseball gloves crinkle up and can cause severe blisters to their hands.
- Right Size of Helmet
Before buying your kid’s baseball kit, make sure to let them try the helmet. It should be close-fitted but comfortable to run in. When running the bases, wrong-sized helmets can often fall off and cause serious injuries to the players. This mistake can be even more costly with kids, as they’re mostly newbies and can get seriously hurt with a small mishap. Therefore, buy them a helmet with a mouth guard.
A helmet will protect your child from brain trauma. There are different styles of baseball helmets that you must consider for your kid.
- Open Face Helmets – Offer protection to the upper head and expose the face.
- Helmets with Jaw Guards – Protect the player’s batting side jaw from getting hit.
- Fastpitch Softball Helmets – Protect the lower portion of the player’s face.
- Right Size of Catching Mitts
Catching mitts are extremely important for a smooth baseball game, and let me tell you, they are different from gloves. An oversized catching gear inhibits the players to move around. Kids often outgrow their catching mitts, so you must think twice before spending top dollar on them. For that purpose, take a look at a little introduction and reviews of catcher’s mitts.
To find the right-sized catching mitts for your kid, remember that these mitts are not measured by their length (like gloves), but by their circumference. Typically, a 12-year-old will need a mitt of 32″ or less, while a 13-year-old player or older will require a mitt of 32.5″ or more.
- Types of Baseball Bats
A good bat is important for your child’s performance and will help them improve their skills. Mainly youth baseball bats come in two different types, i.e. metal alloy and composite. Choose the right one, for your little Babe Ruth to shine on the field.
In case your kid is a fastpitch player, they must need a specific kind of bat. Fastpitch bats are similar to the youth baseball bats, but the former ones are smarter and easier to handle.
- Athletic Jockstrap and Cup
Below-the-belt injuries can be quite painful for men, and specifically kids. No matter the field position of your kid, they must be covered with an athletic jockstrap and cup. They may resist this purchase for some time because of the irritation but will get used to it. It is for their own safety.
The right size of jockstrap and cup depends upon the age and body mass of your kid. According to experts,
- 5-10-year-olds, with an approximate weight of 80 pounds, and an approximate height of 4’6” should get a cup of 1 ¾ inch in depth.
- 11—17-year-olds, with an approximate weight of 110 pounds, and an approximate height of 5’6” should get a cup of 2 inches in depth.
- 18-year-old adults or above, according to their height and weight, are advised to wear a cup between 2 ¼ 0r 2 ½ in depth,
- Term of Usage
When buying your kid’s baseball equipment, consider the time for which it would be used. Whether you’re buying for only one ball season or more than one year. Breaking your bank over the kid’s baseball bat, when you’re sure that he’d be needing a new one in the next season, is not an efficient move.
Additionally, because of their extensive and vigorous usage, many baseball bats wear out quickly. Therefore, be mindful of the available funds. However, if the player has a younger sibling who is also likely to enter the field in the future, then you’re good to go!
- Save the Receipts
To buy the right equipment, it is advised to get in touch with the people who know their way around the baseball gear and are knowledgeable enough to give you the right suggestions. This is because once used, it is non-returnable. To avoid that, save all the receipts, so that you know about the expiry date of warranties.
- Check for Any Regulations
Before buying the gear, check with your kid’s baseball organization for any regulations. This is mostly important for baseball bats, but can also include baseball spikes, etc. that players can wear. In-house recreational leagues and travel team gear may have different regulations. For example, some leagues might forbid you to use aluminum bats, while others may have imposed a weight limit on them. That information is crucial for your kid, who will play or is planning to play in both leagues.
- Types of Baseball Cleats
Baseball players wear specific shoes, known as cleats that are made of metal or rubber, for better traction. Before buying them for your kid, look out for the cleat’s material (mesh or synthetic leather), type (molded, metal, or turf), and height (low-tops or mid/high-tops), as it can affect your kid’s performance.
Now That We’ve Reached the End of the Game…
For your kid to reach the end of the game safely, do not give in to their demands. Do a proper search about the right baseball gear and then make the purchase. Your kid might demand from you the same equipment that Yordan Álvarez wore in his game, but it’s your responsibility to make them understand, and make the right choice, and not a ‘hot’ one. Nonetheless, we hope this guide helped you buy the right baseball gear for your little superstar, that’ll make them more prepared and protected for the game!
