Tools of the Trade!

How do you know what size bat to use? What kind of glove should I buy? Are batting gloves necessary? Should my child use cleats? If so, what kind? These are all very good questions. Here some guidelines to help you decide on what is best for you and your child.

Generally, lighter bats are easier to swing and therefore easier to learn to hit with. Choose a bat that your child can swing and control without it "drooping" during their swing.

When choosing the proper bat length, take the bat and put the barrel (the thicker end) in your child's armpit (for a right-handed hitter in his right armpit, for a leftie, the opposite), and then stretch their arm down the bat towards the handle. Mark off where the middle finger ends. Take the bat out of thier armpit and have then grab the bat with their top hand on the mark and the bottom hand directly below that. Your childs hands should npow be no more than 3cm. (1 inch) from the knob of the bat.

Your glove should, first of all, feel good on your hand. The heel of the glove (where your hand enters the glove) should be at your wrist when wearing the glove. Also, kids should use a glove that they can control, not "the biggest glove to make sure they catch the ball"!!! Leather is the preferred choice material because it molds to the wearer's hand better than vinyl. It will also last longer than cheaper materials.

Glove sizes vary from small for infielders to larger, deeper pockets for outfielders, to extremely padded gloves for catchers, and wide pockets for first basemen. If your child is trying various positions, get an outfielders glove since it will be the most versatile. When they enter their teens, it pays to buy a more specialized glove.

Gloves range in price from around $ 15.00 up to over $ 200.00. Pick one in your price range, and remember that kids will grow out of their gloves every 4-5 years, so plan accordingly!

Batting gloves are NOT necessary, however, they add padding to the hands when used when batting or when worn under a fielding glove. A player's grip on the bat is also improved when wearing batting gloves, especially in warmer weather as the hands sweat. Batting gloves come in a variety of sizes and when choosing a particular make and size, consider the following:

- the gloves should fit snugly and not slide on the hands.
- if buying only one glove, choose the bottom hand on your bat grip (same hand as you throw with!)
- batting gloves should be stored in a paper bag following every use.
- change your batting glove(s) at least every season.
- buy a comfortable glove, not just the best looking glove!

Cleats are not a necessity for younger ages but become a standard piece of equipment as your player enters his/her teen years. Cleats improve grip on both the grass and infield and can help improve performance and prevent injury. Having said this though, choosiing the right type of cleats is very important. Soccer style cleats with rubber cleats help in the outfield grass but do not necessarily offer superior traction on infield surfaces such as gravel or hard dirt. Knowing what surfaces your child will play on will help you choose the right cleat type.

Cleats come in rubber, nylon, and metal. Check with your association as to what is permissable (legal) for your child's age group to wear in a game. Metal cleats should not be worn by younger children (below 10) as serious injury can occur if spiked. However, nylon or metal cleats are needed to stay competitive at the higher levels. One word of caution: nylon cleats have a tendancy to slide on home plate and can cause the runner to slip and serious injury can occur. Of course, when wearing spikes, the possibility of injury is always present, so choose a shoe that meets the needs of the particular player and age group.