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Preparing for the Baseball Season - Helping Parents Purchase the Right Equipment
2019-01-05To help our parent's, we thought we would create a mini-FAQ article to help them prepare for their daughter's or son's baseball season. Below you will find the most commonly asked questions by parents.
Q1: What equipment are we required to buy?
A1: Each child must come equipped with a baseball glove, running shoes/baseball cleats(only rubber cleats allowed) and a jill/jock. All other equipment is provided by the league, but parents are more than welcome to purchase any additional equipment they so choose. Note that the only glove that our league actually does provide is the catcher's glove, so there is no need to purchase.
Q2: How do I know what size bat I should buy?
A2: The league provides bats to use, but if you still wish to purchase one for your child, below is a typical bat measurement chart and wingspan diagram to help assist you with this decision. Most kids gravitate to a larger bat as they feel that it will help them hit home runs. Inform your child that this isn't the case. If you cannot swing the bat you won't be able to hit the ball, let alone a home run.
Bat Measurement Chart
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Wingspan Diagram
Q3: What should the weight of the bat be?
A3: We suggest you purchase a bat with a weight drop rating of -10. The bat itself will have a -10 written somewhere on the barrel. If you cannot find it on the barrel, you can calculate it yourself. Example: If you are to purchase a bat with a length of 30', the bat should weigh 20 ounces (bat length (30') minus drop down weight (-10) = weight (20 ounces).
Q4: How do I know what helmet to buy for my child?
A4: No purchase necessary here as we do provide helmets for our league members, but if you still decide to buy, helmets are no different than an article of clothing. As long as you do not buy a helmet that is too big for your child you should be good. Note: For all divisions other than PeeWee, it is mandatory to have/purchase a protective cage for the helmet. A helmet that does not have a protective cage will not be allowed to be used.
Q5: How do purchase the right glove for my child?
A5: To assist you with this purchase we have provided below a chart listing glove sizes for different positions. In the early stages, we recommend just picking up an infielders glove. Additionally, we note that a youth glove is designed for younger players with smaller hands. They are much easier to close. Youth gloves have smaller, narrower fingers and should be used for a player under 10 years old. They sometimes can be used for a player up to 12 years old, but after that, kids should be using adult gloves.
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Q6: Do we require to buy baseball pants?
A6: Baseball Pants, Belt, Hat, and Jersey are supplied by the league.
We hope the above information has been useful.
Please note: If you are in the market to purchase equipment, note that at the beginning of each season NATIONAL SPORTS located at 1770 Dundas St E, Mississauga, ON L4X 1L8 has always graciously provided coupons to ABA parents for any purchase made in their store. We usually distribute those coupons a few weeks prior to the season starting. So if you wish to save a little on your equipment purchase, you can wait until then to take advantage of their kind offer.