A youth baseball helmet is the most important piece of equipment you can supply your child. A baseball batting helmet is essential to the necessary protective gear required by all baseball leagues and a necessary part of the offensive uniform.

When selecting a youth baseball helmet you want to base your selection on comfort first and style second. The baseball helmet should fit snugly on your child’s head but also provide protection in the form of a foam liner for padding between the helmet and the head. It should cover the back, top, and sides of the child’s head to provide the maximum protection.

The best helmets provide adjustable straps in the inside back of the helmet to get the most comfortable fit and desired protection. The helmet should not be too loose that it impedes the child’s vision or slips off too easily while running and it shouldn’t be too tight so that it is uncomfortable. If you’re buying your helmet online (which is where you will find the best deals) make sure you take a measurement of the circumference of your child’s head at the widest point.

Great baseball helmets will provide several areas of ventilation as well as ear holes so that the child’s hearing is not obstructed. Ventilation is necessary because it gets pretty hot under that helmet and that will become a distraction. The foam lining should be foam that can absorb the moisture.

Older children will find the low profile helmets the most comfortable but for the newest players you will want to provide the maximum protection so avoid the low profiles unless they have face protection as well.

Take a look at my two best selections for youth baseball helmets below.

You spent a lot of money on that youth baseball glove and a lot of time and effort conditioning it and breaking it in. So, why is it that when it comes to taking care of the glove, the best you can muster is placing it inside your child’s baseball bag or in the backseat of the minivan?

Taking care of the glove actually means taking care of and protecting the shape of the pocket and the condition of the leather. When your child’s glove is not in use it should be stored with a ball placed in the pocket. This will prevent the glove from becoming flattened and harder to control.

Don’t let your child leave the glove inside your hot vehicle because the heat will speed up the process of distorting the shape you worked hard to achieve. Same thing goes with leaving it in a bag without first placing a ball in the pocket. Also, you don’t want the glove getting too wet but if it does, just pat it dry with a towel and don’t ever place it inside an oven or over a heater which will dry out the leather and cause it to become brittle.

Do not over condition your glove with oil, in fact I don’t recommend using oil at all because oils can close the pores of the leather which will cause the leather to dry out and become heavy. Follow the advice on my post on breaking in your glove by using Barbasol shaving cream or use some petroleum jelly which will allow the pores to stay open and actually soften the glove.

You will want to keep those laces tight and soft so make sure they get conditioned as well as the pocket and fingers of the glove. Should the laces become brittle you will need to replace them. Investing in a Wilson Baseball Glove Care Kit can come in handy since it contains everything you need to repair a glove. It’s much cheaper to repair a glove than to purchase a new one.

If you took the advice I outlined in my post on How to choose a youth baseball glove, then you probably found the right glove for your child. The next step is to break in that glove so that it is easier to handle and use.

There are several ways to break in a new baseball glove. In fact, if you ask a dozen different Major League players how they do it, you will probably get a dozen different approaches. However, there are some common practices that you can follow to achieve your ultimate goal.

The first step is to condition the leather, and this is the step that differs the most among players, but the objective is to soften up the leather so that it is not so stiff and hard to squeeze. To begin with, you will need a conditioner. Many glove manufacturers will recommend their own brand of oils, but you can use a variety of products and the cheapest product is a can of plain old Barbasol shaving cream.

Only use this method with steer hide leather gloves, NOT Suede or Vinyl, or Synthetic gloves.

You will need 2 cans of Barbasol, a 5 gallon bucket, and some paper towels. Shake one of the cans of Barbasol shaving cream for a few seconds then empty its contents into the 5 gallon bucket. Place your new glove into the shaving cream and then take the second can of Barbasol and empty it on top of the glove. Let it sit for a day and all the shaving cream will melt. When you pull out the glove it will look messy so use the paper towels to pat down any excess shaving cream.

You will notice that the shaving cream absorbed into the glove and the laces and this will soften the leather. The next step is to shape the glove. You do this by placing a ball inside the pocket and then wrapping the glove with a couple of rubber bands or shoelaces. Once this is done you can place it out of the way and let it sit in room temperature over night.

The next day, take the rubber bands off the glove and you want to work the pocket by hitting it with a baseball mallet. I have found that the best product for this is called the Ergo Glove Mallet which sells for about $27 on Amazon. There are some cheaper ones out there but the way they are designed you will be busting up your knuckles on the glove laces because the handle is just not long enough. The Ergo Glove mallet lets your hand be above the glove and avoid the beating on your knuckles. With your baseball mallet, just hit the pocket for abut 5 or 10 minutes.

Alternatively, you can just play catch for 5 or 10 minutes but this is assuming your child can catch well and already knows how to control a glove. It’s the best method for older children, but the kids that are 4 – 8 are still learning the mechanics and it will be harder and take longer to break in that pocket. I would recommend using the above mallet, and if not that then a rubber mallet may do the trick as well.
Parents, the point is to work that pocket in the way that a ball will hit it so it is easier for your child to catch. DO NOT let your adult hands stretch out the glove and misalign the pocket. Let your child do the pounding with the mallet and they will get a feel for how the ball will hit the glove.

Choosing the right baseball glove for your youth player is often a decision based on poor advice. For example, I have heard many newer T-ball coaches suggest to their parents to go out and purchase a larger glove so that the child will have a larger target for the ball to fall into. I want to scream out with a laugh every time I hear that, and it happens at least once or twice a season.

Let’s face the facts; a larger glove is often more expensive, it’s often heavier, it will not provide a good fit for a smaller child, and it will encourage improper mechanics for using the glove since there will be less control.

The logic for buying such a glove is explained by telling the parents that the child will grow into the glove in the next levels of play. Reality is that many T-ball players and parents will become discouraged and never move on up and the discouragement comes from poor performance in the field. It’s a cycle of discouragement that can be averted by purchasing the correct equipment in the first place.

T-baller’s are normally between the ages of 4 and 6, depending on your league rules, and they normally have tiny hands. You’ll want to find a small glove, 9 or 10 inches, that is made of either pigskin or synthetic and avoid the vinyl gloves all together. These gloves are light weight and will allow the player to open and close the glove with ease. Find one with Velcro adjustments so that the player can get a comfortable fit. These types of gloves are inexpensive, ranging in price between $15 and $40. Look for brands like Louisville Slugger, Rawlings, and Wilson, for the best value. Each of those brands is linked to a selection of gloves available from this site and offered through major retailers such as Sports Authority and Dicks Sporting Goods.

Having a glove that the child can control will help him learn the proper mechanics of catching, and trapping a ball. That, and the encouragement the child receives for showing effort and recognition for good performance, will break any cycle of discouragement before it occurs and almost assure that the child will want to continue and advance to the next levels of youth baseball.

When the child advances out of T-ball and transitions to the next level of play, it’s time to upgrade the glove. Normally, 7 to 9 year olds can handle a glove between 10 and 11 inches. These gloves have a deeper pocket and less lacing along the bridge that will give them better control. The thumb and finger pockets will be elongated and allow for better catching and trapping as well. Obviously, these gloves are a bit more expensive, less than $190, but they should last and perform well until the player moves on to the next level.

For 10 to 13 years old and beyond the child is getting into more competitive play and at more intense levels of talent and speed. They should be able to handle 10 to 11.25 inch gloves (11.5 inch for first basemen) Gloves that are constructed for these players are concerned with safety as well as performance. These gloves are made from the best materials to dampen shock, reduce weight, and provide for the best control. Quality baseball gloves for players at this age can be quite expensive and can range between $150 and $400. Brands that are geared towards these players include SSX, Nike, Mizuno, and Nokona. Be sure to check out the selections of the hyperlinked brands on this page.

As a general rule for sizing your child’s youth baseball glove consider the following:

Age 4 to 6 and playing either infield or outfield the glove should be between 9 and 10 inches and don’t worry about the webbing.

Age 10 to 13 and playing infield the glove should be between 10 and 11.25 inches and 11.5 inches for pitchers with a closed web. Outfielders should consider a glove between 11 and 11.5 inches with an open web.

Getting up to the plate, whether at practice or in a game, is probably the most enjoyable part of playing baseball for kids. You’ll notice this when at a practice you will hear, at some point, just about every kid on the team ask “coach when can I hit?”

In most cases, proper training in the art and science of hitting a baseball will start immediately, but before the child can really benefit from the training he or she needs to be properly fitted to the right bat.

Too many well intentioned but uninformed parents run out and buy their child an expensive bat only to find out that it’s the wrong length, the wrong weight, the wrong material, and just wrong for their child. The wrong bat will hinder the new players ability to find that “sweet spot” that will give him the best performance.

When you’re ready to purchase your child a bat you will want to keep as a rule of thumb, the lightest bat of a given length that you can afford will be the optimal bat. Lighter bats will allow for greater bat speed and more control to find that sweet spot.

Find The Best Youth Baseball Bats by Clicking Here!

Use the chart below to match up the proper weight and height characteristics for your child to the recommended bat weight:

(5 to 10 yr. old’s) use the formula: Height/4+4

48 in. then 16oz bat
50 in. then 16.5oz bat
52 in. then 17oz bat
54 in. then 17.5oz bat
56 in. then 18oz bat
58 in. then 18.5oz bat
60 in. then 19oz bat

(11 to 12 yr. old’s) use the formula: Weight/18 + 14

70lbs then 18oz bat
80lbs then 19oz bat
90lbs then 19.5oz bat
100lbs then 20oz bat
110lbs then 20.5 oz bat
120lbs then 21oz bat
130lbs then 21.5oz bat

(13 to 18 yr. old’s) use the formula: Height/3 +5

66 in. then 27oz bat
68 in. then 27.5oz bat
70 in. then 28oz bat
72 in. then 29oz bat
74 in. then 30oz bat
76 in. then 30.5oz bat

The following chart will help you select the optimal length of the bat:

Bats are usually constructed with the age and skill level of the player in mind so here are some additional guidelines:

Thanks for the visit and don’t forget to check out my post on Youth Coaching Philosophy