Dave Nielsen has instructed hundreds of players during his 20-plus years as a youth softball coach.
He’s seen aspiring ball players show up to their first practice equipped with little bat bags, plastic spikes, batting gloves, visors and numbered T-shirts.
While not all that equipment is necessary for youngsters, there are some things parents should keep in mind when selecting baseball or softball equipment for their child’s upcoming season.
Starting with a glove, fit is important.
For players just beginning to learn the fundamentals, Nielsen suggests picking out a glove which the child can easily handle.
“You don’t have to have a very expensive glove to start, just something moderate that you feel good about,” Nielsen said. “You want them to be able to protect themselves if the ball is hit hard at them. (The glove) should be something that you can bend.”
As players progress and begin playing specific positions, there are gloves specifically designed for the different positions. And if your child is left-handed, remember to select a glove designed for a lefty.
Picking out a ball to play catch with depends on the age and skill level of the player.
“They make all different types of balls,” Nielsen said. “When you’re just starting to teach a kid how to play, I would recommend that you get a ball that’s more like a safety ball that is a little bit soft so that you could even catch it without a glove if you had to.
“That way, if it hits them, it wouldn’t scare them or hurt them.”
When Nielsen’s children were little, he began teaching them how to catch by using a ball covered in Velcro that would stick to a Velcro glove. He then had them play with light-weight Wiffle balls and large plastic bats before working up to a soft-core ball.
A child’s age and size should be considered when selecting a bat. They should be able to swing it comfortably.
“I wouldn’t get too big of a bat at a little age,” Nielsen said. “You don’t have to have the most expensive equipment because it’s more if you can hit the ball than it is if you have the most expensive or high-tech bat.”
Like with any sport, Nielsen reminds parents that safety is the No. 1 priority. With that in mind, a batting helmet is essential for any player stepping behind the plate.
Most teams supply batting helmets for practices and games, but if players want to practice on their own they should have their own helmets.
Knee pads may not be a bad idea either, Nielsen said, to “protect the knees from boo boos or whatever.”
As players become more involved in baseball or softball, they may want to invest in other equipment such as spikes, batting gloves and a bat bag.
“The guys at Nebraska Sports and Lou’s are very skilled at providing the right equipment,” Nielsen said of the local sporting goods stores. “There are budget choices for everybody.”
Besides a range of prices, equipment also now comes in a range of colors. There are pink softballs, equipment bags and helmets as well as batting gloves and shoes accented in pink.
That would have made Nielsen’s daughter Tammy, a former standout pitcher for Creighton, smile in her youth as her father remembers how excited she was that one of her first teams wore matching hot pick shorts.
“That’s how a 9-year-old thinks,” he said. “What’s important to them is they’re with their friends and having a good time.”
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