Gear advise

[collinspc]

To the other posters, what would be the matter with buying one of these catcher sets and upgrade as needed? Are they just junk?

Easton Natural Catchers Set Youth (Ages 9-12) | Sports Direct USA

All our C used their normal mitts at this age too.

These are not bad for starter sets, but you have to be careful and make sure DD tries everything on to make sure sizing is right. The sets are geared toward a wide group, the guards may work and the chest protector may be to small/big or vice versa. The helmets is where my kids have a problem, they both needed larger helmets than the youth kits provided. You can usually put together components for around the same price as the sets and get better fitment.

My DD used her fielding mitt till she started playing TB, then we bought her a good catchers mitt.

 

[sbmom19]

My 8 year old soon to be 9 wants to take catching lessons. I'm looking for advice on what gear to purchase.

I agree with the other posters. Before you go out and buy a lot of expensive equipment, I would make sure that she is going to stick with catching. That being said, she needs to be safe while she is back there. Maybe you could borrow some equipment until she is sure?

I am really not a big fan of the catcher "sets" at least until they are done growing. As previous posters have said, those sets are so generic it is hard to get a good fit - and if it doesn't fit right then it may not protect her correctly. Don't skimp on the helmet - I can't count the number of times that a foul ball has ricocheted off of my DD's helmet so make sure it is high quality and fits well.

 

[WARRIORMIKE]

If you need head for your daughter let me know. My daughter has some gear we can part with

12 in leguards and 12 inch chest protector from all star. Girls fit

Diamond hockey helmet youth size

 

[ANNASDAD]

Hey Eric, how does the girl in the middle (and you) like her All Star mitt? I've been looking at the CMW3000 mitt online but no one
here locally has any.

 

[Eric F]

Hey Eric, how does the girl in the middle (and you) like her All Star mitt? I've been looking at the CMW3000 mitt online but no one
here locally has any.

It's still breaking in. She likes it quite a lot, and is anxious to start using it in games.

I've used it a few times for playing catch. My opinion...
Very good mitt! The palm padding isn't as thick as the Vinci mitts, but is definitely better than the Mizunos and Eastons. The CMW3000 is a single-hinge design which often works better for smaller hands. The construction and material quality is top-notch, which is pretty typical for all of the All-Star mitts and gloves. The padding on the edge of the fingers is thicker than most fastpitch mitts (somewhat similar to a baseball mitt). The padding on the thumb is also quite thick, and offers good protection. I would consider the CMW3000 one of the better catcher's mitts available.

My DD has used the All-Star mitt a little bit, but is still on the fence about whether she likes it enough to be her next mitt. We'll give it another try once it's broken in more. It's on my list as a candidate for the future, but I will be proceeding very cautiously. The Vinci JCV-22 mitt I got for her at the beginning of this year turned out to be a no-go.

 

[ANNASDAD]

It's still breaking in. She likes it quite a lot, and is anxious to start using it in games.

I've used it a few times for playing catch. My opinion...
Very good mitt! The palm padding isn't as thick as the Vinci mitts, but is definitely better than the Mizunos and Eastons. The CMW3000 is a single-hinge design which often works better for smaller hands. The construction and material quality is top-notch, which is pretty typical for all of the All-Star mitts and gloves. The padding on the edge of the fingers is thicker than most fastpitch mitts (somewhat similar to a baseball mitt). The padding on the thumb is also quite thick, and offers good protection. I would consider the CMW3000 one of the better catcher's mitts available.

My DD has used the All-Star mitt a little bit, but is still on the fence about whether she likes it enough to be her next mitt. We'll give it another try once it's broken in more. It's on my list as a candidate for the future, but I will be proceeding very cautiously. The Vinci JCV-22 mitt I got for her at the beginning of this year turned out to be a no-go.

Thanks Eric. Its definitely the mitt I'm the most interested in right now.

 

[Mom_Coach_Fan]

Appreciate the note about the catcher with the chest protector hanging too low. Just looked a few pictures of my daughter - GUILTY. Will get that corrected ASAP.