Sharing bats?

[dinogirl]

I have a newbie question. DD is 10 and on a newly formed 10U team. Great team, great coach, great parents, no complaints. I am new to parenting a softball player, but played in college myself a hundred years ago. I know the game, but am by no means an expert on equipment or the club softball experience.

I got her a Demarini CF6 -11 last year when it started looking like she was going to be getting serious about softball. Right now she is 4'8" inches tall and pretty slight. In the past few months, she has really started hitting the ball hard, which I think is some combination of her skills improving and that bat breaking in.

Anyway, the issue is this: She's hitting so well that others on the team want to use her bat. I noticed a couple of girls using it during the game (DD had to take practice swings before her AB with someone else's bat), but then when I questioned my daughter about others using it, found out they have started to use it for batting practice as well.

I don't want to be a jerk. I know in rec, the kids are just picking up whatever bat looks good and stepping into the box, but is it reasonable to expect that on a competitive club team ($$$$), kids will have and use their own bats? Is it okay to at least restrict kids from using it for BP? Does it not matter because my daughter will outgrow this bat before it is used up anyway? Or if I limit its use, do I have a chance to pass it down to my younger DD eventually?

I really don't want to make waves, but I also don't think I need to be the team bat supplier either. Is the path of least resistance to pick up another bat for DD to use during practice and save the good one for games? Or should I be doing that anyway to extend the life of the bat?

Edited to add: Batting practice is in the cage with the hard balls.

 

[quincy]

I do not care who uses DD’s bat or when, I would not buy another one for practice unless she is hitting the hard cage balls.

If she leaves it in her bag and does not take it out until she needs it should restrict other players from using it. Players should not be taking anything out of her bag without her permission.

(DD told me she wanted to use her bat when she was in the on deck circle, I told her to live with it. The batter will drop the bat on the plate or hand it back to her on the way back to the dugout. Somehow the batter came up with another idea, she struck out and her dad called her over to the opposing team’s side. DD was staring daggers but did not say anything. I needed to call timeout to go get her bat for her. )

 

[sbmom19]

This was an issue for my DD in 14U but not just with the bat as she was the only player to have her own catchers gear as well. DD takes excellent care of her equipment because we have always shared with her how much everything costs and typically teammates don't. So I put my foot down and said that no one was allowed to use her equipment and told DD to blame it on me-her line to her teammates is "My parents don't allow me to share my equipment". I then had a discussion with the coach , explained how much everything she had cost us and that we just couldn't afford to replace DD's equipment if it was damaged. I then offered to help put together a fundraiser to raise money for team equipment. DD is now in 18U TB (players all have their own bats) and playing HS (about half have their own bats and the other half know that DD doesn't share her bat-DD bought it with her own money) so it isn't a problem anymore.

 

[mth23]

i went on my local craigslist and picked up a cheap composite bat to be used as our "team bat" Told my players if you don't have your own, you can use this. I also brought all my DD's older ones and made those available as well. Maybe you could ask the coach if HE could provide a team bat so your DD's doesn't get too beat up. I also agree, if she leaves it in her bag, no one should touch it but her.

 

[JAD]

We budget to buy a bat every year, and last years bat becomes the BP bat - much easier to do when they are not growing and changing bat sizes. If you have a nice game bat you might want to consider finding a used "beater" bat to use that for BP. BTW - I am OK with other girls using my DD's good bat in games, anything to help the MOJO!

 

[mudrunner]

I think at 10U it's fine to share bats. Some kids (and parents) at that level are still trying to decide if it is something they want to per sue past this year before spending much money on gear. Plus they seem to outgrow a bat after about a year anyways. By the time they get to 12U I think most girls should have all of there own equipment. That being said our girls do try each others bats pretty regularly at practice just to see how they like them, and occasionally do it for games.

 

[maksoftball]

I didn't mind the bat sharing until cleat marks started showing up on DDs bat. Knowing that she doesn't hit her cleats with her bat, she let me know that another player used her bat. This player is HARD on bats...cleats and homeruns and all! LOL! DD let her use her bat all the time with the hopes that this girl's HR magic would rub off on her.

 

[Rocketech1]

Dinogirl - I'm completely with you. No matter the age, every single girl on the team should have their own glove, helmet and bat and if not the TEAM can provide the player with one (not you!). As young as 6U, during some practices we had players in multiple batting stations and it's nearly impossible to effectively run the hitting stations with players sharing bats. If on rare occasion, a player would like to try another teammates bat to see if she likes it and wants to buy her own, then I think that is ok but at the end of the day it's YOUR bat and your DD should have access to it whenever she needs it. I would politely have your DD let the player(s) know the "rules" and if it becomes a problem, have the head coach remind the players that they need to use their own equipment.

BTW - if she is playing 10U travel ball, expect to buy a new bat every year as she grows and the bat has 7500 swings on it.

Good luck. If this is the only drama you have this season, you will have a great season

 

[grcsftbll]

Every team we've been on, rec and travel, the girls have shared bats. They want to try each other's bats, they want to use the bat of whoever is hitting best. If I made a thing about this, I'd feel like a miser or something. Who cares. JMO.

 

[Comocoach]

Bats can break, even at 10U. It will probably last a couple of years, but why risk it if DD is hitting well with it. You're right to limit or prohibit practice use.

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