for younger plays, which would direction do you like

for younger players (ie say 12u and younger), which direction below do you like

a - high quality gloves (ie Vinci, etc.), longer lasting, but longer break in periods

b- cheaper gloves (ie Mizuno prospect), need to replace more often, shorter break in periods (and less drama if it gets left outside, left behind, etc.)

DW and I are generally willing to spend the money on gear for our DDs sports, but I am balking a little bit at spending $200 on a glove for a 10u player, that will likely only last them less than 2 years as she grows.

Thoughts?

We were in the same boat. We bought cheaper gloves every year and a half or so. One factor was the fact she was growing and the ball was getting bigger. Once mine reached her 2nd year of 12U and started playing school ball she got a $200 glove. She should get a couple of more years out of it at least and probably could get more. Financially it was about break even for us because you either spend $50 every year or $200 over three or four years. Mine does catch also so her fielding glove gets a little less use.

I would go middle of the road, at least that's what I did. In 10U she used a Louisville Slugger Omaha 11.75". Worked perfectly with a 11" ball. First year 12U we bought her a Louisville Slugger Valkyrie 12", what a POS!! Turned into a dish rag in 4 or 5 months! Then before second year 12U started, that's when we ordered a custom Vinci. I say middle of the road because that 11.75" Omaha was still in really good shape and we gave it to a rising 10U player that goes to our church.
Here's the Omaha baseball glove she used, pretty substantial glove for a 10 year old!
https://www.cheapbats.com/shop/louisville-slugger-omaha-pro-baseball-glove-opro1175-1175-p-2457.html

My opinion is, as kids hands grow very fast, I wouldn't drop huge dollars on a glove. Once they can get into a glove
and be ok with that size for a while, I would then get a better one.

See my recent post about gloves and you'll see we opted for Mizuno Prospect gloves for early years... just now at old 14U am I looking at expensive gloves. BTW if you want a deal on a couple of basically new Mizuno Prospect gloves let me know. I have a 12" and a 12.5" that have just been used for catch a couple times.

I vote for getting a good glove. My daughter is currently an 8u player that is 9 years old and I bought her a 11.75" Wilson A2k during Black Friday sales last year. If I remember correctly the glove cost $229 or right around that range. Took our time breaking the glove in and by the time the season started it was game ready. No reason that glove won't last her 3-5 years. My other thought is if she ever outgrows the Wilson A2k there will always be a resale value on that glove, probably around $100.

Mizuno MVP series are very good gloves for the price $75-100. Easy to break in and last several years.

Gambler Bob said:

I vote for getting a good glove. My daughter is currently an 8u player that is 9 years old and I bought her a 11.75" Wilson A2k during Black Friday sales last year. If I remember correctly the glove cost $229 or right around that range. Took our time breaking the glove in and by the time the season started it was game ready. No reason that glove won't last her 3-5 years. My other thought is if she ever outgrows the Wilson A2k there will always be a resale value on that glove, probably around $100.

Click to expand...

A2K for a 9 year old......heck yeah!

bmakj said:

for younger players (ie say 12u and younger), which direction below do you like

a - high quality gloves (ie Vinci, etc.), longer lasting, but longer break in periods

b- cheaper gloves (ie Mizuno prospect), need to replace more often, shorter break in periods (and less drama if it gets left outside, left behind, etc.)

DW and I are generally willing to spend the money on gear for our DDs sports, but I am balking a little bit at spending $200 on a glove for a 10u player, that will likely only last them less than 2 years as she grows.

Thoughts?

Click to expand...

I am a cheap SOB, and had a hard time spending money on gear when DD first started playing, but once I got used to buying a $300 bat every year (this was before I met @coresoftball), spending $200 on a glove that my DD could use for 4+ years seemed like a no brainer.

I don't really understand the $300 glove.

I was buying a glove for myself last summer (lost a glove I had for 20 years, and that nearly killed me). Every expensive glove at the store was just...terrible. Ended up with an $80 glove, spent a few days breaking it in (I like a glove super soft/flat so I can use it like an extension of my hand; I realize that this may not work as well for kids who have smaller hands/aren't strong enough to squeeze a glove), and it works great.

I'm sure I'll be in the minority on this, but I've yet to see anything from the gloves that cost hundreds that suggest they're better than a moderately priced glove. Once a glove is broken in, catching a ball is like 95% the person trying to catch it and 5% what glove they're using anyway.