Glove info needed

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Apr 18, 2012
20
0
New Mexico
Hi all,

First time poster so please forgive my complete lack of knowledge and the abundance of dumb questions to follow. I'm in my second year coaching 8U (they ate me alive last year) and am willing to work harder than my girls to learn so I can teach them. I have zero, none, nada, no talent whatsoever, my DD however can pick up a ball from any sport and just somehow knows what to do. I'm there for the love of her and the kids and having fun but I want them to learn correctly and winning some is nice too.

On to the real question.... Why a first base glove? Does it really matter? Is a smaller infield glove sufficient until she is older? Should we invest in a catchers mitt also? She plays first, catcher, and pitcher. (She wants to pitch and has been working hard for it and it was suggested that if they wanna pitch they have to catch, I agree with the philosophy) Here's the problem, my daughter has been playing the last three years with the same 10" t-ball glove. She has a 90% plus rate catching with it and doesn't want a new one. Should I make her get a new one or just leave her alone? She has by far the best fielding rate of any of the girls on our team. I don't want to screw her up but I wonder if her accuracy would improve if she had a slightly larger glove.

After some research I suggested a larger glove to one of my girls with a less than 20% catching. The new glove helped her immensely. Now that she has caught a few her confidence is going up and so is her willingness to get behind the ball. :D (I record # catches out of 7 for ground and air balls to see where they are at and improvement so we know how to help each girl)

I'm completely open to suggestion, constructive criticism, advice, a swift kick in the pants.... whatever as long as it helps my girls learn. Sorry for the long post. Thanks!!!
 
Nov 26, 2010
4,784
113
Michigan
My dd plays first base (when she isn't pitching) in HS and travel she still uses a fielders glove. She caught a lot when she was young and will still get behind the plate now and then, When she was around 10 she got a catchers mitt.

To me catcher needs the specific mitt as the pitchers get older and stronger, an entire game of catching a fast pitcher can wear out your hand, all the extra protection helps..
 
Oct 11, 2010
8,337
113
Chicago, IL
At 8U I would say no to a specialty mitt, their normal glove is fine for 1st and C.

Her both pitching and catching will probably eventually become an Issue, not enough hours in the day for both. She should have a few years until she has to pick 1 over the other.

Players get attached to their gloves, especially if they are doing well with it. Sometimes the old mitt needs to be misplaced. Took us 6 months of stopping by various sports stores before DD gave up her 8U mitt, same thing is going to happen trying to get her a new one as she grows. DD is not as attached to her bat as she used to be for some reason?

I wouldn’t press the Issue of her getting a new glove but would stop by some stores to see if you both can find one that is a little bit bigger and that she likes.
 
Jul 26, 2010
3,567
0
No need for a 1st base mitt in softball, really. The pitcher in softball isn't throwing to the first baseman to pick off runners like in baseball.

The shape of the 1st base mitt can help "scooping" balls out of the dirt from not-perfect throws from other infielders, however it can also be hard to field normal ground balls with the first base mitt.

I wouldn't bother with a specialized glove until she's in 12u or higher. She should move on from the t-ball glove though.

-W
 
Jun 21, 2010
481
0
I'd suggest get a 12" glove specific for softball. Work the pocket with either a mallet or lots of playing catch. Use some conditioner to help soften it up. Keep a ball in there all the time and watch how the glove begins to take shape. DD catches and plays outfield. Never plays infield these days on a TB team. She occasionally plays infield for her MS team. She has a Louisville Catalyst for catching which she loves, and the ball stays in the mitt. Her fielding glove is a 12.5" Nokona Buckaroo that is made specific for softball. Expensive, but well made and light. Her small hands fit well in this glove. Great glove that will last her a long time. At 8U the 12.5 might be a bit big. DD's older 12" Nokona has a great pocket and is still game ready. I think it would be a great glove for a 8U player.
 
Oct 11, 2010
8,337
113
Chicago, IL
One glove is great for now. Get rid of the t-ball glove, so that it isn't a temptation to wear, again. A lot of my little students are wearing this Walmart.com: Wilson A440 11" Fastpitch Glove: Team Sports

When your Amy's and my age you need a little help every once in a while. :)

Edit to add: Amy posted an anwser to your question in the wrong thread, just copied her anwser over to this post. Agree with her response which I qouted above.
 
Last edited:
May 7, 2008
8,506
48
Tucson
need a little help every once in a while

I use an old SSK first baseman's mitt at every position. But, my slow pitch team was ASA and that is legal. I prefer my large glove (but I am an adult) due to the size of the pocket, the ability to scoop the ball and the fact that people in general cannot throw.

I have taped some of my 8yos throwing, recently. Send my a PM and I can send you the videos, if it would help your coaching.
 

JAD

Feb 20, 2012
8,231
38
Georgia
I would not worry about specialized mitts at 8U. If she still enjoys catching at 12U looking into getting her a catchers mitt. If she is still playing 1B at 12U you can look into a first baseman's mitt. It also depends on her hand size and what size glove she is comfortable using.
 
Apr 4, 2012
45
0
My philosophy has always been wait till they ask for it with a specialty glove. A glove that is too small needs to be addressed but the mitts can wait. When your catcher or first base keep taking their glove off after every throw and shaking their hands then you know it's time.

I know, seems cruel, but until they start getting popped in the hand a specialty glove is usually a battle. We had four different girls catch this year and only 1 used a catchers mitt. Our pitcher wasn't throwing that hard so they didn't really need it and when I gave them my mitt, which is very broken in, it was a string of complaints about how hard it is to use.

This may just be my girls but it's really, really hard to get any of them to change based on what might happen next year.
 
Mar 18, 2012
16
0
California
My DD has the same glove she started with at 9 yrs old. 12" fielders glove...she played mostly OF and corners until she started catching in 10U. She didn't get a catcher's mitt until 12u (mizuno)--and she started pitching in 12U as well. She will not use anything else than her current Rawlings/Walmart glove for pitching. She says she trusts it too much. I've learned how to re-lace her glove...

She's a strong catcher...aggressive. So we would pull her off the mound if we were up against a team that had strong base runners. She's on a team now that will not even consider catching her, for fear of injuries. We still get use out of her mizuno mitt because we use to catch her for pitching practice.

No need to spend too much on equipment until she's older. I'd say to buy off of Craigslist if you can. I see so many parents run out and spend money on brand new gear just to find out that their child doesn't really want to be a catcher. Or shouldn't be one for safety reasons. Or is a better shortstop or 2nd baseman than corners. Athleticism is one thing, but fast-thinking and personality sometimes get overlooked when trying out new positions.
 

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