For everything else.. there's MasterCard.

[ang4yanks]

I repeatedly say, everyone is in it for different reasons. It's heaven when you find a good team of athletes and parents who has coaches with similar ideas and philosophies (for the most part). Our experience has been that this develops at around 13 years of age.

 

[Lozza]

Definately upgrade the glove if they OUTGROW theirs....I still use the same glove I've used for the last 20 years, and OH MY GOD....it still catches balls!

This is the one I agree on. I used to get made fun of for keeping my bat, my cleats and my helmet for so long (all since I was 11) but glove? Its so rare to change your glove over here once you're a teenager. Your glove is an extension of your body. My glove was my mum's first and I got it when she retired (ten minutes after the game it was out of her kit and in mine ) I still hate the fact that my mitt was probably chucked away. It was molded to my hand. It needed to be fixed every six months (I had the inside re-done, constantly re-tightening it) I've had my new mitt (Rawlings, only glove I'll own) for two years and its horrible. Still hard to catch with. (to be fair, I haven't put a huge ammount of effort into breaking it in, still holding out hope for my other mitt. Its a pipe dream but we're all stupid somtimes. Its one of my goals for off season. My catcher will be wearing it during training to help me break it in)

I don't think its wrong to change gear every year, I just don't think its necessary.

Oh and with the bat. I was given it at 11 by Santa. (it had to be white, because I went through a stage where I could only hit with a white bat) My coach had to physichally throw it away at 21 before I would give it up. I loved that bat. But I'm the strange softballer who keeps a hold of their gear until it falls apart. My cleats were a size too big (my feet have got smaller after two years off with injury, what gives there?) and the difference it made by having a pair that fitted was MASSIVE.

 

[MTR]

This is the one I agree on. I used to get made fun of for keeping my bat, my cleats and my helmet for so long (all since I was 11) but glove? Its so rare to change your glove over here once you're a teenager. Your glove is an extension of your body. My glove was my mum's first and I got it when she retired (ten minutes after the game it was out of her kit and in mine ) I still hate the fact that my mitt was probably chucked away. It was molded to my hand. It needed to be fixed every six months (I had the inside re-done, constantly re-tightening it) I've had my new mitt (Rawlings, only glove I'll own) for two years and its horrible. Still hard to catch with. (to be fair, I haven't put a huge ammount of effort into breaking it in, still holding out hope for my other mitt. Its a pipe dream but we're all stupid somtimes. Its one of my goals for off season. My catcher will be wearing it during training to help me break it in)

Yeppers, never get rid of a glove that still works. I've had three gloves in 50 years and the Rawlings in my closet has another decade or two should I choose to pass it on to someone else. The first was a Wilson and then, ready for this, a Koho! Apparently, Finland's hockey equipment company took a little dip in the baseball/softball world in the 70's. Don't remember where I picked it up. I've never been a proponent of spending big bucks on equipment when standard off-the-rack will do.