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May 24, 2013
12,461
113
So Cal
strawn - As others have said, getting her to trust her gear is a critical step. Also make sure her gear fits properly. The helmet should be snug and not move around when shaking her head side to side. The chest protector should fit like a compression shirt, not flopping like an apron. Legs should also be secure and snug. Properly fitting gear is not only safer, but also improves mobility for routine movements, as well as when it's time to hustle.
 
Dec 26, 2017
487
63
Oklahoma
strawn - As others have said, getting her to trust her gear is a critical step. Also make sure her gear fits properly. The helmet should be snug and not move around when shaking her head side to side. The chest protector should fit like a compression shirt, not flopping like an apron. Legs should also be secure and snug. Properly fitting gear is not only safer, but also improves mobility for routine movements, as well as when it's time to hustle.


I have a follow up question about this-

My DD is VERY small for her age. She helps an 8u team who is playing up in a 10u league, pitch, and she is in the bottom half of THAT team in height, and they have several 7 year olds. The only catcher's gear that fits her correctly is gear that I believe is really only made for t-ball. My concern here lies in not knowing if that level of catcher's gear is designed for the pitched and batted (foul) ball speeds, and collisions that 10-11 year old kids have. Are those concerns well-founded at all?
 
Nov 18, 2015
1,585
113
This is complete speculation on my part, but I'd be surprised if helmets at the youth level take into account things like incrediballs vs. a regular (hard) softball. I know batting helmets do have different ratings for expected pitch speed, but I'm not sure how that factors into the NOCASE (sp?) certification that I believe every helmet is required to have.

IMO, the bigger difference will be in the shin guards - I picked up 2 pairs of what I thought were mid-level (M5?) Easton's, but realized that they only had a single hinge on the bottom - it covered the very top of the foot, but left much of the laces and all of the toe exposed. I don't think the toe flaps are included until the intermediate sizes, or maybe they're only on the higher-end youth models.

To be safe - check the model numbers on the vendor websites - you may find that the same helmet is used for both the tball and youth sets, or there could be more details available on the specs.
 
May 24, 2013
12,461
113
So Cal
I have a follow up question about this-

My DD is VERY small for her age. She helps an 8u team who is playing up in a 10u league, pitch, and she is in the bottom half of THAT team in height, and they have several 7 year olds. The only catcher's gear that fits her correctly is gear that I believe is really only made for t-ball. My concern here lies in not knowing if that level of catcher's gear is designed for the pitched and batted (foul) ball speeds, and collisions that 10-11 year old kids have. Are those concerns well-founded at all?

Your concerns might be totally valid. For the legs, you can supplement knee pads to be worn under the leg guards*. For the chest, you could possibly add a thin layer of foam to the inside (might take some fabrication skills). As I said before, fit is critical. Gear that is too big moves around and leaves body parts unprotected, and gets in the way of being mobile.


* My DD is 14yo. She wears thin sliding knee pads on both knees under her pants, even though she has top-level gear. One is for sliding protection, and the second is to stay feeling symmetrical under her gear. She's been doing this for years, and it's just her thing now.
 
May 24, 2013
12,461
113
So Cal
This is complete speculation on my part, but I'd be surprised if helmets at the youth level take into account things like incrediballs vs. a regular (hard) softball. I know batting helmets do have different ratings for expected pitch speed, but I'm not sure how that factors into the NOCASE (sp?) certification that I believe every helmet is required to have.

IMO, the bigger difference will be in the shin guards - I picked up 2 pairs of what I thought were mid-level (M5?) Easton's, but realized that they only had a single hinge on the bottom - it covered the very top of the foot, but left much of the laces and all of the toe exposed. I don't think the toe flaps are included until the intermediate sizes, or maybe they're only on the higher-end youth models.

To be safe - check the model numbers on the vendor websites - you may find that the same helmet is used for both the tball and youth sets, or there could be more details available on the specs.

My DD has never used a second toe-flap. I can't recall seeing anyone who does.
 
Feb 19, 2016
280
28
Texas
I have a follow up question about this-

My DD is VERY small for her age. She helps an 8u team who is playing up in a 10u league, pitch, and she is in the bottom half of THAT team in height, and they have several 7 year olds. The only catcher's gear that fits her correctly is gear that I believe is really only made for t-ball. My concern here lies in not knowing if that level of catcher's gear is designed for the pitched and batted (foul) ball speeds, and collisions that 10-11 year old kids have. Are those concerns well-founded at all?

You are right that smaller quality gear is hard to find. I've seen the T-Ball gear. It's terrible stuff. I'd be concerned on finding the chest and shins. You should be able to find a name brand helmet that fits and is a solid hockey style mask. Do it. Peace of mind. Literally. You'll probably have to judge each piece of gear by looking at it closely.

My DS had lower line shins that he had picked out, 10u sized not t-ball, made by a extremely reputable and popular company(AS). A pitch hit him in the knee, right on the shin guard, and he went down in pain. His knee had a baseball sized bruise, and that's through the plastic knee covering. I had a set of the same brand, but the system 7 line on the way, and that's what he's used ever since. My DD's shin guards were already a better quality, so we were good there. Baseball is not softball, but better gear is so worth it.

If you can't find quality gear that fits, and I've been in that boat, I'd follow Eric's advice and pad gear that does fit before I'd get gear that didn't fit. If you've seen that too big chest protector that rises up into the mask, you know that's not going to work well. I'm wondering if some plastic might need to be involved in the diy chest upgrade, but foam is probably good. Eric's been the experimenter on extra padding in helmets.

P.S. I can't even bring myself to sell the shins that DS got the bruise through. I should have returned them, but it was quite a drive in the first place. I've never been more disappointed in a company that I generally respect. They'd probably make great T-Ball legs for some kid that went through a huge growth spurt.
 
Dec 26, 2017
487
63
Oklahoma
Honestly, the All-Star System 7 Axis helmet fits her just fine. She's just so short that the leg guards and chest protector swallow her up. Maybe I can pick up some mis-matched stuff at Play it Again until she grows, and let her wear the helmet.
 
May 24, 2013
12,461
113
So Cal
Honestly, the All-Star System 7 Axis helmet fits her just fine. She's just so short that the leg guards and chest protector swallow her up. Maybe I can pick up some mis-matched stuff at Play it Again until she grows, and let her wear the helmet.

Mis-matched is just fine. My kid has been through phases of that, for sure. Currently, mine is in AS system 7 legs and chest, and an Easton Pro-X helmet. At one point, she was Easton/Wilson/All-Star.
 
Feb 19, 2016
280
28
Texas
Honestly, the All-Star System 7 Axis helmet fits her just fine. She's just so short that the leg guards and chest protector swallow her up. Maybe I can pick up some mis-matched stuff at Play it Again until she grows, and let her wear the helmet.

All my DD's stuff is mismatched. I believe it's about fit, not matching everything up.

Doh. It was all mismatched until she got new legs. She now has the same brand of chest and legs.

She was Wilson/UA/Rawlings
Now it's Wilson/UA/UA

She's more concerned that the colors match or at least go together.
 
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