Shorts or Pants

[NYLadyCobras]

I would like to switch my team over to pants and replace their softball shorts. I cannot get my girls (sorry I still call them my girls) to buy into it. I like the look of pants better then shorts and I tell them it will help with scrapes on legs and thighs. They say it will be too HOT. We have played in FAST nationals in FL and it seems like a good number of the FL and southern team all wear the long pants. Most team up here in the northeast use shorts. What do you think??

 

[CoachC]

We made the switch from shorts to pants, and went as far as requiring pants for practice (we hit the ground often in practice).

With new uniforms coming this year, our girls have asked for low hip rise, piping and mid calf length. They have bought into the pants whole heartedly.

I should mention we play in the south.

As anecdotal evidence, I have seen girls be more agressive simply because they "seem" more protected. Most of my girls still wear sliders underneath for the cushioning.

 

[George R.]

Pants. Actually more cost efficient than buying shorts and sliding pads and provide better protection against cuts and scrapes.

 

[Poseidon]

Hi NYLadyCobra,

My daughter's team (12U) last year made the switch from shorts to pants when we lived in Iowa.

The overwhelming response in January when we approached them with the idea was "NO WAY".. We kept on course and they got accustomed to the idea of wearing them. Once we got to our first tournament and it was 40F, the other team was freezing their buns off but our girls were toasty in their pants Furthermore, the parents reinforced the fact that most college teams were pants so it was cool to wear them

Since we try to extent the season as much as possible it just makes sense to have a uniform that will be appropriate at the start and end of the season

Another team from our organization opted for the combination. They had pants as well as shorts they could use.

Hope that helps,
Michel

 

[Amy in AZ.]

I think that girls pants are fine, just don't order boys baseball pants like LL did here. They don't fit.

Also, I never see it, but I wouldn't care if some girls wore pants and some wore shorts.

Women my age would never wear pants, but my DD liked her pants just fine.

 

[mudbug]

Pants for cold or cool weather if you like, shorts for warmer is my preference. Pants do offer more protection for fields with the crushed brick surface.

In the summer we go with the lightest wt short uniforms you can get that arent see thru.

I have seen good teams crippled by a poor choice to wearing dark pants on a very hot day, such that weaker teams have beat them. Especially saw a horrible choice once to wear full length black pants (like has gotten popular for baseball) on a scorching day, they lost to a weaker team. It was pretty clear the heat took a toll. Temps in many inland locations in the south and east can top 100 F in the summer with sweltering humidity as well.

Prefer to do what others arent anyway. Everyone else in pants, we do shorts. Everyone else got a crazy "stylish" Easton helmet, we use plain traditional solid Schutt. Others got wild (actually stupid, goofy) looking uniforms, we keep it plain and conservative and simple.

 

[calgofo]

Pants for cold or cool weather if you like, shorts for warmer is my preference. Pants do offer more protection for fields with the crushed brick surface.

Agree here with ya Bug. Living here on the coastal south my kid was pretty used to playing in 95+ heat and high himidity. She played college for a Yankee school back east. I remember going to her first preseason college game and there was snow on the ground and an occasional flurry. She developed a liking for long pants up there.

 

[mudbug]

I would like to switch my team over to pants and replace their softball shorts. I cannot get my girls (sorry I still call them my girls) to buy into it. I like the look of pants better then shorts and I tell them it will help with scrapes on legs and thighs. They say it will be too HOT. We have played in FAST nationals in FL and it seems like a good number of the FL and southern team all wear the long pants. Most team up here in the northeast use shorts. What do you think??

The deep south is very humid, but the gulf of mexico moderates temperatures within several hundred miles of the coast. 95-98 is about as hot as it gets. Inland states like north AL, TN, AR, etc get the worst of up to 105 degree temps + high humidity.

 

[stephanie]

you don't give the age of your team, but I'm guessing you're a northern team. Pants would be warm...

Younger girls like shorts, and they don't slide. Yes, you can teach it, but they (as a whole) don't do it. Let them wear shorts. Girls 10 and under will let something like this TOTALLY affect their game. If they don't want to wear pants, and you push it, you will ABSOLUTELY pay for it. Find another battle to win.

12 and up...different story. These girls tend to like it when you take them more seriously. Plus, pants give them street cred. Especially when they aren't new anymore...There's only one rule...NEVER make them wear white...

Good luck!!

 

[Ken Krause]

Funny how things change. Back when I started coaching, our organization had pants. The girls hated them and wanted shorts. That was about 15 years ago, of course.

Now everyone is on the pants bandwagon. You watch. In 10 years or so, the movement will be to get rid of the pants and wear shorts.

The way I look at it the National team wears shorts. If it's good enough for them...