Those dang tiny ball gloves

[Amy in AZ.]

I have at least 3 eight year olds wearing those pink 10 inch gloves. One mom already bought a better glove, one dad is ready to buy 2 gloves (twins) and one 10 yo is fighting giving up her glove.

Of course, they can't catch at all. They have to turn the glove and basket catch. So, I take their toy glove and hand them a 12 inch broken in glove and surprise! They can catch. But, they are complaining the whole time. I show them how their hand only needs to fit in the thumb loop and the little finger loop. "It is too big!" "It is too heavy!"

Crud! I never had this problem with boys.

So, I give them back their glove. And the rest of the lesson is - they pitch, I catch. I throw and they chase the ball.

The good thing that I have learned is that my 4 yo GDD has a broken in 10 1/2 inch glove and the 9 inch ones are going to Goodwill. It will be my luck that one of my students will buy them.

 

[starsnuffer]

Basket catches for t-ball = broken noses in softball. I hate it when parents and coaches teach the kid to use their glove like a basket, as inevitably they take face shots off their glove as soon as they play catch with a kid who can throw fairly well.

-W

 

[Slappers]

Younger DD likes to use an 11.25" glove when she pitches. She isn't a fan of larger gloves although I am not sure why. She's been starting to sneak it in when she plays first. As long as she catches the ball, I guess I don't mind.

You can always use the 9" gloves for grounder training.

 

[coach james]

I've got probably a dozen 9" and 10" gloves at home that were cast aside by players over the years. Even at 8u coach pitch, I tell parents to not buy smaller than 11.5 or 12" gloves. My 16 year old still uses a 13" glove she had as a 9 year old outfielder on her 8u team. At least until the custom Vincci we bought off casedawg shows up.

 

[Tony Sams]

My DD started playing when she was 9 and she wanted the tiny pink glove really really bad. We compromised on a 11.5" monsta web and a chocolate shake.

I'm not afraid of a little bribery.

 

[Eric F]

Parents who refuse to get their DD proper gear to play the sport frustrate me, especially after being urged/begged to do so.

 

[MsDinosaur]

The good thing that I have learned is that my 4 yo GDD has a broken in 10 1/2 inch glove and the 9 inch ones are going to Goodwill.

Good for you, Amy. I looked at some of the little pink gloves when DD was starting t-ball and thought, these things are cr@p.

So I bought DD a leather 10.5 inch Easton(?) Black Magic on eBay--it was big enough to hold the t-ball fine and the leather was soft enough for her to actually close it around the ball--it was SO much better than the pink plastic'y junk and probably cost me less. However, she loved it so much that it was a sad day for her when it was time to move up to a bigger glove...

 

[Angus]

my daughter is 6 yrs old. she used a 10" during tee ball, and i recently bought her a 10.5" fastpitch glove since she will be moving up to 8&u softball this fall. It's big enough that she is able to catch pretty well, and she's broken it in enough now that she can close the glove. I'm hoping to buy her an 11" glove ASAP, but if i did now, she wouldn't be able to close it.

 

[01softballmom]

The reason the boys didn't complain is because you were not making them use gloves that were too big. An 8 year old does not need a 12 inch glove. How can the physically close it?

Glove Coach

According to this they should be using 10.5 inch gloves.

 

[guero_gordo]

The reason the boys didn't complain is because you were not making them use gloves that were too big. An 8 year old does not need a 12 inch glove. How can the physically close it?

Glove Coach

According to this they should be using 10.5 inch gloves.

Well, girls need the magical combination of big on the outside, but small on the inside, then the ball gets even bigger.
Boys play with that leather-wrapped golf ball their whole lives.