Each year I have coached, I've seen kids with all different sizes and styles of baseball gloves. Some are so small, the ball will barely fit in it. Others dwarf the hand they are placed on. This only lends to a player's frustrations at not being able to catch or field the ball on a consistent basis.
In doing some research, I found some basic information that I would like to pass along to all parents and players.
Without getting into the type of webbing, pocket depth, backs, or the style of glove (i.e. infield, outfield, pitcher), I will present some basic parameters to look for when selecting a glove for your ballplayer.
Size
5-6 year olds -- size 10 to 10.5
7-8 year olds -- size 10.5 to 11
9-12 year olds -- size 11 to 11.5
Gloves are marked with their sizes or on the price tag.
New or Used
I prefer to purchase used gloves. They are already soft and broken in, as well as the fact they are usually far less expensive. Having them broken in makes it easier to squeeze the ball on a pop-up or fly. They won't last as long as a new glove, but as your ballplayer grows up, he or she will need larger replacements anyway.
Breaking In a New Glove
Before you take a new glove to a game or practice, make sure you play catch. This will help the glove mold to your ballplayer's hand. I don't recommend rolling your car back and forth over it, but have heard this works well, especially with new catcher's mitts.
Where to Buy
New gloves can be purchased at any of our local sporting goods stores (Sports Authority, Dick's Sporting Goods, etc.). Used gloves can be purchased from Play It Again Sports. We have always had luck finding a good, used glove there.
Matt Barnick - Baseball Manager/Player Agent
