Little League is the world's largest youth sports program, with about 200,000 teams competing in every state and more than 80 countries. It was founded by Carl Stotz and some friends in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, home of the Little League World Series. Although Little League includes grade school kids, the organization also provides baseball instruction and games for boys and girls as young as 5 years old playing T-ball and up to teens as old as 18 who are interested in showcasing their talents to professional baseball scouts. To prevent confusion, Little League and other kids' baseball leagues are generally referred to as youth baseball. With such an age range, the best glove for Little League depends upon the player's position and skill level
T-Ball
Youth Baseball Basics recommends an inexpensive synthetic or synthetic-and-leather combination for your child's T-ball league. At the age of 5 or 6, kids throw the ball slowly, so a pocket in the glove is not as crucial as the use of two hands to catch the ball. You can often pick up such gloves at a yard or garage sale for next to nothing.
Position
The position one plays is a key factor in the selection of a baseball glove, says My-Youth-Baseball.com. Many kids in youth leagues will play more than one position and should use either the glove most suited to the position where they will spend the most time or a utility glove. A catcher's mitt, bigger and more padded, is essential for those who are going to be behind the plate. Pitchers like gloves with a closed webbing to prohibit batters from seeing their grip. Gloves for first basemen are larger and padded to cushion them from hard throws to the bag. Middle infielders prefer shallow pockets that allow them to take ground balls out quickly and easily, and outfielders usually like to chase down fly balls with larger and longer gloves.
Feel and Size
If a glove feels uncomfortable in the store, it likely will feel that way after you break it in. Gloves should feel fairly snug, open and close with ease, and be light enough to easily control. This is especially important for younger players. Buying a glove a younger player can "grow into" may be easier on the wallet, but a too-big glove results in less control, which can impair performance and discourage someone from playing at all.
Considerations
Youth baseball gloves can range from $10 to $200. Generally, you get what you pay for, but you don't have to spend a fortune to outfit your youngster. Youth Baseball Basics found a $30 Mizuno glove that it says is great for 8- to 12-year-olds. Wise4Living recommends checking out top brands such as Wilson, Nokona, Rawlings, Mizuno, Akadema, SSK, Eaton and others to find the best glove for your youngster and suggests specific features such as a webbing with solid leather straps and rawhide lacing. These gloves are lighter and offer deep and flexible pockets. A solid Velcro closure is also recommended for a snug fit around the wrist.
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