Youngsters who want to play the catcher's position on their baseball team have a choice of a wide array of mitts from quality manufacturers. Baseball equipment has greatly benefited from technological advances, and a youngster in the early 21st century can reap the rewards. The best mitt for you feels the best, protects your hand and allows you to maneuver the ball from mitt to throwing hand the quickest. Almost all of the big name glove manufacturers create gloves in the youth market, so you can test them to discover which one fits you the best.
Catcher's Mitts
Youth catcher's mitts are similar to adult mitts in many ways. Catcher's mitts or youth have a thick pad around the circumference of the glove and thick padding in the finger area. The pocket of the glove is large, but shallower than it used to be to allow catchers to quickly transfer the ball from the glove to the hand. In this respect, a catcher's mitts is becoming more similar to a first baseman's mitt.
Size
Unlike other baseball gloves, a catcher's mitt is measured in inches around the circumference. Catcher's mitts range from 30 inches to 34.5 inches. Most youths opt for catcher's mitts in the 31- to 32-inch range, but larger and smaller gloves are available. Youth catcher's mitts have smaller hand openings and usually some form of wrist adjustment.
Choices
Wise Choices recommends sticking with the established brands when it comes to choosing a catcher's mitt. Wilson, Easton, Akadema, Nokona, Rawlings, Mizuno, Nike and other well-known companies sell youth models at reasonable prices. The Mizuno GXC111 Prospect 31.5 inch Youth Catcher's Mitt features a design that enables youngsters to easily close the mitt. A palm pad absorbs shock while offering protection and comfort. The Easton Natural Elite Youth 31.5-inch Baseball Catcher's Mitt is made of tanned steer hide. It has a contoured finger channel and professional grade rawhide laces. The Akadema Praying Mantis ADS90 31 inch Youth Catchers Mitt offers shock absorbing protection as well as two additional "finger hammocks" allowing the fingers to rest more securely in the glove. All of these mitts sell for less than $40 in January 2011.
Considerations
For the parent of a growing youngster, it may be tempting to buy a glove that he can "grow into." But avoid doing so. It will be harder to catch the ball and may discourage your child from continuing with the sport. Cowhide mitts, a mid-level grade of material that breaks in fast and wears out relatively quickly, is a good choice for kids 10 and older. Pigskin is fine for a child who will grown out of a glove in a season. Breaking in a high quality catcher's mitt may take several days to several weeks. It's okay to use a small amount of glove oil to soften the leather, but don't use heat, water, silicon or beating a glove to rush the process of softening the weather. Go out and play catch with your new mitt instead.
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