Batting helmet for t ball?

[ICF]

There have been several instances of kids getting hit in the chest (infielders) and dying. This is because of the bats being so light/engineered that the ball comes off quickly, with a lot of force. I don't know if in the t-ball level you really need to worry about this, but I can certainly understand why any parent would worry. Sometimes improvement is not always for the better. These are not the bats of our youth. Compare a bat from 2 yrs ago, to a 5 yr old bat to a 10 yr old bat.

At the Tball level, nobody is going to die or get injured from a ball hitting them in the chest. Most of these kids cant throw the ball more than 20 feet and aren't hitting the ball much farther than that.

What you detailed can happen, although it is a highly rare occurrence, at higher levels. If a HS player wants to wear it, I could support it (although to be honest I never heard of it until I read the post above)....but putting a kid at 5 - 7 or 9 years old in that type of protection is just overkill, IMO.

 

[ICF]

If they are baseball cleats, she won't be able to wear them for soccer

Why not, is that some rule your local soccer league has? They aren't wearing metal spikes at this age or anything.

My daughter has worn the same baseball cleats for soccer and baseball for a couple of years.

 

[dawson5]

At the Tball level, nobody is going to die or get injured from a ball hitting them in the chest. Most of these kids cant throw the ball more than 20 feet and aren't hitting the ball much farther than that.

What you detailed can happen, although it is a highly rare occurrence, at higher levels. If a HS player wants to wear it, I could support it (although to be honest I never heard of it until I read the post above)....but putting a kid at 5 - 7 or 9 years old in that type of protection is just overkill, IMO.

I'm pretty sure that is what I said--

There have been several instances of kids getting hit in the chest (infielders) and dying. This is because of the bats being so light/engineered that the ball comes off quickly, with a lot of force. I don't know if in the t-ball level you really need to worry about this, but I can certainly understand why any parent would worry. Sometimes improvement is not always for the better. These are not the bats of our youth. Compare a bat from 2 yrs ago, to a 5 yr old bat to a 10 yr old bat.

 

[Praying Colonel]

I was thinking the same thing!

I played from T-ball age to 17 and the only thing we had was a helmet. I do remember one accident where a girl got hit in the face with a bat, she was catching and she had the mask on and still ended up with a busted lip. I understand things happen but to me, all this equipment gives everyone a false sense of security. The best way to keep them from getting hurt is to teach them how to play and how to pay attention, thats whats been working for years

In the "things they did way-back-when but would get you sued today" department:

My first year of Little League, I was a catcher and the coach forgot the catcher's mask. The coach decided it was a great idea for me--all of 8 years old--to catch batting practice without a mask. "You probably won't get hit," I remember him saying.

Sure enough, first batter fouls one straight back and POW! right in the lip. Another couple of inches and it would've wrecked my front teeth.

My Mom was far from a helicopter parent, but when she saw my lip after practice, she climbed all over that coach and pulled me off the team. Imagine something like that happening today....

 

[mjkacmom]

Why not, is that some rule your local soccer league has? They aren't wearing metal spikes at this age or anything.

My daughter has worn the same baseball cleats for soccer and baseball for a couple of years.

Then the coach probably doesn't know, or hasn't noticed. DH played varsity soccer in HS, coaches ds12's travel team, and the 2 of them live and breathe soccer (did you know there is a 24 hour soccer cable station?). Anyway, it's well known in soccer that you can't wear baseball cleats (ds has been on 2 soccer teams and 2 baseball teams for years now).

http://www.soccer-for-parents.com/soccer-cleats.html

 

[jen0610]

Some will question is, but the one thing DD12 started wear very young was a mouth guard when she was in the infield. She had watched several of the older girls games and had seen girls take a bad hop or throw in the mouth.

One of her friends wasn't paying attention while the girls were throwing to each other during warm ups and she turned her head just in time to take the throw right in the mouth. She didn't get any teeth knocked loose, but she scraped up the inside of her lips really good on her teeth and busted the outside of her lip open. Once she got cleaned up and calmed down, she hollered out to her mom, "See I told you I needed a mouth piece like Hollywood does". The next game, 4 more of the girls had them.

While she may not need one for t-ball, if she goes on to softball, it is something I would think about.

And yes, even during t-ball, my girl HAD to have a pink bat bag, pink and black cleats, batting gloves, mit, and batting helmet. Her helmet has the pony tail cutout so that it fits better on her.

 

[ICF]

I'm pretty sure that is what I said--

You said "I dont know if in the tball level ....."

I was trying to claify to the OP that that is new to T-ball (the age being discussed in this thread) that they would not need that type of thing for their child as the threat of getting injured by a thrown ball really doesnt exist at this level.

 

[jen0610]

Why not, is that some rule your local soccer league has? They aren't wearing metal spikes at this age or anything.

My daughter has worn the same baseball cleats for soccer and baseball for a couple of years.

The soccer leage that DD plays for in Fort Wayne does not allow baseball/softball cleats at all. The base/softball cleats have a cleat across the tip of the toe, soccer doesn't. Before ever game, the kids have to line up, lift up their foot and show the officials the bottom of their shoes. If they have the wrong type on, they don't play.

 

[dawson5]

You said "I dont know if in the tball level ....."

I was trying to claify to the OP that that is new to T-ball (the age being discussed in this thread) that they would not need that type of thing for their child as the threat of getting injured by a thrown ball really doesnt exist at this level.

It's not the thrown ball that will injure the child. It's the batted ball. Yes, I agree most can't throw hard or far at this age. It's not the throwing though, which is what I am trying to get across. It's not every child at this age that can hit a ball with that much force, there are a few that can and do, though.

 

[roliepolieoliefan]

DD wears her soccer cleats for softball. She played soccer before softball so she already had the soccer shoes.

For softball or T-ball in our leagues the kids don't wear face protectors. My son started wearing one in his first year of kid pitch but now in his 3rd year of kid pitch, they are removed again.

As far as chest protectors. My son doesn't even wear one in the 11-12 year old baseball league. I know accidents can happen. But seriously that can be said for anything.

 

[luvmy3]

In the "things they did way-back-when but would get you sued today" department:

My first year of Little League, I was a catcher and the coach forgot the catcher's mask. The coach decided it was a great idea for me--all of 8 years old--to catch batting practice without a mask. "You probably won't get hit," I remember him saying.

Sure enough, first batter fouls one straight back and POW! right in the lip. Another couple of inches and it would've wrecked my front teeth.

My Mom was far from a helicopter parent, but when she saw my lip after practice, she climbed all over that coach and pulled me off the team. Imagine something like that happening today....

I would hope that the coach and a parent witnessing a catcher going without a mask as an idiotic thing to do and not let it happen. Thats the same thing that should have happen when you played. I'm not talking about a catcher's safety gear or batting helmets, I'm talking about masks, mouth guards, and padded vests for T-ball and little league.

The soccer leage that DD plays for in Fort Wayne does not allow baseball/softball cleats at all. The base/softball cleats have a cleat across the tip of the toe, soccer doesn't. Before ever game, the kids have to line up, lift up their foot and show the officials the bottom of their shoes. If they have the wrong type on, they don't play.

Our soccer league had the same rule, although none of my kids coaches ever checked.

 

[nuke]

I I understand things happen but to me, all this equipment gives everyone a false sense of security. The best way to keep them from getting hurt is to teach them how to play and how to pay attention, thats whats been working for years

Yeah that's what I thought too until it happens to your kid. All it took was one second for a serious injury to happen. That false sense of security could have saved us months of doctors appointments and money. I don't see why anyone would be opposed to safety.

 

[Praying Colonel]

I would hope that the coach and a parent witnessing a catcher going without a mask as an idiotic thing to do and not let it happen. Thats the same thing that should have happen when you played. I'm not talking about a catcher's safety gear or batting helmets, I'm talking about masks, mouth guards, and padded vests for T-ball and little league.

For the record, my mother was not at practice that day--the coach had picked me up. The climbing occurred when he brought me home, she saw what happened and and she inquired into it.

 

[mjkacmom]

DD wears her soccer cleats for softball. She played soccer before softball so she already had the soccer shoes.

For softball or T-ball in our leagues the kids don't wear face protectors. My son started wearing one in his first year of kid pitch but now in his 3rd year of kid pitch, they are removed again.

As far as chest protectors. My son doesn't even wear one in the 11-12 year old baseball league. I know accidents can happen. But seriously that can be said for anything.

You can wear soccer cleats for baseball or softball - it's just dangerous to wear baseball cleats for soccer (to the other players). Ds12 is supposed to wear a heartguard for little league - these kids can hit!

 

[ICF]

For the record, my mother was not at practice that day

not to go totally OT, but a few of us dad's discussed this the other day....at the little leagues 1st game of the year.

I'm in my mid 30s so most of my youth sports days took place in the early to mid 80s. In those days, most parents dropped off a kid and went about their business and wouldnt show up until practice was supposed to be over. It was a very rare then that you actually stayed at practice with your kids. Now, it seems that most every kid has a parent there with them at practice. Some help out the coach while others just sit there on their phones talking / texting or playing on it or reading a book. I don't know if it is good or bad change, it was just an interesting observation.

 

[mjkacmom]

not to go totally OT, but a few of us dad's discussed this the other day....at the little leagues 1st game of the year.

I'm in my mid 30s so most of my youth sports days took place in the early to mid 80s. In those days, most parents dropped off a kid and went about their business and wouldnt show up until practice was supposed to be over. It was a very rare then that you actually stayed at practice with your kids. Now, it seems that most every kid has a parent there with them at practice. Some help out the coach while others just sit there on their phones talking / texting or playing on it or reading a book. I don't know if it is good or bad change, it was just an interesting observation.

Parents here usually start dropping kids off in 2nd or 3rd grade here. I feel sorry for d7's flag football coach - only 2 dads stay, and they watch. Most of these kids are very hyper and not well-behaved (including ds7, which is why I stay). Ds12 has had a phone for a few years, and just calls when he needs a ride.

 

[luvmy3]

Yeah that's what I thought too until it happens to your kid. All it took was one second for a serious injury to happen. That false sense of security could have saved us months of doctors appointments and money. I don't see why anyone would be opposed to safety.

You seem to misunderstand that a difference in opinion on what keeps one safe doesn't mean that one is oppossed to safety.

For the record, my mother was not at practice that day--the coach had picked me up. The climbing occurred when he brought me home, she saw what happened and and she inquired into it.

I wasn't placing blame on your mother, I would hope any parent that saw what was happening would have the common sense to stop it.

 

[DawnCt1]

Wow! Thank you for the fast responses. So, is this list accurate for what I'll need?

- Cleats
- helmet with cage
- baseball pants

Don't get metal cleats, get plastic (on the bottom). Our leagues always shared the batting helmets. We never had to buy one. I guess your league doesn't want to "share" headlice.

Where my sons play baseball (they are 6 and 8) they also suggest a chest protector. Most people have one that is just like a white nylon tank top with a piece of foam like material on the chest. If you have a Models or another sporting goods store near you they should carry all of this stuff. Other than that, your list looks complete. Good luck.

I think a chest protector is a great idea for pitchers and batters. It seems like every year one child gets hit in the chest resulting in cardiac arrest. If the ball hits the chest at the right moment, between beats, that is a risk. DS#3 ran into an extended backstop pole when he was the varsity catcher. The only thing that held his front teeth in were his braces. He was able to save all of his teeth but one on the side needed a root canal.
Biggest sports fears for me? Brains, eyes and teeth....in that order.

 

[jamstew]

Helmets are required for my grandsons, and they play in different towns. Both are required to furnish their own.Cleats are not required, and I personally don't think they need them at that age. I don't think my son had them until 7-8.

Funny you shoul mention a bat bag. I was talking to one of my son's friends at a game about them. He and my son both played college bal, and neither of them hat a bat bag until high school--no one did back then. They also did't have their own helmets, and most kids used bats that belonged to the league until they were probably 11-12 :-D

 

[jamstew]

Sorry for all the typos. I'm on my iPhone. Hopefully it makes sense.