Little Miami Fastpitch

Fielders Glove

Every player needs a fielders glove.  This is what they wear in the field on defense to catch the ball.  Gloves come in many styles, sizes, and price ranges.  Here is our recommendation based on age:

Ages 10 and under:  This age group uses a smaller 11” softball.  As such, smaller gloves that fit smaller hands work very well.  The most common glove sizes for the beginning fastpitch player are 11” and 11.5” gloves.  It will be a personal preference based on the size of your player.  More experienced girls or girls with large hands may be able to move to 12” or 12.5” gloves, but these are really not necessary while still using the 11” ball.  Watchout:  Gloves that are labeled as T-Ball gloves are sometimes smaller and intended more for baseball, which uses a much smaller ball.  We recommend looking for a fastpitch glove in the recommended sizes above if possible.

Ages 11 and older:  At this age group, girls move to using the standard 12” softball.  As such, we recommend also moving to a larger glove size.  The most common sizes for infielders/pitchers is either 12” or 12.5”, while outfielders may use a 12.5” or 13” glove.  Catcher and/or first basemen may buy specialized gloves for that position.  This is all a personal choice.  An experienced player that is committed to softball and looking to play on higher competition teams in the future may want to invest in a higher end or specialized glove.  For the rec player that just plays softball for fun, any 12” or larger glove will work fine.

Pro Tip #1:  Most new gloves are stiff and require a “break-in” period before they can be used efficiently.  There are many tricks you can find online to speed up the break-in process, but the absolute best way to break in a glove is to just use it a lot, and keep a ball inside the pocket when not using it.  For beginning players, buying a used glove is often not only a money-saver, but also gives you a glove that is already broken in and ready to use.  Places like Play-It-Again Sports often have a large variety of used gloves at affordable prices.

Pro Tip #2:  Gloves can range anywhere from a few dollars to several hundred dollars.  Start small and work your way up through your players playing years.  Girls at young ages do not require expensive gloves.  As they get older and play at higher competition levels, it may be worth that investment, but in the beginning years any appropriately-sized and broken in glove will work very well.

Softball Bat

Every player needs a fastpitch bat.  Fastpitch bats come in a huge variety of types, brands, sizes, etc.

Here is a very informative link from Louisville Slugger on how to choose a fastpitch bat, including sizing guides, etc:

https://www.slugger.com/en-us/how-to-choose-a-bat/fastpitch

Pro Tip #1:  Beginning players do not need to spend a lot of money on a bat.  Bats made of aluminum/alloy are 100% appropriate for beginning players.  Used bats can often be found at steep discounts.  The most important thing for younger and beginning players is learning how to swing, not using an expensive bat.  As girls develop sound mechanics, get bigger, and play at more competitive levels, it will likely be appropriate to purchase a more expensive bat made of composite materials.  But work your way up to this throughout your playing years.

Pro Tip #2:  Use the link above to determine guidelines for bat size.  However, do not be tempted to get a bat that is too big.  If anything, err on the side of too small.  The absolute perfect bat size for your player is the biggest size at which they can still swing the bat as fast and easy as possible.  Do not sacrifice bat speed for size, especially with younger players.  Using a bat that is much too big not only compromises bat speed but also can develop bad swing mechanics.  As your player grows and gets stronger, they will no doubt move up in bat size, but let the size and strength of your player determine that.

Pro Tip #3:  Look for bats labeled as fastpitch bats (not baseball bats) and that have the stamp of approval from USSSA.  Nearly every bat made in the last several years from a known bat manufacturer should have this.

Batting Helmet

Every player needs a batting helmet WITH a protective face guard.  The protective faceguard is mandatory for fastpitch softball at all age levels.

This is all about personal choice.  Any helmet that fits and has the protective face guard is acceptable.

Fielders Mask

The fielders mask is HIGHLY recommended for all players.  Players wear this mask while fielding to protect their face from getting hit by the ball.  While not technically required until girls are a little older and/or play certain positions, we can’t stress enough that every player at every age should wear a fielding mask.

The #1 cause of girls becoming scared of the ball, which leads to bad habits that can become very hard to break over time, is getting hit with a ball.  Wear the mask anytime you play catch, play defense, etc and you will never be scared of the ball!!

Any fielders mask that is appropriately sized is fine.  They often come in Youth and Adult sizes and are adjustable to fit individual players.

Shoes

At beginning ages, any athletic shoe that you don’t mind getting dirty is fine.  Most players, especially as they get to 8U and above, will want to purchase cleats.  Molded softball cleats are appropriate for all players.  Metal spikes are not allowed until 14U and should only be considered by advanced players.

Pro Tip #1:  When kids are growing, they will often only be able to wear a particular shoe size for one season.  Places like Play It Again Sports often have a huge variety of cleats with plenty of life left for one season.