Index for Parents' Resources Topics (all are clickable links or scroll down to view all topics)

Little League International has created a free educational resource called Little League University.  Parents can access articles and videos pertaining to the Little League experience.  To register and access this system, please click on the icon below.

• Uniform:  The league supplies a team shirt and hat.  Your manager will be in contact regarding what color baseball pants and socks to purchase.
• Baseball Glove (required):  In T-Ball, every player is in the field every inning so gloves can't be shared.  We want something light, flexible, and small.  For this age group, that means don't go larger than a 10" glove.  As cool as they are, the colored gloves, gloves with superheros on them, etc. are often more difficult to actually use.
• Cleats (highly recommended):  First, the dirt surface they play on - both in a baseball sense and in sense that they can't resist digging in it - will turn their sneakers a disgusting brown color anyway.  Second, they'll hit and run much better with cleats.
• Cup (highly recommended):  Not required yet at this age group, but a very good idea nonetheless.
• Bat (highly recommended):  Bats can be shared but most players choose to have their own so they can use them at home.  You want a "tee ball" bat - not a regular bat - 26" or less in length (less unless you have a big 5 year-old), and as light as you can find.  You can usually find 24" and 25" bats with "drops" of -11 to -14 ("drop" refers to the difference between the bat's weight in ounces and the bat's length in inches - a -12.5 "drop" means that a 25" bat will weigh 12.5 ounces).
• Batting Helmet (recommended):  Over the last few years, (nearly) everyone has their own helmet - apparently an attempt at lice prevention.  The league will distribute helmets to managers upon request so let your manager know if you don't have your own.
• Batting Gloves (discouraged):  All the bats have nice rubbery grips and at this age, batting gloves slow the game and practices down and distract the kids with something to fuss over.  And oh, by the way, they'll lose them and you'll have to buy another pair.  That being said, if your child gets a thrill from using them, go for it.

For home use, you may want the following:

• Soft-core Baseballs:  Depending on the manufacturer, they may be called "t-balls" or "incrediballs".  We will NOT be using standard hardballs until these kids are in the AA Division (8 year-olds).
• Wiffleball Set:  The standard bat is too long for them but you can find smaller plastic bats or cut a section out of a longer bat and duct-tape the knob back on.  Provides for lots of low-risk fun in the backyard.
• Batting Tee:  "T-Ball" is actually a misnomer for this division as the goal is for the kids to hit pitched balls.  That being said, tees are an excellent training aid, especially while our kids are learning how to swing a bat.  If you're lucky, your kid will find solo entertainment in a bucket of soft-core balls, a tee, and a bat.  Don't go fancy on the tee - the fancier ones tend to be too tall for this age group.
• Throw-Down Bases:  Adds some fun to playing in the backyard and just as importantly familiarizes them with where to stand when batting and when and where to run to.

The following are links to the Little League Medical Release Form and an explanation regarding the Little League Insurance Program.

Medical Release Form

Insurance Program