Even though baseball and softball might not be as popular as some other sports among children, sports could be the best school activity for your child. Most of the time, kids prefer staying indoors glued to the various electronics in the house. However, with baseball, they can participate in activities that will stimulate their physical and mental health. Parents are finding baseball to be a more engaging sport, which gives them a chance to spend time with their kids both on and off the field.
Baseball for Kids
In the past, baseball has competed with other popular sports to win young athletes’ hearts. Kids have shied away from sporting activities with the onset of technology and electronic entertainment devices. Popular sports like basketball and football have continued to gain popularity; they are even electronic games based on these sports.
Nevertheless, baseball is the most popular sport on American soil. According to a 2016, baseball and softball combined made up the most popular sports team annually. Additionally, there are so many reasons parents should encourage their kids to participate in baseball and softball. Baseball is generally paid during spring and summer; however, elite teams or teams located in warmer regions can play throughout the year.
Both girls and boys can play baseball. There are plenty of single-sex teams playing baseball and softball. In school, you will find varsity and junior varsity teams, players playing even at college and past college level, can join teams and pursue softball and baseball as a professional career.
Which Kids Will Benefit from Baseball
If your child is a team player and social-oriented, baseball and softball will be a fit sporting activity. These young athletes need to be patient and attentive since baseball can be a slow pace game. When determining whether baseball or softball is the best sporting activity for your child, it’s essential to consider the following key factors:
- The age of your child.
- Fitness factor.
- Does your child have any special needs?
- Skills to be learned when playing baseball or softball.
- Is your child interested in baseball or softball?
As a parent, you need to know the governing bodies and associations when it comes to baseball. The governing bodies and associations for American baseball and softball are:
- Little League Baseball
- U.S. Specialty Sports Association
- PONY Baseball/Softball
- Amateur Athletic Union
Commitment and Costs
In every sport, commitment is needed from the athletes. When it comes to young athletes, commitment is needed from even the parents and the trainers/ coaches. Parents should help their kids be committed to the game by attending all the practice sessions and matches. Beginners will not require plenty of practice, but as your child moves up the ranks, they will require more practice sessions.
Additionally, your child needs to be equipped with essential gear and equipment. All baseball players must have the following youth baseball equipment:
- Batting and fielding equipment: bat, protective gears, batting helmet, and a fielding glove.
- Catcher’s equipment: shin guard, catcher’s helmet or mask, and chest protector.
- Baseball Apparel: cleats, batting gloves, pants, sliding shorts, socks, belt, cap, compression arm, and leg sleeves.
The baseball gears vary depending on the player’s position. Apart from the above baseball gears, you will also need to buy for your child the following baseball apparel:
- Sunglasses
- Bat and grip accessories
- Baseball bag
- Eye black
- Water bottle
- Backup cleat laces
- Athletic tape and wrist braces
Training gear is also essential but not necessary. If your child wants to have extra training sessions at home, you must invest in reliable baseball training gear. Training at home is highly encouraged since it can create more parent and child bonding time. The following baseball training equipment will help your child train at home:
- Batting tee
- Pitching machine
- Hitting net
- Baseballs and weighted training baseballs
Baseball Injuries and Risks
Baseball isn’t a contact sport. Nevertheless, there is a risk of injury. To reduce incidents of head injuries, young baseball players use RIF (reduced injury factor) or safety balls, which are much softer. Safety-release or breakaway bases are also used to reduce the players from accidents or injuries when they slide in the field. Since 2008, it has been mandated that all young baseball players play by the regulations set by Little League.
Coaches and trainers should ensure young baseball players don’t suffer from overuse injuries generally caused by throwing too many pitches. Overuse injuries are widespread among the adult baseball leagues. To avoid this, coaches and parents should ensure the practice plans have a specific number of throws for each player, and players should have plenty of rest.
Baseball and softball might give you the best parenting time with your child. The game not only allows your child to engage in physical activities and lead a healthy lifestyle, but it also gives them a social platform to interact and perform exceptionally well. Like all sporting activities for kids, baseball ensures your kid achieves physical and mental health. As a parent, you need to be instrumental and provide material and emotional support for your child’s journey as a baseball athlete.
From our short blog post, you can see the importance of sparking the interest in baseball in your child. Join the fantastic parents club by being part of the Little League parents group.
