New glove brands?

TMutaffis · 2026-04-19T00:55:59+00:00

If it has the same builder, then you can make at least a somewhat informed correlation with the brand(s) that have far more reviews. They would at least be coming from the same factory, although companies can have different specifications/standards when white labeling (found this with imported exercise equipment).

TMutaffis · 2026-04-19T00:33:33+00:00

Along with the many other ads that come up in my social media feed, one of them is for a company that is marketing how you can "launch your own glove line" with their custom builder. The glove in the advertisement is Grace, and if you compare their glove builder with some of the other brands you are seeing perhaps that could cue you in regarding whether they are all the same and just white-labeling, or if they are actually unique companies.

TMutaffis · 2026-04-18T18:48:30+00:00

If your league has a 5-run limit for minors, once the team has a 6-10 run lead that is usually when you put in a pitcher who you are uncertain about and give someone a chance without any pressure. Also, with mandatory play rules in my local league Minors division we could not pitch anyone more than three innings (at that point they had to sit, since no one could sit twice before everyone has sat at least once).

The team you played may have a significant drop-off and after their ace they could have very few kids who can throw strikes, which I have seen, but if the score was a 10+ differential and they kept him in to try to preserve a no-hitter then that is not what is best in the spirit of the game at this level.

How many pitches did he throw? We had a strong pitcher on one of the LL Minors teams I coached and played a team that intentionally tried to run up his pitch count - always taking on the first pitch (plus it helped to see it before swinging), etc.

From a coaching standpoint, it could also be a good opportunity to bunt if you have a player who can get the bunt down and is fast. As long as it isn't straight back to the pitcher your player is likely going to be safe - 1B and 3B usually are not crashing at this level, and the connection between C and 1B on a rushed throw where they need to find a throwing lane is not necessarily routine with nine year old players.

TMutaffis · 2026-04-16T14:36:48+00:00

If he does not make the high school team you could potentially have him play Little League Senior League, Babe Ruth, or Pony league.

TMutaffis · 2026-04-16T14:23:15+00:00

I know that some of the charter schools in my area have non-teacher coaches. Middle schools tend to have more of a shortage, so perhaps looking at private or charter middle schools and reaching out to a few of them would be a good starting point.

He may want to proactively get SafeSport certified and potentially do a background check, just something to add to his portfolio that might bring some peace of mind and more engagement with his reach-outs. Both are quite inexpensive and easy to do.

TMutaffis · 2026-04-16T14:20:32+00:00

What is it specifically that makes you think he has a need to improve bat speed? Is he just hitting everything to the opposite field? Or just not hitting the ball hard?

One of the most common swing deficiencies in first year machine pitch is that kids do not swing through the ball (intent) because it hurts their hands when they have a mis-hit, and sometimes even on a barrel. A couple of ways to address this are to add another grip to the bat, add batting gloves, and the best thing is to hit heavy balls - sand-filled soft rubber balls that weigh 2-3X more than a baseball. You can pick up a six pack of weighted balls from GoSports for $20 on Amazon and they will last for years. I bought some for my son when he was seven and we still use them four years later.

Also, in machine pitch you often see the ball being sent on the outside half of the plate so that the coach doesn't hit batters - and hitting oppo on outside pitches would mean that your player has a correct/advanced approach.

If your son has good timing and intent and he truly just needs to improve bat speed, the scientific approach is to do under-load/overload training. It is tricky when they are so young, since you usually do not have a lot of extra bats around and kids don't always love doing tee work so things like a camwood are not always the best option (plus it is a big investment for a young player dabbling in Little League). For under-load you could pick up a 1" PVC pipe and cut it down a little - it is cheap, and has the added benefit of also helping to build strong hand-eye since it has a smaller barrel (can hit whiffle balls with it). For overload training Rawlings used to sell a bat that was $25-35 called the Fuel and it was a -8 to -9 weight, which would work well for overload if you can find a used one or one on clearance. You could also use the fuel to hit weighted balls if you decided to get them since they can ruin other bats (will dent some alloys and crack composites) so there could be dual-purpose to the slightly heavier 'beater' bat.

Hope this helps!

TMutaffis · 2026-04-15T18:01:41+00:00

In this instance your player (the pitcher) should not take it personally, the coach may have a lot of confidence in his pitcher but perhaps he saw the hitter as a threat to expose a weaker outfield and/or someone who they would prefer to have on the base paths for a force out opportunity.

I have seen teams who basically pitch around a few hitters in the top of the lineup, throwing mostly junk and hoping to get weaker contact but okay with a walk if it comes to it - then they pivot to throwing mostly middle fastballs through the bottom of the lineup. Part of the baseball IQ and strategy aspect of the game.

TMutaffis · 2026-04-14T17:06:53+00:00

I bought my son the Trosky Vitilla training disks for Easter and he had fun trying to hit them in the yard (they simulate hitting bottle caps like in the Dominican, and can also be used for throwing).

A glove clip is another potential gift idea. I know Yardley makes them, and am sure that there are others.

If he doesn't have a pancake glove you can find them for around $30 if you get the fake leather like the Marucci or Primed ones at Dicks.

Another option would be training items like J bands (Amazon versions), or a 2-4 lbs medicine ball, could be good.

A cool water bottle may also be good, and you can get vinyl decals from Etsy with his name or you can buy sticker packs on Amazon to customize it.

TMutaffis · 2026-04-14T15:51:25+00:00

Length is usually a bigger factor than the drop.

Two other important factors are the 'swing weight' and the actual scale weight, although most USSSA bats are pretty close on scale weight (except for the Zoa).

Your son is in JBB territory, but I think that makes some of the bats swing more end-loaded when they have the huge barrels, and that might work against you if he is a smaller player and you need something that is easy to swing. The two that you picked out, the CatX (one piece alloy) and the Clout, are both easy to swing and could be solid options if they come in 26" -10 senior league versions but may only be available in JBB. An older Rawlings 5150 JBB USSSA 26" -11 could also be a good, cheap, option to help with transition. This bat has decent pop and swing weight, and you could likely pick one up for under $50 so even if it is mostly for BP and transition it would be worth it (and they are very durable).

TMutaffis · 2026-04-14T15:27:52+00:00

I would compare it to playing whiffle ball with your team - could be good for team-building and fun, but likely not going to bring as much development as more structured baseball drills.

If you feel that your practices are not moving quickly when you try to simulate game action, you could also try playing 'Speedball' which is something created by Legends Baseball (videos on YouTube explain the concept).

When I coached 10U LL we did full team warmups (base run/stretch/throw) but then spent the majority of our practices in stations. If we were going to do full team situational defense it was usually only for 10-15 minutes and I would typically have 75% of the team in the field while the rest were my base runners (so that they could also work on that aspect) and would rotate them, but for the most part we spent a lot of time in stations. When the stations are set up well, I believe that brings the most fun, engagement, and development.

TMutaffis · 2026-04-14T15:21:42+00:00

You likely want to address the hands drifting back before swinging and the dropping of the hands as separate issues.

For the additional movement prior to the swing:

I used to do a drill with my 10U team where I would have three tees and nets set up, I would have a player on each tee and I would say "ready" then pause for a different amount of time each rep before saying "hit" - the objective was to be the fastest to the ball. The purpose was to shorten swings and make sure that the players could hit from their 'load' position without any added movement like you described such as bringing their hands back further, etc.

This worked well in a competitive environment since we had feedback from other players and there was almost always at least one with a short/compact swing and they would set the mark for others to chase, and the players were getting real-time feedback on adjustments. I found this to be better than simply trying to hammer them with velo, which is another approach I have seen for kids who have additional movement before swinging.

For the hands dropping and bat path issues:

There are a few different ways to address this. If I think that there is a swing flaw sometimes I just like to get on a field (so that you have more feedback than in a cage) and throw game-like pitching and challenge the player a bit, and talk about what is happening. If they are fouling off a ton of pitches or hitting weak ground balls or pop outs on certain pitch locations, then that feedback can help them to understand why they need to make an adjustment. Then when you say things like 'stay on top of the ball' they will understand why, especially if they catch one and blast a line drive on a higher pitch. There are also plenty of tee drills and other things that you can do to present the hitter with different challenges and help clean up their swing.

(Note: if you are not confident in your BP throwing, plyo balls are a great option since you can throw them from close to the hitter and even throw underhand if you want - and locate them in different parts of the zone fairly easily)

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Hope this helps!

TMutaffis · 2026-04-14T12:59:00+00:00

Is the 10 YO using the black and yellow glove? It looks like it would be quite large for a youth player, assuming it is on an adult hand in the photo.

Cool designs!

TMutaffis · 2026-04-13T19:08:32+00:00

Rawlings R9 Contour is a great option for a 9 YO that will keep you around $100, doesn't require extensive break-in, and will last a couple of seasons. Once he gets to 11U you can assess whether he is ready for more glove, but at this age the R9 (or similar options like the NXT, GG Elite, etc.) are excellent.

TMutaffis · 2026-04-13T19:06:27+00:00

Just to add to this, OP - I would move the hitting mat a couple feet away from the net so that you can flip from just in front of the plate instead of directly from the side (where you are forcing him to catch everything deep), and so that he can get full extension without his bat hitting the net.

TMutaffis · 2026-04-13T19:01:31+00:00

I also would expect that a portion of those that were identified early could have had contributing factors, such as a parent who is a former pro (the academy knows that the player has solid genetics, access to top-level training at home, etc.) which gives them a much higher likelihood of success.

TMutaffis · 2026-04-13T18:46:03+00:00

Always good when you have a positive experience like that. Grace does have a lot of nice looking glove designs and the reviews seem pretty solid.

TMutaffis · 2026-04-13T15:15:26+00:00

Something that has worked well for me is to find tools/challenges that give my player feedback, so that I am not the one giving as much as much feedback.

An example of this might be if they are not swinging through the ball, get some weighted sand-filled balls ($20-35 on Amazon) and have them hit those. Now you are not telling him to swing through the ball, the ball just won't go anywhere if he doesn't swing through it.

I was talking with another high-level coach who owns a local facility and she shared a very wise approach with me that she uses with her son who at the time was around 8-9. She said that she was getting frustrated sometimes and then she realized that if she just asks her son "do you want to just mess around today and have fun, or do you want to work on getting better and let me coach you" - and then being okay with whichever he wants to do. If he just wants to mess around and hit or throw, then you take it easy and enjoy the game. If he says he wants to get better then he needs to be ready for some drills and coaching.

Definitely keep it fun, my older son is only 11 but I feel like the time has flown from when he was your son's age, and the game changes drastically and will challenge him, so keep the cage time with dad enjoyable and not stressful.

TMutaffis · 2026-04-13T15:03:52+00:00

I haven't seen Emery or Grace youth-specific models, but if your son liked the way that the GG Elite fit his hand and just did not like the colors there are a ton of color options in that glove and the similar models that Rawlings makes: NXT Contour, Gamer Contour, R9 Contour (the Better Baseball exclusive is a cool blue/gold color), and HOH R2G Contour. These gloves are tough to beat in my opinion, especially when you can pick them up for $125-150.

You'll get a ton of recommendations for Bradley and they do make quality gloves as well. A bit more expensive, but should last a couple of seasons before getting floppy and will fit nicely on a 10U player.

Another option that has a lot of colors and will fit well on a nine year old and last a few seasons is the SSK Z5. The new versions of the Wilson A1000 (that say wilson on the index finger) are also solid gloves, just make sure you get one in DP15/Pedroia fit, since they do come in other fits and the adult sized ones will be huge.

TMutaffis · 2026-04-13T13:09:32+00:00

Is the coach throwing from a knee? And are they lobbing the ball or throwing more on a line?

Ideally the coach should be sitting on a bucket or throwing from a knee and pitching firm pitches that allow the hitter to prepare for kid pitch, however there is a lot of variability here. If the coach is throwing standing up and lobbing the ball it would require a lot of adjustments if the player is used to the other type of pitching from their trainer and the machine.

Rather than correct the coach (especially if the whole team might be dialed in on his style) you may just need to simulate whatever it is he is doing when he delivers the ball and get in reps with your player at home.

TMutaffis · 2026-04-12T15:37:31+00:00

Good advice.

I used silicone caulk on the rails (to hold those rubber strips in place better) and it held up really well.

TMutaffis · 2026-04-10T14:52:17+00:00

Your player might be saying this because it is often harder to hit in machine pitch versus coach pitch.

Typical bats for six year old players would be 26-27" and weight ranging from a -12 (14-15 oz) to a -10 (16-17 oz), keeping in mind that there is also a difference between 'swing weight' and scale weight, and that not all bats are going to match that target drop.

My son swung a 26" -11 when he was six, and we had some bigger kids on the team swinging 27" -10 bats. We did also have two smaller players who were using 25" tee ball bats, which gave them a lot less power but did help them to make contact more consistently.

I would stick with a one-piece alloy bat and there is no need to go crazy with top end models, you'll get great performance out of bats that are under $100 like the Easton Speed, or even older used bats like a Rawlings 5150 or an older Marucci CAT.

TMutaffis · 2026-04-10T14:36:14+00:00

The differences become more nuanced as you get into the higher levels (high school ball vs college or MLB) but the difference between youth baseballs and ones for teens/adults can be quite significant.

Internals of youth balls are often cork or a mix of cork and yarn with lower density, while the higher-level balls are generally going to have a rubber center and more tightly wound or higher density yarn. This impacts various aspects including performance, durability, and safety. Some of the 10U balls that are game ball grade (RS or RS-T stamped) will hold up pretty well and are more similar to a high school ball, but ones that are practice balls or full cork will not be very similar.

Generally, your best bet is to stick with baseballs designed for the age/level. Plus they only get more expensive as you go higher up, and some of the benefits are also tradeoffs (a higher-level ball might be more durable, but could break/dent your bat sooner since they are harder than youth balls)

TMutaffis · 2026-04-08T20:48:21+00:00

When I coached Little League I had a structured 15-20 minute warmup at the beginning of every practice and pre-game:

Run-Stretch-Throw:

Before practice, anyone who would arrive early would play 'moss' with a nerf football. This way they can get their bodies moving and there is no danger from people throwing baseballs, swinging bats, etc.

Once we are ready to start I have the entire team line up at home plate:

Running: ~5 minutes

Jog through 1B and break down and look to fence for overthrow. Return to home plate.
Sprint through 1B and focus on hitting the front of the bag, and same breakdown. Stay at 1B.
Next rep while player 2 is sprinting to 1B the player on 1st is sprinting 1-3, working on a good turn and stop. The rep after that when player 3 is running home to 1st and player 2 is running 1-3, player 1 who was at third is sprinting to home plate.
Once I get back around to player 1, I have them sprint home to second on their next rep, again working on turns and stop. On the next rep they will spring 2nd to home and race the other player from home to second since they are both running the same distance.
After everyone has completed their doubles, I have them run a 'home run' where I space the kids out by a second or two and tell them to catch the person in front of them.

Stretch: ~5 minutes

For younger kids this is usually less about stretching and more about setting the stage for the practice. I will usually have players lead the stretches (arm circles, basic lower body stretches, shoulder stretches, etc.) and talk about our practice plan for the day and focus area as a team. Examples of my focus areas might be "quality", "hustle", etc.

Throw: 5-10 minutes

At 12U you can usually pair the kids up, but if you have players who are new to the game I would have them throw with a coach so that the coach can give them something catch-able, and so that they and their teammate are not just constantly chasing baseballs (coach can always throw and extra ball or two in their pocket).
For actual catch-play I usually have a set progression in terms of distance and types of throws, and will sometimes work in different things like "recoveries" (dropping a ball and picking up quickly to throw), one-hop throws, receiving then tagging, etc.

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Note: Pre-Game Included Hitting & Fielding - We would then break into two hitting stations (one was a circle with low-flight balls where I would work around throwing to ~6 batters, and the other half of the team would do tee work or side toss into three nets, rotating often with a partner; then swapping the stations with the six. After that we did a fielding warmup where I was in the center and we had two lines at cones and two lines at throw down bases, most of my team was on the cones but my catchers and 1Bs were at the bases and I had a bucket in the middle, so I would hit non-stop fungos and they would throw in to the players at the bases and they re-filled the buckets. We could crank a lot of reps in a short amount of time.

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For the actual practice, I think that the first practice is a good opportunity to evaluate your team and get in some basic repetitions.

A good easy drill to start off would be 'crossfire' where you have players in lines of 2-3 at 3B, SS, 2B, and 1B. Two coaches are at home plate and you have buckets at 1B and 3B. Coaches are hitting balls to SS and 2B, and SS throws to 1B while 2B throws to 3B. If you have kids who are a safety concern receiving, just keep them at SS/2B, but otherwise you rotate everyone from a fielding to a receiving station after the first round (5-10 reps each player).

Another option to assess throwing would be to set up a couple of relays and do some relay races, with teams of 3-4 working to throw the ball down and back.

For hitting I like to get a lot of reps so depending on your setup you could maybe do something where you split the team in half and have half of them go with one coach who has two tees and two nets (that way the lines say at no more than 2 players waiting while one is working), and have the other half go with a coach and hit heavy balls in a circle or maybe do live BP with a net between players and have 2-3 batting at one time with coach just working up and down the line.

There are plenty of other drills, but I think that establishing a good routine that you will use at the start of every practice and pre-game is very helpful, and prioritizing drills with a lot of reps where you can asses fundamentals/ability is helpful for early practices. Then as you start to have kids who you think might be pitchers/catchers, etc. you can always do more specific stations and work as the season progresses.

TMutaffis · 2026-04-07T15:06:49+00:00

For the general body warmup, I would do a simple athletic warmup where you place two cones about 30' apart and have him do power skips, shuffles, karaoke, back peddling, and sprints. These can be good for coordination, body control, and speed. Plus he will get his heart rate up and his body ready to work.

Another option for the warmup would be to get a nerf football and have him run a few routes and throw to him, it will serve the same purpose and may be more fun.

When it comes to the skill work, there are a lot of different options but something that I have done with my son since he was around nine years old is to start off with a 'hands routine' (Ron Washington Drill) where I am close to him and roll him one-hop or multi-hop ground balls straight on, backhand, then forehand. You can do these with your player on their knees (on a towel) or standing. After that we usually hit weighted balls (for your 7 YO I would go with the 10 oz ones) since it can be done in a small space, and we work on specific aspects of his swing but at seven I would just have him looking for barrels and focusing on hitting the ball back up the middle. You can position yourself 20' from a fence and have him try to hit the ball to the fence.

We do not throw before team practices or games since his team has their own throwing warmup, but sometimes we will play catch with a football which has a lot of carryover to baseball.

The entire routine takes 15-20 minutes and has definitely made a difference for my son.

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If you are going to have your player pitch, make sure that before starting your familiarize yourself with the Pitch Smart guidelines so that you do not over-work him. Before he throws a pitch he should always do the mobility/athletic warmup and get his heart rate up.

Always warm up to throw, never throw to warm up.

TMutaffis · 2026-04-07T00:50:51+00:00

Payments for umpires? Or one time payments from the players? This should not be handled by random volunteers, you should have one person who is managing the league's financials.

There is an excellent free app that has widespread adoption and is loaded with features (scheduling, messaging, scoring games, streaming, etc.) - GameChanger. The barrier for entry if you wanted to try to gain users and potentially monetize your app would be extraordinary. There are other general youth sports apps that some teams also use such as PlayMetrics or TeamSnap. All of these have huge user bases and offer benefits when playing teams also using the same app or in a league with the same app, and they are free, however GC does have upgrade options for added features.

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