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Opening Day Our favorite tradition!  We start the season with a parade along 52nd Street, followed by Opening Ceremonies and fun activities all day for Players and their Families.  All Teams will have pictures taken and most Teams will have a game scheduled that day.   Concession Stand Our Concession Stand is located right next to Field 1 and offers all your ball park favorites, including popcorn, nachos, candy and hamburgers fresh off the grill!  We also offer satellite conc

What equipment do you really need? Have you gone down the equipment rabbit hole yet?  There is an endless array of gear for ball players and it can be hard to know what your Player really needs. Every family should decide what’s important to their Player, but here’s what we think: Must have ·         A baseball/softball glove. (Check out our glove buying guide here! ) ·         Baseball/softball pants (they can be either below the knee or full length, in any color) ·        

Fit first! There are endless features in the glove market, but nothing else matters if it doesn’t fit well.  Here’s what to consider when finding the correct fit: ·         The glove should fit snugly, but the Player’s hand should not feel pinched ·         The Player should not feel like the glove is going to slide off their hand when their arm is down by their side. ·         The Player should be able to easily squeeze the glove closed.  If the Player struggles to close th

First, familiarize yourself with the KBSL bat rules. Only bats that are permanently stamped with one of the following association logos are allowed for use in KBSL games. See our full bat rules here. Softball bats only: Baseball bats only:    Important note: you'll see bats with a stamp that reads USSSA. That is not the same as the USA stamp and is not legal for KBSL use. Bats bearing only the USSSA stamp will be removed from dugouts during games. Now determine what size

Did you know you probably need to break in your bat? Composite bats perform better, and for longer, when they are properly broken in. (Most softball bats and many baseball bats are composite.) Breaking in your bat is fun, easy, and only take an hour or so! Before you start using your new bat - have you checked our bat rules to make sure it's legal for use in KBSL games? Take 100-200 swings while hitting off a tee or having someone soft toss to you. Use real baseballs or so

Got a brand new glove?  Let’s break it in! There are a lot of crazy “tips” out there, but breaking in your glove will take a little patience.  The good news:  you can get the season started even if your glove isn’t broken in!  As you practice, your glove will naturally soften and conform to your hand.   Don’t do this: You’ll come across suggestions to steam or bake your glove, to apply oils like petroleum jelly or cooking oil, even to run it over with a car (?!).  None of tha

Practicing at home is the best way for Players to improve their game and become more confident on the field!  Practicing with your Player can be as simple as playing catch or tossing some grounders.  Like any other skill, the key to developing baseball & softball skills is repetition.  If you’re looking for some new ways to get some reps in, we love the USA Baseball app.  (USA Softball does not offer a similar tool, but the general drills on the app work just as well for soft

If you’re signing your child up for their first season of t-ball, you probably have a few questions. Will they know what to do? Will they be overwhelmed? What does a typical season even look like? The good news is that every season is designed with development in mind, especially for beginners. At the start of the season, expect a focus on fundamentals. Coaches spend time teaching the basics — how to hold a glove, how to throw safely, how to run the bases, and where to stand

When people think about youth baseball and softball, they usually think about the basics - hitting, throwing, fielding - and of course that's a big part of it! But Players are learning a lot more than that on the ball field. They’re building confidence. At the beginning of the season, some players step up to the plate unsure of themselves. A few weeks later, they can't wait for their next at bat. That growth doesn’t happen by accident. It comes from reps, encouragement, and

Families in West Michigan have no shortage of activities to choose from, but team sports continue to stand out for a reason. When a child joins a youth baseball or softball league, they aren’t just learning how to hit, throw, or field — they’re stepping into an environment that builds character, confidence, and connection - that impact reaches far beyond the scoreboard. Team sports teach accountability in a way that feels real. When teammates are counting on each other, kids

In youth sports, it’s easy to focus on results - wins, stats, standings. But long-term athlete development doesn’t start with pressure. It starts with enjoyment. When kids genuinely have fun playing baseball or softball, they stay engaged, practice more consistently, and build skills naturally. When the environment is positive and encouraging, players are more willing to try new positions, take risks, and push themselves. They aren’t afraid of making mistakes because they kno