Equipment

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