Equipment Considerations
You can't play organized fastpitch softball without some basic equipment. You, your coach and your parents all help make decisions in this process. Most teams provide a complete uniform and equipment that's too expensive for all players to afford. Team equipment generally consists of an assortment of helmets, a few official softball bats, catcher's equipment and first aid supplies. In the most basic of cases, the only item left for the player to supply is a glove. Of course, there are other things you can buy, but they are your choice.
What
the best dressed softball players are wearing this year. Most
teams supply the basic uniform as part of the yearly fee. Typically
the basic uniform includes:
- One or two shirts. Some teams provide
a sleeveless shirt for hot days and a standard short sleeve shirt
for cooler days. For early spring or fall ball when the weather
can be brisk, a long-sleeved tee shirt worn under the basic uniform
shirt is recommended.
- Short seem to be preferred by most girls. Some teams require
full-length, baseball-style pants.
- Socks are generally knee length. These provide some basic protection
to the lower legs.
- Sliders. These spandex-type shorts are worn under the uniform
short or pants. They have extra padding in them to protect they
player's thighs and hips when sliding into a base.
- Sliding Pad. Most teams require and supply sliding pads to protect
the girl's sliding-side leg and knee.
The glove and shoes are the responsibility of the player.
The glove
and bat are probably the most personal pieces of equipment the
player uses. Each player has her own preferences. So we'll just
answer some of the questions we've heard most often.
How big should my glove
be? 
First of all, a softball is bigger than a baseball. It makes sense that it would be easier to catch a softball if the glove was bigger. This is true. However, you must be aware of the size of the player's hand. These two factors determine the glove that's best for you.
Gloves are designated in length inches. Typical softball gloves range from 12 inches to 14 inches. Younger player's smaller hands require a smaller glove (12" to 12.5") As the player gets older, your larger hand will allow you to step up to the larger gloves. When you're looking for a glove try them all on. Find the one that feels the best on your hand. If you have a friend who has a glove like you want to buy, ask to borrow it. This should give you an idea of how the glove will feel after it is broken in.
(Be aware, if you order a glove through mail order or over the internet, of how gloves for left and right handers are specified. Even though a right-handed player wears the glove on her left hand, when ordering a glove it will be called a glove for "right handed" throwers. Left-handed players order gloves for "left handed" throwers.)
How do I break in my new glove?
Simple. Use it! There are some ways to help speed up the process. The first method is the glove itself. Several glove makers now use material that is softened at the factory. Even new gloves feel as though they've been on the field for several months.
The most common method for breaking in the more traditional leather gloves involves two-fold.
Step One: Rub in some glove oil (available at all sporting goods stores) -- not too much, just cover the inside and outside surface of the glove. Wipe off any excess. Make about 50 catches with the glove. Put a softball inside you glove, and fold the glove tight around the ball. Use a large rubber band to hold the ball and glove together. This will help form the pocket. Leave you glove in this fashion each night, and then catch at least 50 throws each day. So you glove will loosen up and fit your hand. (Note: only use the glove oil a couple of times each season.)
Step Two: Spend you idle time on the field bending and flexing the finger of the glove. You eventually want the finger of the glove to naturally form a cup shape with the palm of the glove. This is just the shape you need to catch ground balls. You want to scoop up ground balls, so you need to form your glove into a scoop shape.
Other "breaking in" tips are located all over the internet. But the real answer is: USE THE GLOVE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. It will break itself in, and you will have had a lot of practice catching balls.
Your
Bat
Virtually all teams supply a set of team bats. Also true: very few girls use them.
Girls play softball for the chance to be "at bat". They want to hit the ball with their own bat.
So, here are a few tips for buying bats.
What length bat should
I buy?
Probably the most common
fastpitch softball bat lengths are 29", 30", 31",
32", 33", and a few 34". Technically, the batter
needs a bat that will cover both sides of home plate when she
is in her hitting position. However, that answer is too easy due
to individual body and strength differences between players in
all age brackets. A place to start is to try a bat that is the
same length as the distance between the ground and your hip. Then
stand in your normal batting position with your feet at your normal
distance from home plate. Take you normal swing and see if the
bat has covered the far side of home plate. If it does, you've
found the correct length.
What weight bat should
I buy?
The misconception here is that it take a heavy bat to hit the
ball into the outfield. Wrong. It takes a QUICK bat to hit the
ball into the outfield. Modern aluminum softball bats are built
to efficiently transfer the energy of your swing directly to the
ball. The only weight consideration is: which weight can you swing
the fastest. This seems to work our to be about a -10 bat. This
means the bat is about 10 ounces lighter that the bat is long.
For example, a 31" bat weighing 21 ounces is a good combination.
After this -- whether you like a lighter or heavier bat -- it
becomes a matter of personal preference.
Try
this simple test to make sure the bat you are thinking about buying
isn't too heavy. Hold the bat at the far end of the grip end and
extend your arm and the bat straight out from your shoulder. If
you can hold the bat steady for 15 seconds without the bat drifting
down, the bat isn't too heavy.
Batting Accessories
Most teams supply helments, but some girls still want their own. Make certain the helmet you choose fits well, provide good vision, and is certified for softball play.
Batting gloves are certainly optional and probably won't be supplied by the team. They do help with grip if they fit well. Probably the reason most girl's like batting gloves is to reduce bat sting. If this give your girl more confidence at the plate, it's probably worth the $9 to $19 expense.
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