EQUIPMENT
Most leagues provide coaches with the basic equipment needed to play.
I find that there are additional items worth while for a coach to purchase:
bats, balls, buckets, helmets (with chin straps), throw down bases, an extra
batting tee, a first aid kit, cones and a good equipment bag if your league
does not provide one. You may find that there are other items which you find
will be useful for your team.
When purchasing equipment there are two
considerations. Cost is important, but most important is safety. The primary
objective in selecting and buying equipment, and deciding when to replace
it, is safety. There are many
choices in equipment, from inexpensive to expensive. Most options will work
quite well, so you should ask:
Does it fit properly?
Will it protect your players?
Will it help your team to get
better? Will it help you to
run a more effective practice?
No matter what you choose to buy, there are two primary
sources.
Local
sporting goods stores.
Buying from a local sporting
goods store has several benefits. First, you will help to build support for
your team, or program, within your local community. Financial support for
your program comes from your community so it makes sense to reciprocate and
buy from local merchants. Further, equipment, if in stock, is available
immediately - no waiting or paying for shipping. Finally, if you ever need
a replacement or repair, your local dealer is ready and waiting to provide
service.
Catalog or Internet
stores. There are a number of
companies that sell through catalogs and/or the Internet which often have
prices lower than the local sporting goods store. Most of these companies
have a wide range of products with several manufacturers for each product.
This provides you with a wide variety of choices and cost. One disadvantage
is that shipping cost and time must be added to each order. So, if you need
something quickly this may not be the way to go. Some of the companies which
sell by catalog and/or Internet are: (listed
alphabetically)
Anaconda Sports, 2 Anaconda
Drive, Lake Katrine, NY
12449
800-327-0074
www.anacondasports.com
ATEC, 655 Spice Island Dr.,
Sparks, NV
89431
800-998-ATEC
www.atecsports.com
Baseball Express, P O Box
792310, San Antonio, TX
78279-2310
800-937-4824
www.baseballexp.com
Beacon Ballfields, 2224
Pleasant View Rd. #6, Middleton, WI,
53562
800-747-5985
www.ballfields.com
Longstreth, 28 Wells Rd.,
Parker Ford, PA
19457
800-545-1329
www.longstreth.com
Masune First Aid & Safety,
500 Fillmore Ave., Tonawanda, NY
14150
800-831-0894
www.masune.com
Osborne Innovative Products,
2221 Garrett St., Enumclaw, WA
98022
800-325-7238
www.oipsports.com
JKP Sports, Inc., P.O. Box
3126, Tualatin, OR
97062
800-547-6843
www.jugssports.com
Western Athletic Supply,
P O Box 5407, Riverside, CA
92517-5407
800-624-6637
www.wasupply.com
If you request a catalog from these companies you can build a reference
source which will allow you to see quickly what products are available, at
what cost. This is information you need to have when you consider purchasing
equipment. Being better informed frequently leads to buying a better product
at a lower cost.
The second choice you must make concerns what equipment to buy. What
equipment does your team need?
Some items are mandatory: bats and balls, helmets, a first aid kit
and an equipment bag. Thoughts about each of these
follow.
BATS
Today, many players buy their own bat so there is less need for teams
to purchase bats. If you do buy a bat a major consideration is the length
to weight difference. The higher the number the lighter the bat relatively.
For example, a 28 inch, 20 ounce bat would be -8, a 28 inch, 15 ounce bat
would be -13. The second bat would be 5 ounces lighter, easier to swing and
control. In general, buy the bat with the higher number length to weight
difference. A fungo bat is also a good investment if you hit a lot of balls
in practice. If you use a batting cage keep your old bats to use in the cage.
Use in the cage is hard on bats and it is not cost efficient to wear out
new bats in the cage.
BALLS
For
games and practices most youth leagues use regular or restricted flight balls.
It is a good idea to buy an extra dozen each season to make sure you have
plenty for practice. There are
also several other balls you should consider adding to your teams
inventory:
¡
Whiffle Balls - get
baseball and golf size. These are excellent for practicing fly balls, drills
and indoor hitting.
¡
Tennis Balls -
for use in soft toss pitching machines and also for drills emphasizing quickness
and hand eye
coordination
¡ Indoor
Balls – if you practice in a gym. A good choice is the Diamond Flexi-Ball.
FlexiBalls are softer than traditional hardballs without sacrificing durability
or liveliness. It looks and feels like a real ball and is a great practice
baseball for drills or indoors. It also has good seams for
pitchers.
¡
Pitching Machine Balls - a must if you have access to a pitching machine.
The dimpled type last longer and getting ½ white and ½ optic yellow
allows you to have batters hit the white one and bunt the yellow one, or
whatever choices you request.
¡
Used pitching machine balls. Save them to use for pre-game soft toss
on a wet field. A wet field is not good for regular
softballs.
BUCKETS
Buckets are handy places to keep balls and are easily moved around
your practice area. An empty bucket in back of the pitcher during batting
practice, to which balls hit are returned, allows the team to keep balls
from rolling all over the field. The ball comes back in and is immediately
put in the bucket. During infield, a coach at home plate hits balls out of
a full bucket. The first baseman catches the ball and tosses it into an empty
bucket. When the bucket at first base is full the first baseman switches
buckets with the coach. Buckets are also good targets for throwing contests
and they make great seats for coaches.
BATTING/RUNNING
HELMETS
An efficient approach is to buy the one-size-fits-all helmet. These
work just as well as those with specific sizes and it makes things simpler
as your players will not have to switch helmets, batter to runner, etc. Snap
on chin straps are helpful as they will keep helmets from falling off. A
note of caution here, most players are not excited about using the straps.
Many leagues are now requiring a wire face guard to be attached to the helmet.
Helmets, now available with holes for pony tails are generally more comfortable
for girls who have a pony tail.
THROW DOWN
BASES
A valuable tool which allows you to set up a “field” anywhere,
in a gym, a lawn, or a basketball court.
The two basic types are the orange molded vinyl and white rubber with
suction ribbed undersides.
BATTING
TEE
There are many different products from which to choose. Most are made
of aluminum, molded rubber or plastic. A batting tee gives your hitters one
more hitting station while allowing them to concentrate on hitting a ball
at a specific spot - high and in, low and out, etc. Make sure the tee is
adjustable up and down and in and out. A tee which can be disassembled and
easily carried is extra useful.
FIRST AID
KIT
A first aid kit is a MUST. Items it should contain are adhesive bandages
(small and large), a first aid antibiotic ointment (NEOSPORIN is good), gauze
tape, adhesive tape, clear tape, instant cold packs, Vaseline, Advil, Tylenol
or Aspirin, non adhera sterile pad (2” x 3”), gauze sponges
(4” x 4” - 8 ply), latex gloves (for handling blood or bleeding),
Q-Tips, nail clippers and an ace bandage. Another helpful item is a list
of medical alerts, medicine allergies, or anything of a medical nature which
needs to be known about your players. Put this information on a 3 x 5 card
and tape it to the inside of your first aid kit. Masune is a good source
when ordering large quantities of first aid supplies.
CONES
Small plastic or rubber cones which you can use to mark off playing
areas or for drills. Cones are about 6” high and are normally fluorescent
orange or red and highly visible. They are available at most hardware
stores.
EQUIPMENT
BAGS
A
bag with the dimensions of
36" L x 15" H x 15"
W should enable you to carry
all your equipment comfortably.
Having a good suitable equipment bag makes moving the equipment from
your house to the car to the field and back a much easier
task.
There are other items to consider (listed
alphabetically below), if your budget will
allow. Clearly, some of these items are more appropriate
for older teams or more competitive teams, but all the items are useful for
a baseball team.
CATCHERS
EQUIPMENT One piece mask/helmet
combinations are easiest to use for the catcher. Weight is also important
here. A lighter mask, chest protector and shin guards will be easier for
the catcher on a long hot day. Something fairly new is a sun visor for the
catchers mask. This is relatively inexpensive, easy to install and helps
keep glare out of the catcher’s eyes.
CLEAT
CLEANER
This all rubber item permits easy removal of mud from players’
cleats. It fits easily into an equipment bag and can be available at all
practices and
games.
FENCE NET
A net which hangs from plastic tubes clipped onto a chain link fence.
The top of the net clips to the tube and the bottom is connected to a spike
driven into the ground. It is set up quickly and allows you to have an additional
hitting station at practice or a warm up station before games. It sets up
and tears down easily and is portable.
FIELD RAKE
If you have your own field, or frequent access to one, a field rake
is a good investment. It will help you keep the field safe and playable.
A 36” wide, high strength aluminum rake with an aluminum handle will
do wonders for your field. A long tooth or screening rake is a good
choice.
PITCHBACK
A tight net on a frame which will cause a thrown ball to bounce back
towards the thrower. The frame is basically an upside down Y with a tightly
strung net on it. It can be used from either side, is almost impossible to
tip over and provides a great deal of individual practice with little or
no maintenance. One good use for this tool is to set it up as a practice
station. Each player, using indoor, safety balls, with no glove, throws 25
balls which bounce back as fly balls and 25 which bounce back as ground balls.
This gives each player 50 balls to catch. If they practice without using
a glove, players must concentrate on catching the ball with two hands. A
great practice exercise. Two available models are the Pro-Practice Partner
and the Play Back Trainer.
PITCHING
PLATES
An
item used for games and practices, the pitching plate is a necessity. For
the best value, and to get a product that can be easily moved without damage,
make your own! Go to your local lumber yard and have them cut up a 12 foot,
1” x 6” board into six, two foot pieces. Drill three holes in each
piece, in the center of the board, 4” from either end and in the middle.
Buy 3 metal carriage bolts for each pitching plate. The bolts are 3/8”
by 5”, 16 threads. Put the pitching plate in place by pounding the carriage
bolts through the board and into the ground. The 16 threads hold the carriage
bolts in the ground very well. Be careful not to force the bolts through
the hole as they can split the board. To move the pitching plate, pull out
the bolts and the plate is portable. Many teams put a pitching plate in the
ground for their pitchers pre game warm up because it is easy to install
and remove.
PITCHING
MACHINE
A pitching machine is worth its weight in gold. It is expensive, but
well worth the investment. From batting practice to fielding practice a pitching
machine will help you get more out of practice time. There are several
manufacturers, JUGS and ATEC being among the most well known. In addition,
if you are interested in a less expensive, less heavy duty model, you may
want to consider the HITTING STREAK from ATEC. The HITTING STREAK is designed
to throw light weight safety foam balls. It will throw them at speeds of
up to 60 M.P.H., with great consistency and will simulate breaking balls
up, down and sideways. It is light weight and portable and will work both
indoors and
outdoors.
PORTABLE CANOPY OR
TENT This helps when you feed
the team or want to keep them out of the sun between games. Tents come in
many sizes. One specific model is the E-Z UP Tent which has two models: DOME
95 which is 9 ½’ x 9 ½’ or the DOME 812 which is 8’
x 12’. This is a completely portable tent with no parts to assemble
or tools needed. It sets up in 60
seconds.
PORTABLE, FOLD UP
TABLE
Another handy item if you need to feed the team between games. There
are several types, which when open have a table 26” by 33” and
four seats, then fold down into a easily portable size of about 5” wide
and 14” by 33”. These tables are just right for setting out food
for team lunches.
PORTABLE
SCREEN
The JUGS Instant Screen is a good example of a portable screen. It
is 7’ by 8’ and weighs less than 14 pounds. It pops open and closed
in seconds and fits in the trunk of your car. Once popped open it will allow
players to hit soft toss or from a tee into the net. A great method of getting
your hitters prepared before or between games, again without hitting into
a fence.
RADAR
GUN
A radar gun is a valuable tool for determining the speed which your
pitcher is throwing. They range in both price and function from very expensive
to relatively inexpensive. A good balance between price and function is the
SPORTS RADAR SR3600. These are battery operated, can be used both indoors
and outdoors and give quite accurate
readings.
ROOM DIVIDER
NET If you have access
to an indoor facility of any type, purchasing a net which can be tied up
to two sides of the room/gym give you the opportunity to create two work
areas. Nets can be purchased in any size or strength. For example, a net
40’ long and 10’ high with a tie rope at the top can easily divide
a room/gym into two sections and allow you to have two hitting stations or
one hitting and one pitching station. In a gym, tie the rope to a basketball
backboard on either side of the room and you are ready to go to
work.
SAFETY SCREEN FRAME
NET
Nets come in different sizes and shapes and can serve many purposes.
One of the more versatile is the SB-103 Pitcher Safety Screen with the SB-104
Sock Attachment. The net is on a frame 6’ 6” high and 6’ 10”
wide with a hole in the middle to allow a pitcher to pitch through or to
feed balls from a pitching machine. In this use the net would protect the
pitcher/machine feeder during batting practice. With the Sock Attachment,
which covers the hole, the net can be quickly converted into a hitting station.
A batter can hit off a tee, a soft toss machine or with another player or
coach feeding soft toss. Balls that are hit go into the sock and can be quickly
and easily retrieved to set up another round of hitting. This is much better
than hitting into a fence. Or, a pitcher can throw into the sock so there
is no need for a catcher. This net can be used both inside and
outside.
SLIDE-RITE
A portable sliding pad used to teach and practice sliding without
fear, a must for improving sliding skills. It can be used both inside and
outside. The sliding pad is made of a durable cordura with an open-cell foam
cushion inside the mat. The sliding sheet is made of nylon or canvas. This
can be used daily for all types of slides, saving wear and tear on body and
clothes.
SOFT TOSS
MACHINE
There are many different soft toss machines available. Most either
drop the ball off a down sloping chute or pop the ball up with some sort
of a spring mechanism. In either
case the toss machine gives your hitters plenty of opportunity to hit during
practice. Machines can feed balls from golf ball to softball size. The smaller
the ball the more the batter must concentrate and develop good hand eye
coordination. Make sure you buy a machine which can be used both indoors
and outdoors.
STRIDE
MASTER
A training device to restrict the length of the stride. Nylon, easily
adjustable, put on or take off in seconds, use safely. A great product if
the hitter is taking too long a stride.
STRING
WINDER
If you need to set up a field a string winder is a handy tool. This
can help you set up lines and bases, and get the proper distance every
time.
There are other items you can buy that you may find will
benefit your team. If you have several equipment catalogs and look through
them on a regular basis, you will spot items to buy each time you go through
the catalogs.
Reprinted with permission
from:
A Youth Baseball Coaches Tool Kit
