Youth Rec baseball

[GeorgeG.]

I know we have a few members here that have/had kids in rec baseball and are very competitive with it. I wanted to get y'all thoughts on this bat.

My son is 10 (5th grade) and will be in 12U this Spring. For the past two years, he's played with a cheap $50 bat from Academy. This one to be exact.http://www.academy.com/shop/pdp/loui...dCatid=1309290

We've also had him in basketball for the past 2-3 years but I don't think that's his "thing". I might add that it's difficult enough in our house cause we're just not sports minded people. But, I want him to learn the other important things one gains from playing sports like team work, strategy, determination, etc.

Anyhow, the reason for mentioning this is that I think this will be the last year for basketball. Instead, I think I'm going to put him in a rec league for Fall ball since our town doesn't offer it. My goal is to give him every advantage possible so that 1) he has a chance to be competitive and 2) hopefully he'll develop a love for baseball that he'll continue to play once he gets into 7th grade (city rec only goes through 6th so I'm hoping he'll take it forward from there). So far we practice ourselves about 3x per week, actual practice hasn't started yet. I have him hitting off a T, pitching into a net, and pitching to each other (mainly to get him really comfortable with catching faster throws).

I was at Academy the other day and saw a bat in the $200 dollar range. I haven't looked at the specs just yet but I guess my main question for this long post is....Do bats really matter that much for this age? My original thought was to just practice, build his core and strength and the rest will happen but my mind is changing on that.

Anyone else here have kids in baseball? What are you doing to build him/her up? There is a Frozen Ropes facility in Frisco (I think) that offers lessons. I'm tempted to sign him up for a few.

[black2002ls]

The bat can be the difference between grounding out every at bat and consistently clearing the infield to shallow outfield and having a chance at a single. Now, lets face it, if he can't put the barrel of the bat on the ball consistently, then the bat will not make a bit of difference. Do quite a bit of research on the bat, visit some local tournament, see what the kids are using. That will give you a good feel for what you need to be looking for. The other elements, strength, coordination, stance, form, etc can all drastically improve his batting, but if he is playing with a dead bat, he won't see the success that he is capable of.

[blownaltered]

It really depends on your league rules depends on what bats you can use. Look into that before you go spending big money. The league my 10 year old plays in allows carbon fiber bats so a lot of the kids are using Easton Maco and up. The bats range from 300 to 500 for those. My son has an Easton Maco and he loves it. Has a bigger sweet spot, he hits a lot better with it then he did his cheap aluminum bat.

Lessons are a good idea as well. My son does baseball camps and has had private lessons. You will definitely notice the improvement.

The part that kills me isn't just the price of the bats but to get a decent glove you will spend $130 as well. Every year it just gets more and more expensive.

[Chas_svo]

Buy a cheap used one, or wait for sales. Bat prices change with the wind, and u can usually buy a good used bat for less than $50 on CL or other sites. Bats matter, but not near as much as good mechanics.

My son is the same age, and has been playing AAA ball for years, and just went to Rec so he can play other sports, and have time for his new dog. It's like baseball in time lapse photography.

Good luck.

[Stephen]

What size are you looking for?

[Chas_svo]

Sign up for gamechanger (Gc.com). They have quiet a few good drills. For upper body strength, a 6lb medicine ball, used in the same motion as swinging a bat helps a lot. My son has improved greatly by using a batting coach, but it's way easier to learn bad habits than good. Bad habits aren't from his batting coach...

[davbrucas]

I know we have a few members here that have/had kids in rec baseball and are very competitive with it. I wanted to get y'all thoughts on this bat.

My son is 10 (5th grade) and will be in 12U this Spring. For the past two years, he's played with a cheap $50 bat from Academy. This one to be exact.http://www.academy.com/shop/pdp/loui...dCatid=1309290

We've also had him in basketball for the past 2-3 years but I don't think that's his "thing". I might add that it's difficult enough in our house cause we're just not sports minded people. But, I want him to learn the other important things one gains from playing sports like team work, strategy, determination, etc.

Anyhow, the reason for mentioning this is that I think this will be the last year for basketball. Instead, I think I'm going to put him in a rec league for Fall ball since our town doesn't offer it. My goal is to give him every advantage possible so that 1) he has a chance to be competitive and 2) hopefully he'll develop a love for baseball that he'll continue to play once he gets into 7th grade (city rec only goes through 6th so I'm hoping he'll take it forward from there). So far we practice ourselves about 3x per week, actual practice hasn't started yet. I have him hitting off a T, pitching into a net, and pitching to each other (mainly to get him really comfortable with catching faster throws).

I was at Academy the other day and saw a bat in the $200 dollar range. I haven't looked at the specs just yet but I guess my main question for this long post is....Do bats really matter that much for this age? My original thought was to just practice, build his core and strength and the rest will happen but my mind is changing on that.

Anyone else here have kids in baseball? What are you doing to build him/her up? There is a Frozen Ropes facility in Frisco (I think) that offers lessons. I'm tempted to sign him up for a few.

-12 in 12U? The leagues my son played in would only allow -10. Make sure before you buy.

As far as bats, save some money and get this one. It is the hottest bat at this level...it is no longer allowed in USSSA and Nations events due to its bpf being too high. My son hit over 20 HRs in 10U baseball with this bat.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Othr-Worth-Lithium-Prodigy-29-19-SLLP10-Senior-League-Baseball-Bat-Read-DESC-/232222800282?hash=item36118eb99a:g:CI0AAOSwmLlYB8rJ

[Stephen]

I found some good deals on offer up.. I got the 3 on the right for $110 all together and they're normally $280 each.. they have usssa stamps but I've never seen an umpire check a kids bat at rec level either..

[ceyko]

Don't forget about D-bat in Allen too...

Keep in mind VA continually tries to have fall baseball but between lack of parent participation and local teams not participating - it has ended up cancelled. I know the commissioners would really like to have it.

Also note that VA is in Dixie League and next year there is a new batting standard...

https://s3.amazonaws.com/files.leagueathletics.com/Images/Club/22268/USABat%20Standard%20Effective%20January%202018.pdf

...a lot of folks are pissed about it, but it is what it is and that's why I'm going to get my Son (8U) through this year with a 50 dollar Easton bat and whatever I find at play it again.

Was that you out there the other weekend on the big field? I was out there with several girls (Softball) and a boy on the tee-ball field (Family on big field when we got there) getting them some practice.

Any way, my belief is the #1 way to keep kids interested in sports and make them better is to keep them integrated with friends that play the same sport. My Son has a core group of kids (Boys and girls) he is friends with and plays baseball with. In 6U they managed triple plays (not MLB looking ones, but 3 outs in one set of plays) and double plays in the state tournaments. Why? Simply because they played (read not practiced), then practiced together and then played together as a group. These kids will try all kinds of things when we're not coaching them and then we can fine tune what they learn on their own and continue teaching them new stuff. ...the important part sometimes is them trying things that they've been taught and doing so without the stress of a coach/parent watching them.

Then practice, formal/informal versions...various camps...etc. Also I am a coach for his team - but I do not coach him during practice. The more ways he hears the same things, the better. I do watch him and save any advice I have for him until after practice.

My Son loves baseball, football and basketball (Hockey too, but we can't afford that). He does his own research since he was 4 on the sports to learn things as well.

In my opinion parent-player only practice is good for working on tweaks and on-the-spot corrections. We keep facebook groups for kids (boys and girls) of similar ages for our informal practices. That way when we want to work our kids out, we can have 2-5 other kids learning/helping. Note, I'm BIG on fielding and less on batting right now. We're starting to turn that corner on where I have to focus heavier on batting, but I feel like too many kids can whack the ball - but allow too many runs with their fielding.

What positions does your Son like to play? Mine has been SS and 2 (Our 1st base guy is untouchable - probably the best in the county for his age). He wants catcher so we're working on that even though it's coach pitch still, teaching him as if it were 10U - being able to make plays there is interesting.

VA is a baseball town. We have 260 kids (60ish in 8U, 40ish in 6U) in our league this year - which is quite a bit for our population.

Also, I've met/learned a lot by watching older/younger teams play and watching the All-Star tournament play for different age brackets.

I will say the VASA baseball commissioners are holding true to rec league/everyone gets a chance mentality well. As you've seen the only protected players are coach's kids until 10 and 12U at which it's only a couple more kids. Also, just because it's a coach's kid - does not mean the kid is a rock star - it's just so a coach can have his kid on the team he is coaching. There IS good and bad with this approach, especially when says 6U produces 5-10 above average players, then 8U produces 10+ above average players - they WILL NOT all play together. However, I think as a whole it prepares them for middle and high school ball and keeps players who may not have figured it all out yet with players that can help them. If you want top notch ball amongst all players, you'll need to pay for select/travel ball. (which that vs rec vs year round vs multiple sports is a whole different discussion)

We should get together for some brews sometime and talk/compare notes since we're in the same town. However, as you have no idea how things are in 8U/6U I have no idea how things are in 10/12U.

Edit: These are all just my opinions and what I've noted for teaching these kids. These are general things that seem to work for most kids, but each kid is different with different parenting...etc..etc.

[ceyko]

I found some good deals on offer up.. I got the 3 on the right for $110 all together and they're normally $280 each.. they have usssa stamps but I've never seen an umpire check a kids bat at rec level either..

At least in our league, they don't for regular season games (unless an opposing coach says something, which happens) but they do at district/regional/state games.

[ceyko]

One final note is pitching machines/nets can be found on CL...etc for 500 dollars as well. Useful for batting but also getting high balls into the outfield for them to practice catching/getting back in for a play...etc.

[juiceweezl]

<----- Bat guru. My 13 year old rolls into tournaments on the weekend with close to $1500 in his bag if he brings everything. I don't pay full retail for them, but that's what they cost. He's swung every bat on the market and some prototypes pre-release. I know all about the material composition, swing weights, etc. of practically every bat on the market. Here's a few tips about bats.

1) A $350 bat won't make a bit of difference in 90% of the kids hand. My kid, like Dave's, is a big, strong kid with tremendous bat speed and strength. You give him a $350 composite bat, and watch what happens. As a 12U kid last spring, he hit one close to 450 feet in a game that left the field, the complex, and cleared a 2 lane road. If you're kid isn't that type of player or isn't playing competitively, then don't spend the money.

2) Know your league rules. Most everyone allows big barrel bats and no drop restriction as long as it's stamped. If you can have big barrel bats, I'd look for a -8.

3) Choose a swing weight bat that matches your son's ability/strength. Most kids need a balanced bat. The Easton Mako that has been referenced is end loaded and also heavy. Put it on a food scale and you'll find it's 1-1.5 ounces heavier than stated. Combine that with the end load, and it will swing like a very heavy bat. The Louisville Slugger bats, Rawlings, and Combat (if you can still find one) are very balanced and easier to control.

I'm not sure where you're located, but D-BAT Frisco carries lots of demo bats where you can try. They also have some of last year's models at a discounted price. I'd recommend getting the specifics on your league requirements and starting some place like D-BAT.

[bcoop]

I have nothing to add other than I've missed baseball, and I'm glad my son decided to pick it back up. And I'm off. Late for a tournament in Fort Worth.

[ceyko]

<----- Bat guru. My 13 year old rolls into tournaments on the weekend with close to $1500 in his bag if he brings everything. I don't pay full retail for them, but that's what they cost. He's swung every bat on the market and some prototypes pre-release. I know all about the material composition, swing weights, etc. of practically every bat on the market. Here's a few tips about bats.

1) A $350 bat won't make a bit of difference in 90% of the kids hand.

Thanks for this post, I've been trying to figure out what makes a 200+ dollar bat "better" than say a 100 dollar bat. I agree - As far as I can tell, regardless of league/level it's the job of 90% of the kids (mine included) to get singles/doubles.