Buying Sports Equipment for Children

With the commencement of this year’s summer season, school children are primed to fully enjoy their vacation. One way in which kids enjoy these vacations is through summer sports leagues and camps. Two of the most popular sports that hold summer programs are baseball and softball, and basketball as well.
However, your child participating means you must provide quality equipment to keep your child safe and successful. Parents must take into account many things when buying their children equipment including how the equipment will hold up over the summer, how quickly the child is growing, and if it allows participation without complications from uncomfortable equipment.
Here are some thoughts that will help you identify what your child needs.
Baseball/ Softball
While your child is growing you will always have to worry about how their clothes and equipment fit them. And, even though something may fit at the beginning of a season, it might not fit at the end of the season. However, it is possible to get extra wear out of baseball/softball pants, bats, and gloves. You can use this time to promote your business and create unique baseball uniforms with your logo for your child and or team.
Baseball pants can be expensive for the top quality brands, and many parents don’t want to spend massive amounts of money on a pair of pants that will need to be replaced half way through the season any way. One way to combat this is by purchasing unhemmed pants for your player. This allows for you to adjust the length of the pants as your child grows older, and could save money in the long run. Baseball gloves can also be bought with an eye toward tomorrow. Buying a glove an inch or so bigger can allow the glove to last longer, with proper care.
Another area where parents can extend the life of their child’s equipment is buying baseball bats. As your child moves up through the level of competition, the requirements for baseball bats will change. They will be required to be longer, and heavier, and made out of a certain material. Looking forward and keeping an eye out for sales can save you from having to purchase an incredibly expensive bat at the last minute. Being proactive in moving them onto the next bat size can also be of benefit to their skill level, coupling this with proper training sessions can allow them to become a better power hitter earlier than their peers and give them the edge in the development of their game.
Another area where parents can extend the life of their child’s equipment is buying baseball bats. As your child moves up through the level of competition, the requirements for baseball bats will change. They will be required to be longer, and heavier, and made out of a certain material. Looking forward and keeping an eye out for sales can save you from having to purchase an incredibly expensive bat at the last minute. Being proactive in moving them onto the next bat size can also be of benefit to their skill level, coupling this with proper training sessions can allow them to become a better power hitter earlier than their peers and give them the edge in the development of their game.
Basketball
Another popular sport for children in the summer time is basketball. Basketball poses a different set of challenges when buying equipment because it is not an equipment intensive sport. Basketball only really necessitates the use of a hoop, a basketball, shoes, and shorts. However the quality of these things is the most important aspect.
Like baseball pants or gloves, basketball shoes can be bought a size bigger to help prolong their usage. But having the wrong shoes can cause serious problems, if they are uncomfortable or not well made. While the big shoe companies offer quality basketball shoes, they also offer shoes that look like basketball shoes, but aren’t. Some shoes are made stylistically to look like basketball shoes, but are not made for the wear and tear of a season. When choosing shoes be mindful of the weight of the shoe, the material it is made out of, and how it supports the ankle. One of the most popular injuries in basketball is a sprained ankle, picking shoes with good support helps reduce the risk of injury.
If you’re looking to buy a new basketball for your child this summer, take into account where they will be using it. Indoor basketballs are made of leather and are meant to be bounced on the hardwood, not your driveway. Using an indoor ball on the drive way will tear it up quite quickly, and prove a huge waste of money. If your child will be doing the majority of their playing outside in the driveway or in the park, an outdoor ball is a better bet. Made of rubber, these are much more durable and won’t wear out as easily. In addition, they are much less expensive than indoor basketballs.
General Rules
Generally, when buying sporting equipment for your child keep in mind the quality of the product, your child’s rate of growth, and anticipation of change in equipment.
Price and quality aren’t always connected, but many times they are. The top brands have the top quality equipment but many charge higher prices for their materials than smaller companies. Research what the equipment is actually made of, and weigh that information with the cost. Also, keep an eye on how fast your child is growing. If they haven’t hit a growth spurt yet, you might need to be extra vigilant about buying equipment that they can grow into.
Finally, expect equipment requirements to change and stay up to date on those changes; this can save you from having to spend a lot of money at the last minute. Above all, make sure your child’s equipment is comfortable and safe.
