Kids equipment list:
1. Bat bag - Buy one that is large enough to carry all of their equipment. The backpack style ones are easier for the kids to carry themselves.
2. Baseball bat - Be sure to check your leagues regulations on allowable barrel sizes.
3. Baseball glove
4. Cleats that fit - Last year’s probably do not fit anymore.
5. Two pair of uniform pants - Your kid’s registration fee should pay for the team jersey, hat, socks and belt, but you will want to go ahead and buy two pairs of uniform pants to save your sanity. Those stains are very hard to get out, and sometimes you’ll have one game at 8 p.m. on Friday and another game at 7 a.m. on Saturday...You DO NOT want to be up washing pants at midnight.
6. Practice pants - Save those uniform pants for games!
7. For boys ages 8 and up - A cup and sliding shorts that allow you to velcro the cup into the front.
8. White underwear! No kid wants his buddies to see his Superman undies thru his white ball pants!!
9. Gatorade - I suggest buying these by the case at Wal-Mart, which costs about $6 for eight large drinks. Otherwise you will pay $2 each at the ballpark. You do the math! Players are always allowed to bring in their own drinks. If it is going to be a long day at the ballpark, I suggest that you freeze one drink the night before so that it will slowly thaw out and still be cold for the afternoon game.
10. A good attitude! - Help your kid understand that they won’t always win, and that no matter what, having a good attitude is important! Encourage them and teach them to cheer on their teammates.
Mom’s list:
1. Comfortable, portable chair to sit in so you don’t have to sit for hours upon hours on the bleachers. My favorite one is a folding rocking chair! It is SOO comfortable!
2. Blanket for when it gets cold, or to sit on in the grass.
3. Towels in case it rains and you don’t want to mess up your car. You can leave these in the car unless it is already raining when you get there. Believe it or not, rain does not always mean the game will be cancelled!
4. Umbrella to block rain or sun
5. SPRAY sunscreen for you and for the kids
6. Bug spray!!
7. Band-Aids and anti-bacterial medicine for scrapes and cuts
8. Cap for when you don’t feel like doing your hair, or for when it rains
9. Sunglasses
10. Chap stick. I don’t know about you, but if I forget my chap stick, I automatically have a bad day.
11. Cash money to pay your way into the ballpark, and to buy snacks. Nothing is cheap.
12. Camera, with batteries!
13. Paper, pen and a sharpie - believe it or not, there will be times when you really wished you had these. Maybe this comes from my team mom days when my husband was coaching. He'd say, "Hey, write this down and remind me later." Or we would need a sharpie to mark equipment.
14. A cute bag to tote all this stuff around in all day! I don't like bringing my purse into the ballpark, so I usually just grab my ID and leave the rest in the car. Very few places accept debt cards, so why even bring it? After the game, I just leave my baseball bag in the car even when we get home. That way, I never forget it. I only bring it in when I restock the supplies, and then I immediately put it back in the car. Trust me, you don't wanna forget it!
15. Try to find crock pot recipes that you can turn on when you leave in the morning that will be done by the time you get home. Also try to cook several meals on your day off and freeze them so that you can heat them up after games. Otherwise, you’ll be eating out A LOT! That gets old fast.
17. A schedule - You'll have a lot going on, so find a way to keep a good schedule that works for you. Some people prefer to keep the schedule in their smart phone so they can set reminders. Others prefer to see the while month planned out on a paper calendar or on a magnetic refrigerator calendar. I prefer to keep a pocket calendar with me at all times so I can quickly add new things and quickly glimpse through my schedule for the coming days.
18. Patience. Patience. Patience. And maybe a good book.
*Thanks to ZPN reader Erin Foster who sent this in!*
Happy Baseball and Softball season, Zachary!
Post a Comment