| Youth baseball leagues are up and running across | | | | so they're ready to play with. Instead of stiff, |
| North America, and around the globe. The game is | | | | thick cowhide leather composing the whole glove, |
| very popular in Japan, Taiwan, Mexico, the | | | | modern kids ball gloves are made of numerous |
| Caribbean, and in South America. Millions of kids | | | | materials including pigskin. Cowhide may be used |
| look forward to playing on their local teams. It's a | | | | where it is needed most, but these gloves are |
| chance to meet new friends, travel to other | | | | designed for comfort and performance. They |
| parks or cities, and to be on a ball team. It's the | | | | almost feel like they can catch the ball |
| camaraderie that makes playing baseball a fun | | | | themselves. |
| event. | | | | The design of youth baseball gloves is done with |
| The practicing however is often a different | | | | the child's hand eye coordination and physical skills |
| matter, especially catching baseballs. In what is a | | | | in mind. The physical skill of an adult means adult |
| pretty easygoing sport, kids have to catch | | | | gloves can be made differently depending on the |
| baseballs moving along a good clip. They'll have to | | | | nature of the position they play, and with more |
| learn catching skills, such as fielding balls that will | | | | webbing to allow them to snare baseballs a little |
| bounce along with ground unpredictably or line | | | | more easily. A child's finger dexterity and strength |
| drives that move toward them at a high speed. | | | | aren't fully developed, so they're not going to be |
| They may be kids, but some can hit the ball very | | | | able to use a glove with the skill of an older youth |
| well. For the kid that doesn't know how to catch | | | | or adult ball player. There are gloves for young |
| properly or doesn't have a very good glove, | | | | tots, something that couldn't be done decades |
| there are few more angst-ridden activities than | | | | ago. |
| catching baseballs. | | | | Additional helpful features of today's youth |
| Leather baseball gloves have been around a long | | | | baseball gloves, such as anti-microbial treatments, |
| time. If you've been to the Cooperstown Baseball | | | | which keep bacteria at bay. It's hot in the |
| Hall of Fame, you may have seen some unusual | | | | summer and your child's hand will sweat inside the |
| looking antique gloves and wondered how they | | | | glove. |
| could have caught a baseball with them. For those | | | | Franklin Sports Gloves |
| of us old timers who have been around long | | | | With the physiology and coordination of youth ball |
| enough to actually use some of those antique | | | | players in mind, Franklin Sports has designed a |
| gloves, we can tell you that it was not easy. | | | | wide range of quality youth baseball gloves. Their |
| They were stiff, heavy, clumsy, and tough to | | | | leather ball gloves range in size and styles but all |
| manipulate with your hand when they were new, | | | | are designed for comfort in how they fit the |
| and it wasn't long before they wore out to a limp | | | | child's hand and how the leather is stitched. The |
| clump of hide that often let the ball fly right | | | | result is an outstanding ball glove that will feel like |
| through it. Catching was an art, and stinging | | | | a natural extension of the child's arm. On models |
| fingers and bruised shins were all part of the | | | | for older youths, the gloves are all leather with |
| experience of playing youth baseball. | | | | deep pockets and lengths up to 12.5 inches. That's |
| Youth Baseball Gloves | | | | plenty of glove for making tough catches. |
| With those stiff or floppy youth baseball gloves, | | | | With a Franklin baseball glove, your child won't |
| you'd wonder why kids didn't give up on the | | | | have the same frustration or soreness from |
| game. Well, truth is, many youths wouldn't play | | | | learning new baseball skills. Perhaps they'll avoid |
| baseball or gave up for that very reason. They | | | | the stinging fingers, summer sweat that sees |
| didn't want to have any part of trying to catch a | | | | smelly bacteria forming inside the glove, and |
| hot, bobbling grounder on uneven ground. Kids are | | | | bruised shins that take some of the fun out of |
| the same way today. If it's too unpleasant to use | | | | playing. A good glove won't rid your child of those |
| the equipment and play the game the way it is | | | | embarrassing moments when they miss a catch, |
| meant to be played, then they might think, "why | | | | but it will increase their comfort level. They'll be |
| bother?" | | | | able to relax and they'll be more confident that |
| New Baseball Gloves and New Materials | | | | they can learn their fielding skills. |
| Glove manufacturers today have designed them | | | | |