Softball Players and Their Gloves

Ever notice how softball players take care of their stuff? Watch as they grow from 6-8 year olds playing parks and rec ball into high school age young women playing elite competitive fastpitch looking for scholarships. The way they protect their gloves, bats, softballs etc is interesting to watch.

When these young ladies began as little girls they used to really cherish that softball glove. Maybe it was a brand new one - (usually off the cheap rack at the discount place) or maybe it was Mom's old glove from high school, or even big brother's old baseball glove. It didn't matter, it was something to be proud of.

Then the girls got a little older, into 6th grade maybe and that old glove was just a smelly thing they had to keep track of when it was time for practice or a game. No big deal, they had other things more important. Intersting though, some players still took care of that glove and you could tell who the serious players were going to become.

As they grew into middle school, and boys start creeping into the picture the gloves, the shoes, the uniforms, the bag all kind of start to lose focus. They still practice and play hard but kind of lost a little focus on the tools that got them there. By now you can really tell the serious players, the gloves are kept with a ball in them, cleaned and dried. The shoes are clean, sometimes polished. The uniforms are always clean and shirts are tucked in. They are proud of this game and seem to understand they are representing more than just themselves out there.

Getting into high school age it becomes obvious which young ladies are there for the right reasons and which ones are there as a social gathering. Nothing wrong with keeping it fun- after all if it ain't fun it ain't worth playing.

These serious fastpitch softball players are aware that the tools of this trade are your glove, your cleats, your softballs, your bat, your equipment bag and other various equipment. You see them showing up early to practice, and staying late when they can. Shoes are clean, practice clothes are clean, gloves are taken care of not just tossed around and shoved into the bag.

By this age these ladies have probably had a couple different gloves, several pairs of new shoes and practice uniforms. Socks, well they probably have gone through hundreds of pairs by now.

The one tool they really cherish is the softball glove. The glove helps them stop those hard hit grounders at shortstop. Catch high fly balls at center and make those blocks at the plate when the pitcher throws a fall off the table drop ball.

This sport has grown so much that now there are glove makers that design position specific fastpitch gloves, and gloves to fit a ladies hand. The ACR 177 by Akadema is a great example of just such a glove. Made for the professional fastpitch player, and designed to fit a ladies hand. This glove has a patented Reptilian Design which gives it a near fingerless pattern. The glove helps you scoop up those grounders and transition to the throwing hand much quicker.

There are a lot of really good gloves being made now for the fastpitch game. You still have to take care of them. The serious players always have. Be a serious player and look at your equipment, does it need some love? Clean and polish those cleats before the next tournament. Wipe down that glove, and put a ball in the pocket before putting it away after practice. Tuck in those shirts and show everyone that you are proud to be playing fastpitch softball.