What to Wear

Whether your team is practicing inside or outside, it’s important for kids to wear comfortable, athletic clothing, and for them to look the part of a baseball player.

For early season practices, and temperatures still on the chilly side, be sure your Little Leaguer wears long-sleeve shirts or a hoodie, especially when practicing outside. As the weather breaks, it may be tempting to dress your Little Leaguer in shorts. However, with the possibility of practicing sliding and kids getting dirty fielding ground balls and pop-ups, it is recommended to always dress your Little Leaguer in either sweatpants or baseball pants.

Be sure your player wears age-appropriate attire. Many parents dress their kid in old uniform tops or a shirt / jersey of their favorite Major League Baseball team.

When practicing outside, Little Leaguers should wear cleats, and remember, metal spikes or metal cleats are not permitted at the younger levels. Shoes with molded cleats should be worn at the Minor and Major levels. Sneakers are fine for the Tee Ball, Farm, and Challenger players.

Essential Gear

For games, baseball players must wear a hat or visor, so it’s good idea to have them practice in one or the other. When your Little Leaguer receives his or her team hat, he or she should wear that to most, if not all, practices. Write their name inside the brim as soon as possible! 

Make sure your Little Leaguer’s glove is sized appropriately and broken in properly to assist with fielding. If you have questions on the size and methods to loosen up the glove, consult a league official ([email protected]). 

Your Little Leaguer’s manager may have team bats to use (especially in Tee Ball or Farm). If not, be sure your player’s bat is sized appropriately. One important item to note, effective January 1, 2018, Little League Baseball will adhere to the new USA Baseball bat standard. You can learn more about the new standard at LittleLeague.org/BatInfo.

All players should bring a batting helmet to every practice and game. Tee Ball and Farm divisions do have a few loaners however as the kids get older, they often wish to have their own equipment. If your Little Leaguer chooses to wear their own helmet, be sure it is approved by the National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment (NOCSAE).

Boys should wear an athletic supporter or compression shorts under their sweatpants and baseball pants. If your son is a catcher, it is mandatory he wear a protection cup.

Goffstown Junior Baseball will supply each player with a team hat and jersey.

Giving your Little Leaguers time to practice with the gear they’ll be using in their games will get them comfortable and ready to play. There are also many optional pieces of safety equipment, from mouth guards to face protectors to arm sleeves, that parents and players can choose to wear, but are not mandatory. While Little League recommends players wear appropriate attire for practices and gear, we put even more emphasis on Little Leaguers having fun and making new friends from the first practice to the last one. Have a wonderful Little League season!