what is the budget for the mitt?Well, the Rawlings is not available, back to the drawing board....
what is the budget for the mitt?Well, the Rawlings is not available, back to the drawing board....
She loves the catchers position so far and she has wanted to play there for about a year. I’m not strongly in favor of it, but also support whichever she likes. It just so happened that out team needed a catcher and tried her and a few others that can throw to 2nd.At 10U unless you have some flame throwers you can catch with a normal mitt. I wouldn't go out and spend 500 on gear unless you are sure she likes it. My DD never liked Catchers mitt and even at 16U played with her regular mitt(not that I would recommend that).
A lot of the youth gloves are 31-1/2, but I think it is small. I’ve been considering 32-1/2-33, but most of them don’t give me the option of left hand throw.if she is uncertain about catching going forward, I would definitely stay to the lower end. virtually all the manufacturers make a left hand throw.
and even the mizuno prospect is a 32.5. generally, you will not find a fastpitch mitt any smaller than that, and honestly I doubt the mizono prospects's ability to handle a 12 inch ball (that and padding made it imperative to get another mitt, but the prospect was good for a spring of rec, a fall of travel, and half a spring of travel all at 10u, but then pitchers just got too fast).
if you are still doing 11", go with something like mizuno prospect and an inner glove ( there will be room), easier on wallet, pretty much broken in, but do not expect them to last more than a year or so. but that will probably be enough time to see if she really likes catching or not.
Would like to stay around $150. May end up taking chance on the All-Star 3001. I don’t have much confidence that she will be able to handle or break in a 33-1/2” mitt though.
For the first year and a half of 10u my daughter used an Easton Synergy 33" catchers mitt that we got during 8u. It was really soft, and it really didn't seem to have a very good pocket, but she liked it. Some of our pitchers threw so slowly that even in the second year of 10u she still used the Easton for them, and would switch to the All-Star for the bracket pitcher. Now that she's 12u, we have a 5'10" tall girl that can pop that All-Star mitt.
I actually got the All-Star 3000 on a killer sale during black Friday, and spent a year and a half on and off breaking it in for her. I'd catch all the team pitchers on my rec team, and my son who was learning to pitch. If DD were going to pitch, I'd get myself another just like it.
The All-Star 33.5" is 2 ounces heavier than the Easton 33". The Mizuno's I've held seam a little heavier, but I haven't weighed them. If she's just starting out, I'd be tempted to get a Mizuno to start, and buy a better one to start breaking in for when the Miz quits.