Looking for help on new catcher gear for DD

[riczaj01]

My daughter seems to have outgrown her first set of gear this past spring jumping from 5'2" to 5'6". She's hardly thin at 120+lbs but not filled out either. Helmet/shins never seem to be an issue finding, but the chest never fits right and w/her moving up to 12U this fall, and likely on a travel team for the first time I don't want to risk a poorly fitting chest piece. Also trying to decide if I should be looking at growth potential or just good fit for the now? She's only 12 an is likely to grow quite a bit more in the next 1-2 yrs(dr thought she could get to 6').

Any suggestions on brands/series of catchers gear? I'm trying hard not to spend 300-400 as I've already bought her a new glove(80.00) a new bat w/the right stamps(120.00) and promised her a 2nd bat w/the correct stamps when she makes a travel team likely (200-300.00).

I've researched Boombah, Schutt, All star so far, but it's hard to find reviews on Schutt, and Mizuno/AllStar seems seems as if they can get costly quick. Are any of the wilson/rawlings/easton gear worth looking at?

 

[Eric F]

For fitting a narrow girl, sometimes it's necessary to do a little self-customization of the straps to get a good fit. When my DD was small, I folded the strap over on itself, and sewed it. Good fit is critical. A chest protector should fit snug like a compression shirt, not flop like an apron.

All the brands you mentioned make good-quality gear. Pick the one that fits your budget best, and do whatever it takes to make it fit right.

Personally, I'm a fan of All-Star and (discontinued) Wilson ProMotion. The new Wilson Pro Stock is okay, but my DD thought the chest was a bit on the stiff side. Easton's new gear is pretty good, but they have had durability issues in the past. My DD is currently wearing an Easton Pro-X helmet, Wilson ProMotion chest, and All-Star legs.

 

[riczaj01]

For fitting a narrow girl, sometimes it's necessary to do a little self-customization of the straps to get a good fit. When my DD was small, I folded the strap over on itself, and sewed it. Good fit is critical. A chest protector should fit snug like a compression shirt, not flop like an apron.

All the brands you mentioned make good-quality gear. Pick the one that fits your budget best, and do whatever it takes to make it fit right.

Personally, I'm a fan of All-Star and (discontinued) Wilson ProMotion. The new Wilson Pro Stock is okay, but my DD thought the chest was a bit on the stiff side. Easton's new gear is pretty good, but they have had durability issues in the past. My DD is currently wearing an Easton Pro-X helmet, Wilson ProMotion chest, and All-Star legs.

I actually hadn't thought about actually altering, I had just talked to her the other day about how she'll eventually need to buy pants longer and have them hemmed b/c her legs are so long compared to the rest of her body. Thanks for the information! I'll do some more research on the wilson and easton stuff.

 

[bmakj]

DD loves her boombah chest protector. she is about 5'2" and 115. adjusted up nicely to fit her well

 

[Eric F]

I actually hadn't thought about actually altering, I had just talked to her the other day about how she'll eventually need to buy pants longer and have them hemmed b/c her legs are so long compared to the rest of her body. Thanks for the information! I'll do some more research on the wilson and easton stuff.

When my DD started catching at 9yo, she was pretty narrow. The fold and sew alteration worked great.

 

[JumboJack]

Have the new Easton Jen Schro Very Best and DD loves it.

 

[625ender]

Shes probably going to be a bit of a tweener. You might have to mix and match.

All Star makes great stuff as does Schutt. Schutt legs seem to be a bit narrower

 

[jmdub]

if her legs are skinny I'd strongly suggest the newer Mizuno shins. A lot of other models, the front plastic wraps around too far and can get pushed up when she crouches.

If she can stand the Wilson Promotion colors that you can still find online for a chest protector, they fit a thin torso nicely.

Spend big bucks on a helmet. No way I'd put her back there with an ill fitting or low quality mask.

 

[riczaj01]

I felt dumb asking it, but how much do you give them input on the equipment when it comes to what they like. We live in north western IN and it gets stupid hot/humid so I'd prefer a lighter colored helmet at least, it seems like that would help, but I'm not sure she'll want a lighter colored helmet that doesn't match the rest of the gear.
I wouldn't call her skinny, but she's far from fat/overweight, at 5'6" she's on the light end of healthy weight but she has good muscle tone. She liked the feel of whatever shin she tried on at Dicks, I think they were Wilson or Easton I wasn't worried about the brand as much as the size so I'm not sure. the Mizuno shins newer then the samuri or pro stuff?

 

[Eric F]

I felt dumb asking it, but how much do you give them input on the equipment when it comes to what they like. We live in north western IN and it gets stupid hot/humid so I'd prefer a lighter colored helmet at least, it seems like that would help, but I'm not sure she'll want a lighter colored helmet that doesn't match the rest of the gear.
I wouldn't call her skinny, but she's far from fat/overweight, at 5'6" she's on the light end of healthy weight but she has good muscle tone. She liked the feel of whatever shin she tried on at Dicks, I think they were Wilson or Easton I wasn't worried about the brand as much as the size so I'm not sure. the Mizuno shins newer then the samuri or pro stuff?

Her input matters a ton. Nothing wrong with encouraging her in certain directions, but being comfortable, confident, and efficient in her gear is critical.

Please feel free to ask anything. Lots of knowledgeable people on the site who have been there and done that (even stupid stuff). Shared knowledge is a powerful tool.