I am just starting our 9U travel team. I need to get a new set of gear and a new mitt. The catchers I'll have are used to worn 'rec' gear so I would like ot get them something comfortable and durable. I'm looking at the All Star and Easton gear. Any advice either way. Also I'll need a new mitt. Any advice here? I realize it will take some time to break in, but it is a definate need.

Look at the smaller Kelley catcher's mitts. Quicker break-in. Decent durability.

Get the new Rawling's Pro Preferred Taper Patterns. You can not beat a Pro Preferred catcher's mitt. The Taper Pattern is for younger catchers with smaller hands. It's a expensive glove, but worth the money. you can find it at baseballexp.com. For the gear it's really about opinion. I would get Easton over All-Star for youth gear, vice versa if he was an adult.

All star catcher's gear is both comfortable and durable. Wilson makes solid catcher's gloves that in my experience hold up over time.
Hope this help.
Brian
www.poweralleyonline.com

Creeks,

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At that age, I prefer using a softball catchers mitt. I have found most 9U boys struggle with using a traditional baseball mitt because the ball is not being thrown hard enough to "stick". The extra padding in a traditional glove seems to consistently make strike three pop out of the glove!

I love the Akadema catchers gloves. They have a break in the thumb padding which does two things: 1. creates a larger and more natural "pocket" for receiving the ball and 2. allows the top of the thumb pad to "give" on foul tips and throws, thereby protecting the thumb from getting jammed back.

I'll second the All-Star gear. Nothing better IMO.

For a mitt, I would recommend a Rawlings or All-Star.

We bought our son the All-Star gear three years ago and thats all he wants now. Very comfortable and "the pros use it"....
For a catchers mitt, I HIGHLY recommend a Barrazza Rolin! It is semi- custom made in Mexico. The leather is very high quality. You can custom order it to your color, lace color, thread color as well as having your name stitched on it. They even pre- break it in for an extra $10.00. (definately worth it) My son was using it in a game hours after receiving it..
This is the company that supplies to alot of the hispanic pro players....

Do NOT let the cheap prices of their gloves fool you (fully customized) for around $140.00

Barrazza Rolin Catcher Mitts

allstar is high quality gear- i love it