Finding a Batting Helmet

What should you look for in a batting helmet? While the game of baseball is hard, the balls used to play the game are even harder. Since batters can and do get hit by pitches, wearing a batting helmet is essential to every batter's safety. But let's say you don't feel comfortable with the helmets provided by your child's team or coach and you decide to buy one yourself. 

Make Sure Your Batting Helmet is All Ears
Visit a reputable sporting goods store and look for batting helmets with ear straps. This is the best way to separate a real, safe batting helmet from a souvenir replica.  Ear straps are the parts of the batting helmet that rest over a batter's ears. While the big leaguers often wear helmets with just one ear strap, it is recommended that youth baseball players buy helmets with one on each side. You never know when they might want to pull a Carlos Baerga and hit from both sides.

Try It On for Size
Now that you have the helmet, have your child try it on. Batting helmets should fit so that the ear straps cover the ear of the child all the way down to the lobe, with the top of the child's head fitting snuggly into the top part of the batting helmet. If the brim of the helmet rides too low, obstructing your child's vision, it is too big. Not only could the helmet fall off during an at-bat, but it would also fail to provide adequate protection from a thrown ball.

Check for a Chinstrap
Finally, make sure the helmet comes with a chinstrap. The strap should rest just below the child's chin, just like the one in a bicycle helmet. This will ensure that the helmet stays safely on the child's head, not only while batting but also while running the bases.  Also, you don't have to worry about anyone tripping over an out-of-place piece of headwear.

Now your little slugger should be all set, with a snug-fitting batting helmet complete with an ear strap and a chin strap.  Play ball, indeed.