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Youth Catcher's (Fastpitch)
Youth catcher's mitts for fastpitch softball, built for the bigger ball and developing catchers, from our youth fastpitch gloves range.
How to choose: size to the player's hand, then gear up the rest with catcher's gear.
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Most youth fastpitch catchers use a mitt between 31.5" and 32.5" in circumference. Younger catchers, around 8 to 10 years old, usually do best with 31.5" to 32", while older youth catchers move to 32.5". Once she outgrows youth sizes, she can step up to our adult softball catcher’s mitts, usually 33" to 34". See our catcher’s mitt size chart.
Once pitchers start throwing with real speed, usually when kid-pitch begins, a catcher’s mitt becomes important. Its extra padding protects her hand from repeated pitches, and its rounded shape gives the pitcher a clear target. At the youngest coach-pitch levels, a regular youth fastpitch fielding glove is often enough.
Youth mitts are lighter, with a smaller hand opening and a pocket that’s easier to close. An adult mitt is heavy and stiff for small hands, which makes it hard to catch pitches cleanly and can lead to dropped balls and frustration. A mitt that fits her hand today will help her learn the position much faster.
A young catcher needs a full set of protection: a catcher’s helmet or mask with throat guard, a chest protector and leg guards. All three should fit properly so she can move freely in her crouch. Browse our player protection collection to complete her setup.
This is common when young catchers start facing faster pitching. Make sure the mitt is properly broken in, and teach her to catch the ball in the pocket, near the web, rather than in the palm. Wearing one of her youth batting gloves inside the mitt adds extra padding and a better fit.
Catcher’s mitts are the stiffest gloves on the field because of their padding, and young catchers often don’t have the hand strength to close them. Work the mitt by hand so it closes between the thumb and pinky, and play catch as often as possible. A glove break-in product helps soften the leather, and our Mitt Master glove break-in service makes it game-ready much faster.