Youth baseball is all about having fun – but with the right direction, your Little League champ could end up earning a college athletic scholarship. Maybe they’ll even play in the Major Leagues one day!

It all starts with the right attitude and preparation when players are young. As your player is getting familiar with the diamond, encourage a positive attitude and good technique. As coaches and parents, you can set the tone for how young players approach the baseball game.

From doing the right workouts, to wearing baseball socks aimed at performance, you can prep your young team to play like the pros. Here are five tips for encouraging a team to unite around a common goal: being the top dogs.

Stretches, Baseball Socks, and Gear: How to Play Like a Professional

Professional baseball players thrive on routine. That means no calling out for practice because they’d rather sleep in and committing to habits that improve their performance. Now, we’re not saying kids need to practice as intensely as an MLB player does – but following a few of the same rules can’t hurt.

In addition to showing up to practice on time, your youth baseball player can benefit from the following five tips for growing their skills and professionalism.

1. Improve Their Flexibility

Pro players benefit from flexibility as much, if not more, as from having big muscles. Whether your champ is a pitcher or outfielder, making sure he has the right range of motion is key. Imagine trying to throw the perfect pitch when you don’t have the right range of motion in your shoulders.

So, what can your youth player do to improve flexibility? There are ways to work on this at both team practice and at home. Believe it or not, a lot of baseball players do yoga to work on their overall flexibility and target specific areas. Practicing downward dog, for instance, can open up hamstrings and shoulders.

Encourage your team’s coach to institute a rigorous stretching routine at the beginning and end of every practice. This makes it easier for players to use the right technique on the field, and (bonus) it also reduces the chances of injuries. Wearing the right baseball socks also ensures that a player is not unnecessarily restricted and can enjoy their newfound flexibility during play.

2. Make Sure Players Are in the Right Position

A player who is meant for the outfield but remains stuck trying to pitch will only grow frustrated and consider quitting altogether. You help the entire team when you encourage your player to look for a position that highlights his strengths.

How can your team explore different roles for struggling players? Restructuring practice to give players the chance to try out a different position is a great start. Pro teams would never leave someone in a position that isn’t right for him – and your team shouldn’t, either.

3. Equip Players with the Right Gear

You may not want to spend a ton of money on gear for youth players but consider investing in some quality baseball attire, baseball socks and equipment. In the wrong gear, a team won’t feel like professionals. And that spirit will be reflected in their play.

What’s worse, lacking certain gear could make it hard to play well from a functional perspective. Worn out gloves, for instance, could lead to more dropped balls. The good news is you can find some great gear for almost any budget.

What does your team need to start playing like a pro squad? You know you need gloves, helmets, and bats. But what else? Here are some key pieces to buy for your team and why they matter:

• Cleats. Players who run the bases in regular tennis shoes are more likely to slide unintentionally, ruining a play (at best) or hurting themselves (at worst). Cleat shoes provide much-needed traction to give your players more control over their stopping and starting. Cleats should fit properly – consider double socks if your player’s cleats are a tad too big.
• Baseball Socks. Any old pair of athletic socks will work on the field, right? Not so much. A good pair of baseball socks make a big difference in baseball game performance. So do a bad pair (for very different reasons). A double-welt top at the top of high-quality socks will stop them from sliding down while a player is running. Blister control protects your heels. And you can keep your youth player sharp by purchasing baseball socks with ankle and arch compression for better support.
• Sliding Shorts. Sliding into home plate is all fun and games until you have bruising or brush burn These all-too-common injuries are painful and could make showering difficult – not to mention making it hard to practice the next week. Padded sliding shorts are great baseball attire because they protect the hips, butt, and thighs of your young player. Many pros rely on these hidden garments to protect themselves, so why shouldn’t your team?
• Sunglasses. If the sun hits a player the wrong way, they can be blinded and miss the winning catch. A good pair of wrap-around glasses designed to be used in sports is a lifesaver. When your players can see the ball on the sunniest of days, they’re more likely to pull off a baseball game saving catch worthy of the pros.

4. Build Confidence with Professional Style

Your team has the gear they need. A pair of cleats and high-performance baseball socks are always in the gym bag. But what about their unique style?

They say you should dress for the job you want, and that includes professional baseball player. A squad that hits the field dressed like they mean business will feel confident enough to hit one out of the park. 

Pay homage to old school baseball players by outfitting the team in baseball stirrups or throwback jerseys. The forefathers of baseball used to wear baseball stirrups with white under socks to protect their legs from dye. Now, they just look cool! You can also get modern jerseys that look like your local MLB squad to set the tone. When your players look the part, they’ll feel like they’re a pro already!

5. Create a Strong Sense of Unity

Finally, a strong sense of team unity helps a youth baseball team succeed together. Every professional player worth his salt will admit he didn’t get to where he is on his own – it takes the entire team to earn a winning record. There are lots of ways to bring all your players together.

Here are just a few ways you can generate a strong sense of pride among your entire team and help new players feel right at home:

• Schedule Non-Practice Get Togethers. Adding new team members can be a challenge. In order to play like pros, your team needs to be cohesive. Plan picnics, pizza parties, or other time together that’s outside of practice time. Once they get to know each other, your team might have better instincts about each other on the field.
• Plan Fun Baseball Sock Theme Days. Make practice fun. Even professional players need to let off some steam and have a laugh or two to break up drills and scrimmages. Baseball sock theme days are one way to do it. Have a crazy sock day and an animal print day, or a favorite colors day and a zany design day. Your players can show off their personality and unique style to get to know each other more, and it makes practice more interesting and exciting.
• Get Everyone the Same Gear. Don’t let anyone feel left out by not having the gear they need to fully participate. In order for your team to operate like a pro squad, everyone needs to be equipped. In addition to holding fundraisers, try ordering custom baseball socks and other baseball attire and gear in bulk. You get a discount, and everyone has access to the same professional baseball uniform and gear.

Is your team ready to graduate from amateur to pro? It starts with training and baseball attire and ends with them getting the stands on their feet!

Start stocking up on everything you need to inspire your team right now on MadSportsStuff. Our inventory of custom baseball socks, stirrup socks, headbands, baseball attire, and more are just what your team needs to feel and look good on the field. You can even order custom baseball socks with your team logo or mascot to really fire your team up! Before you know it, your team will look and play like the pro all-stars they admire so much.