Composite Bats Banned From Little League

By Wayne | January 5, 2011

Finally there has been a decision about composite bats. For the last 5 years there has been so much controversy regarding the safety of aluminum & composite bats. Now the field gets a little bit tougher. The better hitting player will always be able to make contact & send the ball for a ride. It is the average and less than average player that will see a huge difference. There will be a lot less home runs. Coaches will now have to coach instead of relying on a home run to score a run.

I wonder if the manufacturers like Easton, Demarini, Combat Sports. Miken & Rawlings will still be charging high prices for the new bats that have less performance. If that is the case then you might be better off buying a $70.00 bat which has the same results.

Parents won’t have to scurry to the store each time a new bat is introduced with the latest technology. Heart guard sales will plummet. Will this kill the economy and cause a double dip. Or if wood bats become required than the costs will begin to rise because they break so easily that you’ll need several in one season. Maybe they’ll get banned as well if one breaks and a splintered piece hits a fielder causing serious damage.

There always seems to be drama with Little League International & the local Little Leagues. What started out to be an organization to help build a community, create a positive envirement & build confidence for the young players now has seen it’s share of turmoil. In many cases it has become a source of personal income for league treasurers. Volunteers are entrusted in important Little League Board positions such as a treasurer or equipment manager and decide that they deserve to take what they want because they do a lot for the league. While most get caught there are so many that don’t. They walk around without guilt knowing that they stole money from a children’s organization.

Than there are those parents that coach. Most are good but there are way too many that are absolutely the worst adult example a child should be involved with. They only care about their own kid. They forget that it is a community game and that they should be a source to develop all of the players on the field. They become so competitive during a recreational game. That’s right – Little League is recreational. It is there to teach & develop. These A-holes start screaming and arguing an umpire’s call as if it is life changing. In most cases the umpire is a teenager. These type of coaches need to be removed immediately and permanently.

The biggest farce about Little League International is the contradiction of their mission and reality. They want to develope the participants… What they don’t care about is that the registration fee that each parent has to pay and the play time for their child. I would say that 99.9% of the coaches do not play the children equal playing time. If the coach thinks that your child isn’t that good than your child will play the minimum required time that was designated by Little League International. That is 2 defensive innings and 1 at bat. It’s not about the children at all. It is strictly a profit center.

Of course there are safety issues involved. A coach shouldn’t be the only person teaching a child how to play. The coach only has the child for an hour or two a week for just 12 weeks and has to split his or her time by 12 – 15 players. Parents have to get involved and spend quality time with their children and teaching them the game. A coach isn’t a baby sitting service that you drop your child off to and pick them up 2 hours later. If you’re a parent that doesn’t know how to play or teach then there are training facilities available nearby.

If you would like to see the entire article regarding the ban please click on http://www.littleleague.org/media/newsarchive/2010/Sep-Dec/CompositeBatMoratium.htm

For a complete list of composite bats that are legal visit http://www.littleleague.org/learn/equipment/approvedcompbats.htm