Have you ever arrived at the ball field for that big game and realized you left something really important at home? We all know how frustrating that can be, so we here at JustBats.com came up with a list of the Top Ten Game Day Essentials in hopes to help you all remember some of the more important items. Each day for ten days we will post a new Game Day Essential, so at the end you have a nice list to look at and read over. We are going to start with the glove, you absolutely can't leave home without your glove.
What's a baseball or softball game without a bat? It probably would be a lot less exciting, so this one is also extremely important. Again, there's nothing better than crushing that ball with your own bat so it would be awfully sad to leave it at home. JustBats.com has a huge selection of bats to choose from, so if you need your first one or if the one you have just isn't cutting it anymore, stop by JustBats.com and pick from some of the hottest bats on the market. Be sure to choose a bat that best fits the league you are in.
We would hate to see everyone running around the fields in your sandals and it probably wouldn't feel very good either, and who knows, if no one on your team has a pair of cleats to spare, you might be out of luck, so be sure to keep these in your bag. Cleats are extremely important for game-day and can make running around those bases a lot easier. Always a good thing to have around.
Not every player uses batting gloves, but if you do, and you leave them at home your swing just won't be the same. Batting gloves can help with grip and can also reduce vibration transferring to your hands for a more comfortable swing. So if you don't use them, it might not hurt to try them out. Batting gloves can be essential to your performance so always keep a pair on hand. You can pick up a pair up from JustBats.com right now!
Warming up with a bat weight can give you a huge advantage over other players. We wouldn't recommend swinging with one at full speed, but simply warming up with one, even rotating your arms with a weighted bat in your hands can help get your muscles in a better place before you stand up to the plate. JustBats.com has a big selection of bats to help with training, head over there and check them out!
On any given day the weather can go from cool to hot and rainy to sunny in a matter of minutes. So it's not a bad idea to pack a jacket just in case. This one goes out to the families and friends supporting the players on the field as well, if it's cool outside an athlete usually can warm up pretty easily but sitting in the stands and not moving can make for a very long and cold tournament day, so bring some layers that can easily be removed.
We all know that mid-day sun can be brutal, especially when it is starting to set on the horizon and it can be right in your eyes. A pop fly can be really hard to see when you have the sun right behind it blinding you, and looking at the sun can be really bad for your eyes, so bring some sunglasses to protect them. A pair of sunglasses with polarized lenses is the best thing if you really want to insure your eyes will be protected.
If you really want to be on top of your game it's important to fuel your body with the right kind of nutrients. Some good snacks for athletes include almonds, fruits, like bananas and apples, trail mix, yogurt, oats, energy bars and granola bars and a peanut butter sandwich is always good.
Hydration is extremely important when you're outdoors for long periods of time, especially with this summer we just had with record breaking temperatures all across the U.S. It's easy to become dehydrated when it's so hot outside and you may not even realize it before it's too late. Some signs of dehydration include a dry mouth, feeling very tired for no reason, becoming extremely thirsty, dry skin, severe headache and dizziness. If you start to feel these during game day it's time to down a Gatorade and drink some water.
Now some of you may be trying to work on that perfect tan while your out on the ball field, but it's important to get some sunscreen on, especially with some tournaments lasting most of the day, it's easy to get a pretty nasty burn. So don't be afraid, slap some SPF 35 on and go home from your game knowing you won't look like a tomato.
