The youth-sports parent's field guide
By Steph Romano · 80 posts in 5 sections
Every season, from sign-up to last whistle.
An honest look at the best sports for 5 year olds — soccer, t-ball, swim lessons and more — with what each season really asks of your kid, and of you.
By Steph Romano · 7 min read
Sport by season. Find the sport, read across to the season you are in.
Sign-ups close in the summer.
Sign-ups close in the fall.
Sign-ups close while it's still cold out.
Swim team and camps, usually registered in spring.
15 of 80 posts are on the board. A post goes up only when it names both the sport and the season. The rest are filed by section below.
The sign-up notes come from Youth Sports Sign-Up Season: What to Do and When
Newest first
Read these first
Picked by hand, not by a traffic count.
Which sport, at what age, and what that first season really looks like — honest starting guides for parents new to youth sports.
All 13 posts →
Sizing charts and buy-once gear guides: cleats that fit, gloves that close, balls by age — what to buy, what to skip, no guesswork.
All 19 posts →8 charts
| Age / level | Glove size |
|---|---|
| 3–4 (t-ball intro) | 8.5"–9.5" |
| 5–6 (t-ball / coach pitch) | 9.5"–10.5" |
| 7–8 (coach pitch / machine) | 10"–11" |
| 9–10 (10U) | 10.75"–11.5" |
| 11–12 (12U) | 11"–12" |
| Youth softball, 8–12 | 10.5"–12.5" |
The first 2 of the chart's 3 columns. The post has the rest, and the fit test.
Sideline culture for sports parents: game-day etiquette, cheering that helps, the sideline kit, and surviving the sibling in tow.
All 32 posts →When the toddler sibling comes to every practice, the nap happens in the car or the stroller. How to plan for it, keep it safe, and protect bedtime all season.
The kid inside the jersey: playing time, wanting to quit, talking to coaches, and keeping sports fun past the first season.
Ten-minute driveway and backyard practice ideas that build skills without a coaching license or a single lecture.
