So there you are. You rushed home from work, fighting traffic all the way (and getting home 20 minutes later than usual) so you can take your daughter out for a little practice session to help her improve her skills and/or get ready for the next game.

Unfortunately, it’s the time of year (early to mid-spring or late summer to early fall) where it starts getting dark just about the time you get going. You’d like to stay a little longer and give her a full practice session, but twilight is setting in and, since there are no lights on the field and you can barely see your hand in front of your face, you’re worried one of you (probably you) is going to end up finishing tonight’s session at the local immediate care facility covered in blood.

Sound familiar? Well, don’t despair. There is a solution, and it’s the subject of today’s blog post: the Chargeball glow in the dark softball.

I recently aquired one of the Chargeball kits and can tell you from firsthand experience it’s a great option for extending lesson or practice time for an extra 15-20 minutes past when it would normally be safe to continue.

(Full disclosure: I paid for the product with my own money and have not had any contact with anyone at the company. My review is based strictly my own user experience, with no financial incentives or product offerings promised for delivering a favorable review. The opinions expressed here are strictly my own.)

I have used the Chargeball this week that took place after the official sunset (roughly 7:00 pm) and during the civil twilight hours. At that point I could see the pitcher and catcher, but just barely

As we went along I asked the catchers (who were also the pitchers’ fathers) if they could still see the ball okay and both said it was fine. This despite the fact that by the end I could barely see either of them from my vantage point about 20 feet away.

Ordinarily we would have had to stop about 15 minutes into the lesson at most. But by using the Chargeball we were able to go the full 30 minutes with no incidents or problems.

So how does the Chargeball work? It starts with the ball, which is the same size and weight as standard softball. It has medium seams, and so far good tack once you rub it down a little – same as any other brand name softball.

The key difference, however, appears to be a coating that is on the ball. It’s what gives the Chargeball its ability to glow in the dark.

To activate the ball you need to put it in the included vinyl case and connect it via a built-in USB connector to the included battery pack. The one that comes with the standard Chargeball package requires four AA batteries, but there is also a rechargeable battery pack available. More on that later.

You place the ball inside the case, close the lid, connect the battery pack, and wait about 20 seconds. When you connect the battery pack it actives a whole bunch of LEDs inside that light up with incredible brightness.

I know it’s that bright because I made the mistake of opening the lid and looking inside before disconnecting the charger and felt like I’d tried looking at the sun. In space.

When you take the ball out it is glowing brightly, and retains a decent glow for several minutes. That makes it easy to see as it is pitched, thrown, or hit.

When the glow gets too dim, just pop it in the case again for 20 seconds and you’re ready to continue.

The ball itself seems pretty durable. I haven’t used it much yet, but it has taken a few dives into the dirt and bounces off a chain link backstop and hasn’t sustained any damage.

The manufacturer says you can use it for batting practice so I imagine it holds up pretty well. While it would be expensive to purchase enough balls to do a full-on batting practice on an open field, it might be a good way to help hitters who are having trouble tracking the ball from the pitcher learn to watch it better.

If you use it when it’s fairly dark there would be little else to see BUT the ball. So it might help them get a feel for how to home in on the ball as it travels through space.

You could also use it pretty easily for fielding and/or throwing practice. Again, if you want your fielders to learn to watch the ball into the glove a little practice in the gloaming might be just the ticket.

For me, I’ve only used it so far for pitching lessons, but it’s worked well there. I recommend purchasing more than one ball so you can minimize downtime. While the pitcher is using one you can be charging the other so it’s ready to go when you need a recharge. Then rinse and repeat until you’re done.

Sounds pretty cool, doesn’t it? But, you think, surely all this wonderfullness must be expensive.

Actually, not really. You can purchase a single kit that includes the charging case and battery pack, one softball, and one baseball for $55 as of this writing. If you’d like two softballs and no baseball, it’s $59.

The package I purchased, however, is the real steal. They had a promotion going on that included not only three softballs but also one baseball AND the rechargeable powerbank all for just $79. Perfect for the coach or parent who wants to keep things going without breaking the budget.

I don’t know how long these promos will go on for, but they are active as I write this in September of 2024. The promos don’t show up or even get mentioned until you add the product to your cart so you may need to do that to verify the one I got is still available.

If not, an extra softball currently costs $35 and the powerbank if purchased separately costs $10, although I’m assuming any powerbank with a USB connection will work. As you can see, though, your best value is purchasing the bundle if it’s available.

Also, for those who are interested, they also have footballs, volleyballs, soccer balls, rugby balls, and basketballs so you never have to come in at night. At least until the neighbors complain.

For anyone who finds themselves constantly trying to squeeze in a few more reps before it gets too dark, I recommend checking out the Chargeball. It’s definitely a bright idea for extending practice – and avoiding injuries!