You do NOT need to own a bat to participate in KBA baseball, the league supplies team bats. Should you wish to purchase your own bat to use during practices and games, there are standards which must be followed.
To use a bat in a game, the bat must conform to the standard of the division being played.
Little League has changed their bat rule for 2018 to adopt the USABat standard. This makes all existing bats without the USABat logo ILLEGAL in Little League. This standard allows bats up to 2 5/8" diameter, but must have wood like performance. For more information from LL on the bat rule change, see the following:
http://www.littleleague.org/learn/equipment/baseballbatinfo/USA-Baseball-Bat-Standard-FAQs.htm
There is no change by Baseball Canada on the bat rules. Baseball Ontario (OBA) and Baseball Quebec (ABEO) follow the Baseball Canada rule, therefore all legal bats from last year remain legal in 2018 for programs run under this banner. These bats are slightly higher performing than wood and can be up to 2 3/4" diameter.
A summary of the bat rules follows for the different divisions:
If you are considering gifting a bat, consider a custom wood bat from Sambat. Wood bats are allowed in any division, are great for training in the off season, and can be personalized.