Charlie
I think the main reason is that girls play so much closer to the plate then boys do. So why not use it if you can ?
I understand that and have calculated the needed reaction time at given distances from the point of release and obviously it is a very quick reaction. But get this response from a college softball coach on the issue:
"God forbid we just starting doing reaction drills with the corner players or taught our pitchers not to throw it over the middle of the plate. Many people get hurt playing softball. I watched a girl snap her ankle in two sliding into 2B once. Maybe we should make it rule that sliding is not allowed. Give me a break."
Are field masks just an easy way out? I really am just wondering, and I mean this in complete respect to a different view and with sympathy for the injured player. What might be inadvertently taught to players by reacting that the answer to infrequent injury is a mask rather than any number of other options? I have seen girls with masks on whose first reaction to even a ground ball is pulling her head up. First of all, I am not inclined to put that player on a corner because I interpret her play as being afraid of the ball and if not corrected will result in letting the ball consistently play her. A mask might not fix the players problem and might make her complacent rather than a better player. Part of the answer might be a longer development period for younger athletes and being more selective about who gets to play where and when.
I fear that by making girls wear face masks could undermine their development as athletes especially if all a coach is coaching is position and play and not training and long term athletic development. Maybe stop putting girls into positions they are not ready to play, maybe studying the bats used at certain age levels (why are 13 year olds using the same $300 bat as college players if the infield can't deal with the ball coming off of it?). Maybe include in off season training some reaction, agility and speed drills along with strength training.
Finally, and, again I do sympathize with injured players especially this last incident, what are the overall incidences of serious injury in softball compared to other sports? Does the frequency of face injury reasonably require adopting field masks? The answer may be "yes" but do we know that yet? Do we adopt them as required because one out of 1000 players get injured? Again, the torn acl for girls is an epidemic. It happens 8 times more with girls than boys and high school ****** and basketball players often have had multiple surgeries ... by high school! I recall a local ****** tournament where there was a almost continuous flow of ambulances carting girls away with knee and ankle injuries. Is the answer to require prophylactic leg braces? I personally don't think so. The answer might be back off the continuous on-field play and begin strength training to strengthen quads, glutes, and hamstrings and get girls to lower their center of gravity when they run. Add plyometrics when they are fit enough to do them and agility drills very early on and injury rates are likely to decrease; so say athletic training journals but I don't see local coaches changing practice schedules.
While I understand the desire to protect our kids and our investments in orthodontists, and worry about my daughter as well, treating athletes first as girls and second as athletes won't develop either the sport or the athlete. Maybe we are pushing girls into situations they are not ready to play in ...
Thanks and I do not mean to come off sounding inconsiderate or contrary .. just trying to make a point...
