Pitching and Pitchers Discussion Facemasks for infielders/pitchers-Mandatory??

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i have a daughter pitching college. she took a line drive to the forehead, had a concussion and a distorted face. an inch or two in any direction, results would have probably been much different according to her coach. she has refused to wear a mask and still does to this day. her sister
pitches also. she refuses to wear one. i think it should be up to the pitcher. any one player could get hurt in the sport causing a life time injury.
maybe making the end loaded bats illegal should be considered long befoe the mandatory infield face masks.

 

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I would just like to mention that I have played college ball for three years, and never once have I seen a collegiate athlete wear one of these. On top of that, you don't see any of the Olympic team players using these as well. Are we just giving the players an excuse to not learn to field a ground ball correctly? Or read a bounce properly? I know bad hops happen, and I see the positive benefits of these, but how far can we go making things mandatory?

 

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I would just like to mention that I have played college ball for three years, and never once have I seen a collegiate athlete wear one of these. On top of that, you don't see any of the Olympic team players using these as well. Are we just giving the players an excuse to not learn to field a ground ball correctly? Or read a bounce properly? I know bad hops happen, and I see the positive benefits of these, but how far can we go making things mandatory?

I don't agree with making them mandatory either - but big diff between the reaction time / skill of a 10 or 12 year old and a college player. Not to mention many of these younger girls are never going to advance to the college level just because they simply don't have the skills. Another big thing for me is the pitching distance - my 10 year old is throwing from 35ft... a move back to 40 only buys a fraction of a second in additional reaction time, but that could be all the difference in takes.

On the points of DD's not wanting to wear them - mine didn't want to at first either. We had an older girl show her her mask and that helped some but she was still hesitant. Then we told her she had to wear for her first tournament... Her teammates thought it was cool and I think she felt more "menacing" with it on. No problem with it now.

 

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well, my argument has been all along for them, that it would be only for the younger girls 10/12/14u. Reason is especially around 12 and 13, the girls are maturing physically right at that point and thats when you get the mismatch between a batted ball and a normal 12/13 year olds reflexes.

 

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Honestly, I don't think they should be mandated and I took a line drive to the head as a 15 year old playing against 18 year olds. This is a tough subject, especially for those that have DD's that have been hit or those that fear having it happen. Of course when I played the bats were not quite as hot as they are today, but I still believe it should be a CHOICE - and for that matter, a parent's choice. I, as a coach, do not want to dictate what your child does or does not wear. I personally only mandate mouthguards in the infield.

I think the first step would to be to break up the tournaments into a class A vs. class B or something in order to have the proper talent levels playing against each other. How to go about this? I'm not sure, but I do think it would help. Teach the kids proper mechanics, teach the pitchers how to prepare for line drives - how to move the ball more rather than relying on speed and throwing it right down the middle of the plate. Are they going to make mistakes? Absolutely! But prepare them and practice, practice, and practice some more. Advance their skill set. Perhaps until their skill set is at a certain level, provide them with facemasks (again, as a CHOICE), or don't put them on a "hot corner" or on the mound to face top notch batters.

These are just some ideas and thoughts coming from someone that has been there. I was lucky that I only needed a few stitches and had a black and blue face for a couple of weeks. An inch lower and some major damage would have occurred. But, one of the reasons softball is great is because of the choices that we have - and I'd really hate to see that be handed over. JMHO.

 

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but see, thats the funny thing about this subject. People will mandate mouthpieces to protect their kids teeth, but to protect them from a head shot from a line drive 35ft away, they make the choice to not mandate the facemask to their kids. Doesn't make sense to me, but then again it doesn't have to. To each their own. I'm all for the parents choosing. Of course. But it, something being done to decrease the risk, whether its the bats, balls, facemasks, won't be a choice soon. In PA here, not that it got too far, but a representative actually got a bill heard about making wooden bats mandatory for softball and baseball thru the high school levels. HAd to have many people go argue against it and luckily it died out. Thats all I'm saying, is before someone who doesn't know crap about the sport mandates something we have no control over, what can we, the softball community do on our own. The risk is low currently, but its only going to get worse as the talent and technology keep increasing. In the last year alone I've seen or heard about so many pitchers getting hit with a batted ball. Way more than in previous years. Way.

Definitely the class A/ Class B separation is needed. Thats where it usually occurs. How do you teach reacting to a line drive going 90 at your head? Hit line drives at them going 90? No. Until they get older, the needed reaction reflexes simply are not there yet. Some better than others of course.

 

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I'll probably take a big hit for this but I think if the coaches teach the players how to field the ball we wouldn't have to worry about face masks, mouth guards and the suits of armor that will be comming down the road.

Seems to me if in karate we can teach a 8 year old boy to block an adult punch we can teach a player to block the ball from hitting them. It's just a matter of training the reflex muscles.

Acutally a couple of years ago we were in California playing and the girls were asking why we wore mouth guards. Basically they said if you learn how to catch the ball you don't need that stuff

 

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There are some great arguments here. My program mandates at 10U-12U for pitcher, 1st and 3rd. Older age groups have to sign a waiver not to wear them (parent's signature).
Let's see now, mandating safety??? Why in the world would anyone want to do that????? Why don't we leave it up to the parents if their child should wear a helmet up to bat??? Catchers wearing a mask, helmet, chest protector and shin guards... that's ridiculous!!!!!!!
Personally, I hate authorities mandating me to do things....however, the game is changing, reasonable safeguards need to be put in place.... now what is reasonable can be debated until the pigs fly.
Players and their parents have choices of who they want to play with... if a player has a problem with our mandates, feel free to go next door to the other programs. We have 3 10U and four 12U tournament teams. \
I expect that many if not more next year. Our parents are well aware of our stand on safety, they chosed to play with us.

 

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It should be mandated period! At one time Professional Hockey players did not wear any head gear, helmets or masks. Now it's mandated. Same with Professional Football Players. Now helmets are required. Sanctioning bodies must require it and coaches should until they do. My DD wears one and luckily never said a word about it, just put it on and played.

 

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four years ago when my dd started travel ball, we bought her a gameface, its has seen tons of tournaments and hundreds of innings, i was amazed then as i am now why more kids dont wear them, shes taken quite a few nasty shots playing the hot corner... and all it took was one game taking a nasty hop and she was sold on it, dosent matter wether its mandated by sancations, teams or parents, its the best 45 bucks youll ever spend, ......... plain and simple, a rocket tech in the hands of a power hitter is no longer a bat, its as close to a weapon as youll get on a ball field,

 

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how exactly would you "train" them to block balls flying back at them at speeds they currently cannot handle? By batting balls back at them at speeds they currently cannot handle? Thats the problem. Yes, they could develop better reflexes but how long will that take and why happens in the mean time? By the older age groups(16u and above) they usually have the neccesary reaction time needed. Below that some do, some don't, and some think they do (or their parents at least) when they actually don't. Its like the "great" swimmer swimming out too far. Having never been faced with what they're doing, they don't realize what they're doing. They only think they do. What baffles me is what is the harm in wearing them? How they look? How they feel? Or is it just people want to go against the grain so bad that they refuse to see the possibility of the need for the masks.

 

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Suck it up--wear the masks! It's not a biggie! We actually feel more confident about charging the ball. If you are basing your decision on what it looks like, you are not a true softball player! :-/

 

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My daughter though Facemasks were kinda silly for pitchers until she saw a very talented and fine fielding older pitcher lying on the ground semi conscious after taking a lazer shot to the eye.Puts one on every trip to the mound now with o complaints.Maybe Tangs66 would have yelled from the bench(if you just new how to field the ball better this would never have happened).

 

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My DD was hesitant about wearing her gameface at first, but once she got used to it she now feels odd without it. ?I even had to tell her at ?a tournament this last weekend that she didn't have to wear it when she left the pitchers circle for outfield.

Most of the infielders on our team wear one.

 

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I have bought 150 facemasks. I get them at a good rate and sell them well below the internet rate. I may make 25 cents a mask.... with the gas prices the way they are, I am in the hole once I deliver or meet someone.
I just ordered 30 more.
Why don't we protect the thigh, shin, arms and other parts??? Trust me, there is a big difference in a bruise and a hit off the face. I have seen both too many times. We will continue to encourage players to wear them and we will continue to mandate some of our players.

 

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my dd got one when she started playing 3rd fulltime. Wore once or twice, complained she could see very well with it on, so she quit wearing it. Last weekend playing in Massilon, she had a ball hit to her that she luckly knock down, but had she been in another foot or two NO CHANCE to knock it down. Next inning Gameface was on and has been every time she has played 3rd since. Pitcher took one off the facemask same tourney along with one in the legs. It is silly to put your dd at risk especially corners and pitch, ball is on you to quick to react, and if hasn't happened yet it will. Buy them, wear them don't risk your lovely daughters getting hit in the face.

By the way played in the DOOM tourney this weekend she has no problem seeing the ball, don't let that be an excuse.

Gotta LOVE'em RAYS

 

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Mine is more confident with it on, knowing she won't be hurt if she takes a shot. Luckily she hasn't had to test it. After a short while, it became just like another part of her uniform.

 

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As an older player, I do not feel as though the facemasks should be mandated. I myself do not and probably will never wear one, and I have taken a shot to the head and received a concussion. It should be up to the player/ the player's family, depending on the age of the player, whether or not they decide to wear one during games.

 

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This just happened last night at a Michigan High School Game

15631. Pitcher struck in the face
by CoJoe, 5/21/08 23:23 ET
Tonight Macomb Lutheran North sophomore pitcher Anna Reincke was struck in the face with a line drive. She suffered a fractured orbital bone under the right eye. Doctors will perform additional test tomorrow to determine if any other damage has occurred and to make a decision on whether or not surgery is needed. This was Anna's third start this week and had consecutive no hitters going into this game. She had another one going after the first 3 innings today. She has just recently learned to control an excellent fastball which probably reaches the mid fifties. Just yesterday she struck out 17 of the 21 batters. Then after 17 no hit innings the lead off hitter in the fourth inning smacked a perfect line. The hospital released her tonight to go home to rest. Everyone that was there was devastated, and our prayers are with her and her family for a quick recovery and no further damage.

 

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Has anyone come across "sun visors/shades" for the gamefaces? I tried to retrofit a football helmet shade but it made her look like darth vader!