Pitching and Pitchers Discussion Mandatory Mask..Coaches or Parents Decision?

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I am in disbelief, unfortunately my original post and thread title may be not be insync. Maybe some of your DD's are not on a High School team where they have run-ruled probably 30% of the teams they have faced. We defeated a team by 25 runs a couple of weeks ago and not 1 girl was wearing a mask. It was like the police going into a drug raid with no vests. Absolutely ludicrus of that coach not to enforce his team to wear masks. The decision cannot be left up to the parents, do you realize how many D1 scholarships the NCAA is gonna give away this year, 2 Billion.....lol! Come on get a grip.

 

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So a coach should let the level of competition dictate when they wear masks?

"C'mon girls - we're gonna get clobbered today. Put on your Game Face"

 

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Mad Hornet clearly and strongly feels it should be the coaches job to require masks and when you followed his post with the "well said Hornet" it sure sounded like you also had a beef with coaches that don't.

I think everyone agrees a mask is a good idea we just differ on whether they should be required by the coach or left to the individual and parents. My DD wears one. She does it on her own. The vast majority of players who played their entire career without a mask have never taken a hit to the face. I think the corners and pitchers playing without one are crazy but so is anyone that wants to be a cop in an urban area like Cleveland. And, race car drivers, giant salmon skiers, rock climbers, bull riders, bungee jumpers, sky divers and any extreme sport. I don't judge.

Yes, Freedom of choice - It's what makes America great!
Lets preserve our freedoms!

I'm not necessarily saying I think every coach should require it. I am saying, "this is what I do" and yes, the coach certainly has the ability to require it. I don't agree with anyone who says the coach can't because again, the coach controls the line up.

The kids I'm coaching aren't old enough in my opinion to understand and assume that kind of risk to themselves. If they were older and had players with legit shot at getting a D-1 scholarship I might feel differently knowing the supposed stigma attached. At that point we're talking about more mature kids with a better understanding of the risk / reward calculation.

I will say that if the sanctioning bodies made it a requirement I would welcome it. I apply the same mentality to coaching that we do to construction: If you can prevent a major injury or fatality by doing something simple, shouldn't you do it?

There is another benefit to the mask. If the player trusts the equipment they will be more likely to look down on a hard hit grounder as opposed to pulling up in fear. In some cases it can make a player a better infielder.

 

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I agree with you that we all take chances everyday! Life is Life! A Game is a Game though!! If equipment is available to spare our kids from serious injury, then shouldn't we use it??? I disagree with the notion that families should decide for themselves!! On my way home from work the other day, I saw a baby in the front seat of a car! Should this be left up to the parents?? My point is there are parents who cant think far enough into the future to take care of themselves....Let alone thier children!!!

I couldn't agree with you more!

 

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I have championed for years that the sanctioning bodies have overstepped their boundaries when they entered into making equipment mandatory to wear. Their job was to set the rules for the game, not infringe on personal rights or to assume liability for demanding equipment be used.

Let me explain; regulating equipment to insure a consistent playing field and structured participation in the game is needed to be set in the rules. Maximum bat limits, core and compression of balls, uniform restraints, number of innings played, and regulations to insure standards of safety equipment are examples of what they should be involved in. Their participation should end there. It’s up to parents of minors to do the right thing. The sanctioning bodies like OHSAA should stay out of the business of negating parents’ rights to choose.

Baseball and boys are not required to wear some of the safety devices required of girls. Why are the girls different-----because you say so???

By taking a stand and demanding that I, as a coach, should infringe on a family’s right to choose you are putting me in a liable position. It’s not my responsibility nor is it yours. There are inherent risks to playing sports. In softball much like baseball, there are more ways to get injured----even die that I can’t imagine naming them all. We can dress all the kids in Sumu wrestler outfits and put them on the field and sure enough, some kid will thumb themselves in the eye and be blinded for life!

Accept that you make every effort to protect your own and leave the parents of others to handle things the way they want. Parent your own child, umpires call the game by the book, sanctioning bodies should remain in their place and tell us how many outs there are in an inning, and let’s play ball.

 

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So a coach should let the level of competition dictate when they wear masks?

"C'mon girls - we're gonna get clobbered today. Put on your Game Face"

I love it! :lmao::lmao::lmao:

 

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I see your point and I have a real problem in many situations with the government or any person in authority mandating something be done for someone else's benefit or safety. That said, as a coach and a lawyer I just can't assume the risk of someone getting hurt and them suing me. Our society is far too litigous. It doesn't matter if they have signed waivers, permission slips, etc. etc. if their daughter gets a serious injury, without a doubt, I would be on the list of defendants. It is just the way it is these days- I have seen families, friends for years, fellow church parishioners, etc. sue each other when something happens- I have no doubt that would happen to me if the injury was serious enough. Even if I was totally blameless, the cost in defending myself would be astronomical - that is not a situation where the case could be dismissed by summary judgement - there would always be an issue of fact and that would take a full out trial and those aren't cheap. Not too many of us can afford that kind of litigation and when the person bringing the suit is not required to pay atty fees if they lose, even the person that wins loses (and loses a TON!). One might say, if I am that worried, then why coach- but if I didn't coach, we would not have had a team- no one else wanted to step up and coach and the asst coach is my husband and the other asst coach has only shown up at 3 practices and then comes to the games to coach. I do it for the girls, but I don't want to be stupid and jeopardize my family's financial future by coaching so it is my rule that the pitcher wear a mask- if they don't, they can't pitch.

 

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The sanctioning bodies will mandate it when there are too many injuries. I certainly hope that it is not as a result from one of your own players or worse yet, your own daughter.

I also hope that if the final decisions is yours to mandate it and you refuse to, that you don't regret it at the expense of a little girl's face.

Coaches have a responsibility and an obligation to protect the players on his/her team.
I think if we took away all of the "mandated" safety equipment, you would not have your catcher behind the plate without her gear or a batter without a helmet.

I would much rather be sued for mandating a face mask than be sued for not mandating it.

Baseball and softball is different....defensive baseball players are quite further away from home plate than softball players.

It's your decision Coach..... I pray that you never regret it.

 

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I am in disbelief, unfortunately my original post and thread title may be not be insync. Maybe some of your DD's are not on a High School team where they have run-ruled probably 30% of the teams they have faced. We defeated a team by 25 runs a couple of weeks ago and not 1 girl was wearing a mask. It was like the police going into a drug raid with no vests. Absolutely ludicrus of that coach not to enforce his team to wear masks. The decision cannot be left up to the parents, do you realize how many D1 scholarships the NCAA is gonna give away this year, 2 Billion.....lol! Come on get a grip.

Sigh......you just don't get it, do you......

Len

 

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The sanctioning bodies will mandate it when there are too many injuries. I certainly hope that it is not as a result from one of your own players or worse yet, your own daughter.

I also hope that if the final decisions is yours to mandate it and you refuse to, that you don't regret it at the expense of a little girl's face.

Coaches have a responsibility and an obligation to protect the players on his/her team.
I think if we took away all of the "mandated" safety equipment, you would not have your catcher behind the plate without her gear or a batter without a helmet.

I would much rather be sued for mandating a face mask than be sued for not mandating it.

Baseball and softball is different....defensive baseball players are quite further away from home plate than softball players.

It's your decision Coach..... I pray that you never regret it.

What happens when a 3B, who is wearing a mask, is playing in and gets a line-shot in the throat, and the player sustains a lethal injury. Coaches fault for not having her wear some "optional "form of throat protection?

Len

 

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There is alot to say for common sense, most major corporations have made equipment and machinery dummy proof, because there are alot of people out there that lack one of life's most important skills, common sense! I was at Queen of Diamonds this year, the girl that was MVP Pitcher was wearing a mask, she was fantastic. The biggest problem I see, parent's are usually to blind to see how good of a player their DD really is. Coaches on the other hand should be bias and make the tough decisions to protect the players. My daughter is not D1 material, although she is an above average player and she is more than confident in her abilities. We as parents, enforce she wears a mask when on the mound. I, as a parent know and have seen the good and bad regarding masks, don't want my daughter being part of a statistic or a celebrity on a safety film.

 

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If your number 1 reason for a player not to wear a mask is because a College may not look at her, shame on you as a parent or a coach. Have her study more, Academics usually offer more!

 

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It looks like the two sides involved will never meet.

A.) Make everybody wear as much protection as possible.

B.) Let the players/parents decide for themselves.

I don't mean to sound insensitive, but if a player gets hurt because of a choice not to wear a certain piece of equipment- that's life. We can't Idiot-Proof everything.

 

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I have championed for years that the sanctioning bodies have overstepped their boundaries when they entered into making equipment mandatory to wear. Their job was to set the rules for the game, not infringe on personal rights or to assume liability for demanding equipment be used.

Let me explain; regulating equipment to insure a consistent playing field and structured participation in the game is needed to be set in the rules. Maximum bat limits, core and compression of balls, uniform restraints, number of innings played, and regulations to insure standards of safety equipment are examples of what they should be involved in. Their participation should end there. It?s up to parents of minors to do the right thing. The sanctioning bodies like OHSAA should stay out of the business of negating parents? rights to choose.

Baseball and boys are not required to wear some of the safety devices required of girls. Why are the girls different-----because you say so???

By taking a stand and demanding that I, as a coach, should infringe on a family?s right to choose you are putting me in a liable position. It?s not my responsibility nor is it yours. There are inherent risks to playing sports. In softball much like baseball, there are more ways to get injured----even die that I can?t imagine naming them all. We can dress all the kids in Sumu wrestler outfits and put them on the field and sure enough, some kid will thumb themselves in the eye and be blinded for life!

Accept that you make every effort to protect your own and leave the parents of others to handle things the way they want. Parent your own child, umpires call the game by the book, sanctioning bodies should remain in their place and tell us how many outs there are in an inning, and let?s play ball.

Very thorough, and I applaud you for looking at the "big picture".

C'mon people! Hitting a ball with a bat has been a part of the game since the game was invented. So, why is this "face collision with the ball" so dangerous today? Wasn't it just as dangerous "back in the day"? Are parents more sensitive to their kid's safety today? Did good ol' mom & dad not really care about this years ago? Of course they did!

The only thing I can figure out is the "ostrich principle". Let's all bury our heads in the sand and let someone else fix the REAL problem! And if you guessed the REAL problem is the bats and balls, you are correct!

Fix the ROOT problem, don't band-aid the symptom! If a 16 year old boy has a 500 HP sports car, would a bigger/better air bag make the situation safer? Or would lowering the HP make more sense? Just like racing sanctions (NASCAR) employ restrictor plates on engines, so should softball sanctions employ stricter limits on bats and balls.

But then, kids would actually have to learn how to hit correctly. Hmmm... maybe the level of play would increase then?

 

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What happens when a 3B, who is wearing a mask, is playing in and gets a line-shot in the throat, and the player sustains a lethal injury. Coaches fault for not having her wear some "optional "form of throat protection?

Len

Obviously we are not going to be able to protect every situation. In 21 years of softball, I have been fortunate enough not to see a fatal injury. I have seen way too many facial injuries.
We are not going to even try to protect a meteorite from hitting the softball fields even though it is possible it could happen.
Yes, there are going to be injuries. I am not out to protect every "possible" injury.
Again, I hope that there are no regrets.
I have been very thankful for the mandates that we have put into place. I have been thanked every summer by parents when that masked saved a facial injury. I have no regrets.

 

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Nicely put, Sammy.

 

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I agree with Sammy, too. Go back to the aluminum bats and "regular" balls. The hitters will still hit.

 

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Great point Sammy!

HBTCB: Really? thousands and thousands of kids have played with no mask and did just fine but you say "The decision cannot be left up to the parents". You stopping at the mask? You don't think there are more important things in life that cannot be left up to parents? Of all the things in life involving the health and welfare of children in the world is a mask in softball the only thing that cannot be left up to parents? Or would you extend that? Curious as to how much you think society should take over the raising of children.

Mad Hornet: When you say: "If you can prevent a major injury or fatality by doing something simple, shouldn't you do it?" How about the throat guard? Heart guard? I've seen a line drive into a knee do serious injury, how about knee pads? Line drive into a shin, how about shin guards? At least for corners and pitchers? A hard foul into a dugout can do serious injury, how about full gear in the dugout? Seen foul balls hit kids in the head walking around the park, how about helmets for all kids in the park? These are all "simple" that could prevent major injury. Where do you draw a line?

 

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Reading this post, and this is probably the most heated I've seen it. Well, time to add my two cents from someone who has 3 brain cells.

Our dd's playing travel softball is a privilege not an entitlement. If an organization says masks must be worn, they they must be worn. If an organization says it your choice, then its your choice.

It's your choice whether or not to have your dd play for that organization or coach.

If the organization says it's up to the coach, and he/she makes it mandatory, and if you don't like it leave. That's your choice. They can respect what you think, but they shouldn't have to bow to it. Remember, it's a privilege.

Ok, now my cells need a break..there's smoke.

 

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And that is as it should be. :yahoo: