Whats your opinion on wearing face mask?

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Mine is every infield player should wear them. The debate is real. Had a pitchers parent say to me. Ah she has great reflex, she is fine. Accidents happen though. A $40 broken mask and a bruise is better than $1000's of medical bills, possible life long affects, and even death if your daughter takes a 100mph fastball off the nose because they missed the ball from 40ft away. I would not say its fine not to wear a motorcycle helmet because you have ridden a motorcycle for 25 years. I know some coaches frown on it the older the girls are and I think it would give them more confidence to charge a ball rather than the player is afraid of the ball if they wear one like I have also heard in the past. Just wandered what some parents or coaches thoughts are on why an infielder should not wear them. Maybe someone can sway me but it would be tough.

 

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Some people like them, some people don't.

 

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This has been debated many times over the past few years..... we still will mandate them for our corners and pitchers up until 16u... then they can sign a waiver not to wear one. Every year I know of one or two that end up not going to the hospital because they had one on... and every year I know of another one or two that end up because they don't wear one. Easy decision from my view point.

 

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With the number of face injuries I am aware of from this past year I am more in favor of them than ever. We always think in terms of infielders, but two of the worst injuries I know of involved outfielders running into each other. One was a D-I with one outfielder breaking her nose and the orbital bone beneath her eye. The other was during a high school game and basically the same injury there.

 

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I suppose it's a personal decision, but my daughters don't play infield or pitch without a mask on.
There are too many stories like this one .

 

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Yes, Yes, Yes

 

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DD will be a first year 14u this season. If she wants to play an infield position she will wear a mask.

 

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As a parent, I say ABSOLUTELY! I am amazed that we do not see more masks at all levels.

As a paramedic I have had two pitchers take direct shots which required transport to a trauma center. One to the face. The second was a direct hit to the chest. The pitcher was wearing a "heart guard" which I believe made a difference for her. She still ended up in the hospital.

This spring was the first time my own DD took a line drive back to the circle where she was able to get her glove up to deflect it but could not defend it. She was knocked out of the game but thankfuly was not injured bad enough to require treatment. I needed to change my shorts and start carrying nitro's.

A mouth piece is great when protecting the teeth ..... it does nothing to protect your eyes, eye socket, cheek bone, forehead, nose, etc.... I know all of our DD's will probably reach the age where they will come off .... I cannot say that I blame them. Make it mandatory!, at least for pitchers and maybe the hot corners.

 

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Some people like them, some people don't.

Exactly. I watched 59 college games this season with Ashland University. Number of face masks I saw on pitchers....0....number of corners wearing masks.....0. It's a personal choice.

 

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Dd is 13 (2017) and i make her wear one when she pitches. She does not wear it in the infield/outfield.

I know this is discouraged at the older age groups because i have heard that college coaches view masks as a sign that a player is unsure of their fielding skills, or as one D1 coach put it, "that is what your glove is for." For now, she will wear it, we may reassess later.

We were at Orland Sparks Showcase a few weeks back playing up at 16u and I don't recall seeing too many pitchers wear them- but she wore hers

 

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Exactly. I watched 59 college games this season with Ashland University. Number of face masks I saw on pitchers....0....number of corners wearing masks.....0. It's a personal choice.

My DD also plays in the GLIAC, when she 1st started playing fastpitch softball nobody wore masks on their batting helmets the rule went into effect a few years later. Now most wear them even in college. In about 5 or 6 years when the group comes through that's worn them their whole career you will see a lot more of them in college.

 

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I'd at least have pitchers wearing them. I've seen balls hit so hard back up the middle that the pitcher didnt react to it until the ball was already past them.

 

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Exactly. I watched 59 college games this season with Ashland University. Number of face masks I saw on pitchers....0....number of corners wearing masks.....0. It's a personal choice.

I agree. At 18yrs old my daughter can do what she wants. If she decides she doesn't want to wear one thats her call, but at 11 years old my child has no say in it.

 

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I never had one. But then again I broke my nose 3 times and had surgery twice to fix it.

 

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DD1 just turned 13. She wears one pitching & in the infield. No mask, no field. She took a hit last year to the head - and we took a hit to the wallet (ER & MRI bill). Saw a lack of mask to a pitcher this past season that broke a nose & split the forehead open. No thanks. When she's older, she will have a choice, but not now. DD2 will have one when she moves up next year if she wants to play.

 

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Exactly. I watched 59 college games this season with Ashland University. Number of face masks I saw on pitchers....0....number of corners wearing masks.....0. It's a personal choice.

The girl from GV probably wishes she wore one last season....just sayin

 

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No reason for pitchers and catchers not to wear them. It is about making a life decision. Thr rip it mask is so open that it does not interfere with not being able to see.

 

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I completely understand the arguments for wearing a mask. I have had a lot of my pitchers wear masks the last couple of years and they have all been recruited to D1 programs so obviously the stigma associated with wearing the mask does not apply to pitchers. My biggest problem with infielders wearing masks is that I just have not seen any at our level who do not look like they have more trouble seeing the ball - ground balls and pop ups - than their counterparts who are not wearing masks. I don't think the kids wearing masks are chickens that are afraid of the ball, I just wish they could see the ball better when wearing a mask. Perhaps as time passes, more kids wear masks, and the masks have better sight lines the defensive play of kids wearing masks will improve.

 

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Almost nobody wearing one at 18u. Wish they did. The resulting injury from a face shot to the mouth, sinus or eye socket is in so many respects so much worse than an ankle, wrist, knee etc. It will happen (face shot) to some pitchers every season. Odds are very good an excellent fielding pitcher will not be a victim BUT a freak career ending injury on that great player is preventable with a lightweight mask. Why not wear it.

 

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I completely understand the arguments for wearing a mask. I have had a lot of my pitchers wear masks the last couple of years and they have all been recruited to D1 programs so obviously the stigma associated with wearing the mask does not apply to pitchers. My biggest problem with infielders wearing masks is that I just have not seen any at our level who do not look like they have more trouble seeing the ball - ground balls and pop ups - than their counterparts who are not wearing masks. I don't think the kids wearing masks are chickens that are afraid of the ball, I just wish they could see the ball better when wearing a mask. Perhaps as time passes, more kids wear masks, and the masks have better sight lines the defensive play of kids wearing masks will improve.

Agree completely. Different than pitcher. The quicker the corners can shed the mask (14uish) the better.