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I think the corners should wear them and plus pitchers for sure at all levels of play take it out of coachs hands and players hands. If you play at these spots you must wear face mask.
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Everyone on the dirt under 14U. Not only for safety but it gives them confidnce to stay down and do it correctly. One good pop and you might lose a good 10 year old.
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I just dont get it why its not inforced to have a mask like its inforced batters must have a mask on there helment to bat. For safety!!!!!!:yahoo:
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in the words of Larry the Cable guy... like wipin' before you poop, don't make no sense...
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Lol
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While I'm a big proponent of facemasks for pitchers and corners at young ages, I'm not necessarily in favor of mandating them at a college level ... but I still believe it's just a matter of time before the college coaches realize that some of their top prospects are going to insist on wearing them and will have no choice but to "allow" them. Blue-devil ... are you saying that your DD or someone you know was recently told that by their college coach?
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Ya My cousin was told this from a college coach and 3 weeks ago she got a line shot to the face. She always wore one since 10u and at 16u she stopped wearing one in games because she wonts to go on to college to play and now she is paying the price for doing what a coach had said to her.
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Its such a small game where you have to play so tight to have a chance against under 3 second speed who just has to get it down but at the same time she can swing through the ball. How do you put a 8 year old or a 18 year old 12ft from the plate against $300.00 bats with a piece of 12.5" leather and say "Go Gettem"!!!! No way I send my daughter out there for any reason without a mask. But not sure that is a softball or a parent decision. $35.00 investment
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I can not see how choosing to wear a safety device should/can hinder a players chances of competing at the college level. Does wearing sliding shorts keep a player from running bases correctly? Leg protectors the same? When a catcher gets to college they don't ask her remove her equipment because she should be able to protect herself and catch the ball by now. I would guess that a coach on any level would want their players to be comfortable and relaxed in the field as opposed to tense and nervous and if a facemask offers a certain level of comfort then so be it. They certainly shouldnt be required after a certain age but, they also should be an option if the player so chooses to use them.
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jcrue and ice-dad ... couldn't agree more ... again, I think it's just a matter of time when that antiquated thinking goes away at the college level ... talked to a couple of families whose DD's are freshmen pitchers at D2 now, and coaches said nothing when they used their masks in fall ball. All's it is going to take are a couple of stud D1 players wearing them in their games ... and I have heard that's starting to happen ... the generation of players who wore them from 10-U through 18-U are now entering the college ranks ...
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Not to mention the techology and the player has changed. Same girl that can drop a slap but down the 3rd base line can stay low on the bat and drive it to the gap or over the fence. How does she defend that girl who can do both??? Those girls years ago were hard to find in any lineup and now you see several. You can't play the 3-4-5 back anymore cause todays players are able to do both a lot of times plus I think the baseball coach mentallity has weened itself out of the travel seen for the most part.
Team USA should all wear masks in the infield, hell they where shorts still so why not.
Team USA should all wear masks in the infield, hell they where shorts still so why not.
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:lmao:
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DD wears one while pitching. Always has and said she always will. She is a BIG supporter of the face mask and player safety. I remember her telling me several years ago that she will be the only college pitcher pitching in big games wearing one. Never really paid much attention to it but now that it seems to be a reality for her I support it fully. She had two big D1 colleges fly in to watch her pitch a game over the weekend. She wore her game face during the game. Well it didn't discourage the two college coaches from recruiting her still. In fact, the mask never was an issue or a comment made about it. If you want to wear the face mask, wear it. If a college tells you not to wear it....go somewhere else. If they are not worried about your safety then why would you want to play for them. Your safety is priority.
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We just had a 11u player get a front tooth knocked loose and very nearly out and a badly swollen lip. Was she pitching...no. Was she playing a corner....no. It was a fielding drill and she missed a quick throw and it got her. It's not just coming off a bat hard, these kids throw hard too. Had she been wearing a mask it would have gotten her attention and that's all. Now her parents pay for an emergency dentist visit, and hopefully it all works out and the tooth is saved. And of lesser importance, her confidence on the field. This was a middle infielder with a good glove and quick hands, not an overmatched girl playing with girls she could not catch from.
I strongly urge all parents and players to get a mask and use it at all times for all my players.
All positions should wear proper safety gear and masks should be mandatory on all players. No different than when I see coaches allow their pitchers to be warmed up by girls not in catchers gear.....stupid disregard for the girl's safety.
Another point, these are girls.....you cannot tell me a bad scar or facial injuries do not matter even more than boys and can be life changing. Buy the damn mask!
I strongly urge all parents and players to get a mask and use it at all times for all my players.
All positions should wear proper safety gear and masks should be mandatory on all players. No different than when I see coaches allow their pitchers to be warmed up by girls not in catchers gear.....stupid disregard for the girl's safety.
Another point, these are girls.....you cannot tell me a bad scar or facial injuries do not matter even more than boys and can be life changing. Buy the damn mask!
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we had an outfielder get aaaaaabsolutely blaaaaasted in the face from a bad hop. She had on her mask which flew about 10' from her point of collision with a ball that was hit extremely hard. We were running line drive drills and let's say the ball was screamin'. Thanks goodness for that protection. This occurred with a talented 13u player. The knobby outfield was the culprit.
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It seems to me that safety is showing up all over the place in sports. I don't remember seeing bull riders wearing a helmet but I was channel surfin the other day and thought this was interesting to see. Did the bulls get fiercer or did someone just decide to show some concern for safety.
The bats in fastpitch are sure fiercer than they were but seems difficult to make safety adjustment or acceptance in this sport.
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Years back my daughter took a bad hop to the face during outfield drills. It knocked a tooth all the way through her bottom lip. She plays a corner now, and believe it or not, it's sometimes a fight for her to wear the mask. I make it simple; wear the mask or go home.
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The topic that never ends.
DD came home from school conditioning stating that the coach has a new rule for this year. If you wear a mask during games then you have to wear the mask at all practices too. Is that supposed to encourage safety or discourage the use of masks? Told DD she better get used to having it on all the time then because she won't be on the field without it.
DD came home from school conditioning stating that the coach has a new rule for this year. If you wear a mask during games then you have to wear the mask at all practices too. Is that supposed to encourage safety or discourage the use of masks? Told DD she better get used to having it on all the time then because she won't be on the field without it.
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My guess is that coach just wants to make sure they are used to playing with it?
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There are a lot of coaches who feel that it makes their team look below average with a field of masks. This is usually a baseball guy who is now trying to coach softball and never had to play the game this close to the plate.
