Whats your opinion on wearing face mask?

[default]

I agree with coachjwb. I have the same rule.....if you are going to wear it in a game than you must wear it in practice as well. The same applies to the catchers when we do catching work, you have to practice with the same equipment you wear in the game. It is not to discourage the mask but rather to get them used to playing with it on.

 

[default]

Heck, I don't even let my girls to do tee work without a helmet. It was always because I wanted them to see through the mask and always have that visual but now its just as much a saftey thing.

 

[default]

I mean...c'mon, would you EVER want to have one of these...

 

[default]

I bought 5 masks that were used on my team for anyone that played infield that did not have one or could not afford it. My daughter won't even practice her pitching drills without it and I am glad she worries about her safety on the mound even at 10!

 

[default]

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.

Who does your dd play for and what two big D-1 flew in to see her ?

 

[default]

If I'm a college pitcher and the next batter is Brittany Duncan........I'm calling time out and putting on a full body armor suit. No way that Worth is blasting me anywhere without protection.

 

[default]

I see people that keep bringing up bad hop this and bad hop that or the girl wasn't paying attention. I can't see how this warrants wearing a mask. If you just have a mouthguard in, none of these girls would be losing teeth. I only agree that pitchers should wear the mask. All other kids should be down in a good defensive position that takes away the line drive issue. If you are facing the #4 batter you shouldn't be half way down the line! The mouthguard will protect from the bad hops knocking out a tooth.....may get a nasty bruise but they will recover. And for those parents that allow their kids to play for a coach that would ever place them 12 ft from a batter.....find another coach that knows the game.

Personal preference, but not a fan of the mask for anyone except pitchers; and I would never criticize any kid or parent that chooses to wear one.

In 17 years I have only seen pitchers carried off in an ambulance 2 times; never seen an infielder taken away and never seen an outfielder even injured by a ball.

 

[default]

Who does your dd play for and what two big D-1 flew in to see her ?

His dd plays for the Outlaws, and I don't want to overstep and "out" who the coaches were. My dd was going to go watch the scrimmage they were up here to watch, but the weather prevented us. I will say, those aren't the only major D1 schools that are wanting this kid. Some of the other NE OH teams who have played against her can vouch that she is THAT good.

 

[default]

Is his DD Ms Eggens ?

 

[default]

I agree with coachjwb. I have the same rule.....if you are going to wear it in a game than you must wear it in practice as well. The same applies to the catchers when we do catching work, you have to practice with the same equipment you wear in the game. It is not to discourage the mask but rather to get them used to playing with it on.

I wouldn't say anything different. I'd say that is one smart coach whether he/she knows otherwise.

One thing that Crystl Bustos told us is that if your game jersey is sleeveless, long sleeves, or what ever your practice gear is the same. No difference between games and practices, that goes work out pressure,clothing, pace,... you name it. Period, end of story.

 

[default]

Is his DD Ms Eggers ?

Ms. Eggens, yes.

 

[default]

thanks for clearing that up for me crystlemc.. i messed up when I clicked on Sharks's profile a message from a "visitor" pops up stating " my dd is a catcher" and I mistakenly thought the message was a comment from shark... it wasn't ... so I was confused . great to hear another ohio kid getting big looks . MD

 

[default]

I see people that keep bringing up bad hop this and bad hop that or the girl wasn't paying attention. I can't see how this warrants wearing a mask. If you just have a mouthguard in, none of these girls would be losing teeth. I only agree that pitchers should wear the mask. All other kids should be down in a good defensive position that takes away the line drive issue. If you are facing the #4 batter you shouldn't be half way down the line! The mouthguard will protect from the bad hops knocking out a tooth.....may get a nasty bruise but they will recover. And for those parents that allow their kids to play for a coach that would ever place them 12 ft from a batter.....find another coach that knows the game.

Personal preference, but not a fan of the mask for anyone except pitchers; and I would never criticize any kid or parent that chooses to wear one.

In 17 years I have only seen pitchers carried off in an ambulance 2 times; never seen an infielder taken away and never seen an outfielder even injured by a ball.

I agree with your recommendation of mouthguards and not criticizing people that wear masks, but I disagree about masks only being needed by pitchers.

I've seen a severely injured 3B leave in an ambulance (12U), another one checked out by paramedics before being taken to the ER by her parents (14U) and others that were fortunate the ball wasn't hit at their face because they wouldn't have avoided and/or blocked it. 1B has similar issues, although the risks are lower due to less regular LH batters (i.e. nonslappers).

Masks are a protective device whose use should be up to the participant and their parents based on the risks associated with their position and skill level. Coaches have an important advisory role in it as well.

 

[default]

I see people that keep bringing up bad hop this and bad hop that or the girl wasn't paying attention. I can't see how this warrants wearing a mask. If you just have a mouthguard in, none of these girls would be losing teeth. I only agree that pitchers should wear the mask. All other kids should be down in a good defensive position that takes away the line drive issue. If you are facing the #4 batter you shouldn't be half way down the line! The mouthguard will protect from the bad hops knocking out a tooth.....may get a nasty bruise but they will recover. And for those parents that allow their kids to play for a coach that would ever place them 12 ft from a batter.....find another coach that knows the game.

Personal preference, but not a fan of the mask for anyone except pitchers; and I would never criticize any kid or parent that chooses to wear one.

In 17 years I have only seen pitchers carried off in an ambulance 2 times; never seen an infielder taken away and never seen an outfielder even injured by a ball.

The game has changed drasticly in the last 17 years. There are lefty slappers that can drive the ball out of the park. If the situation warrants, you better believe the 4 hole will bunt. Any kid in the line up can show bunt then swing away. There are more and more kids working with GOOD hitting coaches year round, and knock the cover off the ball. I don't need to be 12 feet from the plate to get my head taken off. There are girls out there that can take it off at 50 feet just as easily. I don't care how much you train to defend a line drive, things can always happen.

 

[default]

The game has changed drasticly in the last 17 years. There are lefty slappers that can drive the ball out of the park. If the situation warrants, you better believe the 4 hole will bunt. Any kid in the line up can show bunt then swing away. There are more and more kids working with GOOD hitting coaches year round, and knock the cover off the ball. I don't need to be 12 feet from the plate to get my head taken off. There are girls out there that can take it off at 50 feet just as easily. I don't care how much you train to defend a line drive, things can always happen.

Yes, the game has changed drastically. My late father played in a "work league" in the mid 60's. I recently found a souvenir ball from when his team won their league championship. It was a SOFT BALL - literally, a white covered ball that had a "cushy" feel to it. Maybe this is why they named the game "softball"? And to my recollection, bats of that era were all wood. If these guys were around playing the game today, do you think they would feel cheated?

Food for thought - is there any other youth sport where the non-safety equipment has been allowed to "evolve" to such an extent as to create such an uproar about safety? Just an honest question, because I really don't know...

Just like tax breaks/incentives and public/corporate welfare, once given, they are almost impossible to rescind.

 

[default]

on the "soft ball" bit... listen to this entire clip. "Blood-lite"...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prLLabn1vPA

 

[default]

No way do I think fastpitch is too dangerous (Hell girls ****** is statisicly more dangerous). She has a better chance of getting injured sliding then fielding a ground ball but the fact remains that the broken ankle will heal in 4-6 weeks, will a shot to the temple??? With all this concussion talk leading to ALS and other long term affects scares the SH*T out of me. Not worth just so I can be a tough guy dad or remember my baseball glory days like a baseball guy we all were 1st probably. Same thing is happening on the baseball side, helmets in the field. Hell I saw last year all 9 players wearing helmets at the 14U level. May seem extreme but its changing everywhere.
I don't want to push my outfielders wearing them. If your outfielders keep getting popped in the mouth then get a bigger budget and get out of the cow pasture tourneys. I hope that all dirt players wear them cause they will all be 20ft from the plate at some point during the game. If we keep making bats better and keep asking our girls to stand just as close then each time the bat gets better her advantage goes down. I don't think were changing the game by asking her to wear a $30.00 mask.

 

[default]

My DD is a pitcher and 1st base. She wears a mask and will always wear a mask, even in highschool. I have seen to many girls get hit in the face causing bloody cuts, lost teeth, and in some cases the hit was so serious it required surgery.
Sometimes she does not like wearing it but she also does not want to have a messed up face either.
So I believe in them 100%, and I bet with in 5 years they will be required in high school softball as well.
Just my thoughts on this issue.

 

[default]

You give to much credit to the folks in charge of the sanctioning bodies......
Little League has yet to make face masks mandatory on batting helmets. (interferes with TV)

Most rule changes come from the college ranks, down to the high schools and then to the sanctioning bodies (USSSA, ASA, NSA, Pony, etc...). Rarely will rule come from the ground up.

I spent a very long week with a 14 year old second basemen that was in danger of losing her vision from a line drive to her left eye. Smashed her orbital bones in 7 places. It took a week for the swelling to go down and her her vision to return. Has gone though 4 different surgeries setting and resetting bones. When I hear that college coaches or elite travel coaches won't look at a girl in a mask.... they sure wouldn't look at a girl that was blind.

Put a mask on your dd and let the devil take the hindmost.

 

[default]

I took my dd to University of Findlay's (DII) softball clinic Saturday. In the q and a session after the afternoon pitching clinic I asked if any of the college players wore a mask in games. Three of them raised their hands.