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Actually, I was playing devil's advocate for the coaches that don't like masks...You're playing the advocate for the hitters and I'm doing it for the pitchers.
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OPPS, my bad.
My dd actually works in the basement throwing a tennis ball at the wall trying to hit her head to build her reflexes. She doesn't want to wear a mask because of the coaches who don't like masks.
When I talked to Coach McDaniels at his camp, he thinks they need to wear them. It's either that or soften the ball or deaden the bat. He doesn't want an accident to happen first.
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My daughter has attended various camps over the years and at a camp in Georgetown I was shocked to her from every coach in attendance they would not recruit a player wearing a face mask. They ranged from four D-1 coaches down to D-3. Needless to say that got some attention. A young lady that pitches for me goes to Wittenberg and always wears a mask. We played a few 18O tourneys this summer and up in Troy an opposing pitcher had to be taken away by the life squad. Fortunately, it just missed the orbital bone but required 5 stitches above the eyebrow. My opinion, wear one and don't worry about schools that won't recruit you. Playing college sports is a "job" to be sure but it's only for four years. You have the rest of your life to live when it's over.
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Purposefully throwing a ball at her head? I thought that Tina was safe in not inheriting your craziness, John. I guess the apple...
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That's a good drill if she's using her regular pitching delivery. She should work on all kinds of comebackers including grounders. Besides protecting themselves, a pitcher can help themselves out greatly by fielding balls up the middle.
A pitcher's first line of self-defense is executing pitches and hitting her spots, second line is her glove and third - FOR MAINLY THE FACE - is a mask. The face is extremely important and I fully appreciate the protection a mask provides. I'm just pointing out masks don't protect other parts of the body where serious injuries can occur (e.g. chest). Masks also lose effectiveness if they turn away.
Most of the dangerous comebackers are on a pitch up in the zone and on the outer part of the plate. Pitchers need to know where to avoid throwing pitches for their own safety. Experienced pitchers know where they've missed right after they release the ball and can often tell when a batter is going to hit it hard before contact is made - those pitchers can be somewhat prepared if it's in a dangerous spot, so both skills are important to develop and use as soon as possible.
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Absolutely no doubt about it as an infielder. I remember taking a bad hop in the chops playing baseball when I was a young shortstop and it turned me into a career centerfielder.
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Yep. I'm not throwing the ball, she is. So she can gradually build up her reflexes. It's been working as she had several comebackers this year.
SoCal_Dad, I'll pass that onto my dd.
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Pitching machine behind the catcher to throw back at the pitcher after she pitches. You dont do it on every pitch this way it is not expected. You start at a low speed and slowly turn it up. Used this for many years.
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"was shocked to her from every coach in attendance they would not recruit a player wearing a face mask."
And those coaches probably looked like Dudes.....
as a parent, I'd keep my daughters beautiful faces over any scholarship thank you...
And those coaches probably looked like Dudes.....
as a parent, I'd keep my daughters beautiful faces over any scholarship thank you...
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Totally agree with hillarddad. Safety for my daughter out weights everything. If a scholarship comes before the safety of any kid your an idiot in my opinion. If your daughter can pitch it won't matter. If your daughter plays first or third and hit the **** out of the ball it won't matter either. JMHO
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I have had two players in 15 years hit in the face by a softball. One young lady sees with double vision and was denied her initial drivers license because of it and will continue to suffer through her entire life with vision problems. The other had to undergo five separate surgeries over a three year period in order to repair her orbitals to about 50% of their normal function. Both of these players were extremely coordinated, hard working, multi-sport athletes that got a bad break that cut their career well short. A face mask would have prevented both of these horrendous injuries and they might have had a chance to play in college. These idiot coaches never even had to chance to recruit them because of these injuries. I have never had a player injured like this after making the face masks mandatory; starting with my own dd.
If any coach refuses to recruit a player with a mask and is proud of that stupidity, I would run from that program. Obviously they haven't spent a week wondering if their player/daughter will ever see again and then working these kids back through rehab. Those coaches simply have no clue and have little concern for the welfare of their players.
Forget them and move on.
If any coach refuses to recruit a player with a mask and is proud of that stupidity, I would run from that program. Obviously they haven't spent a week wondering if their player/daughter will ever see again and then working these kids back through rehab. Those coaches simply have no clue and have little concern for the welfare of their players.
Forget them and move on.
