Face masks at the college level

Now that I have a more comprehensive sports package I have to admit I've been watching a lot more softball on TV. One thing I've noticed is the lack of face masks at the college level.

I'm surprised, really. Face masks have become very popular at the lower levels over the last few years. In fact, it's more odd to see a player, especially a pitcher, without a face mask than with one these days. Even middle infielders and outfielders who probably don't really need them are wearing them.

But in college, where the ball has the fastest exit speed and the players spend the most time in the weight room, you're hard pressed to find a mask on the field. In fact, I can't think of a single one.

Maybe this will be like the masks on batting helmets. A few years ago you never saw one. Now they're more common.

Still, you have to wonder why you're not seeing any. Is it that the culture is still too "macho" to allow it, i.e. peer pressure? Do the coaches discourage it?

The other thing I wonder is if when the current 12U and 14U players who have used masks their whole careers reach college, will they wear them, or will they stop?

What do you think? Why aren't the current college players wearing them, and will the next generation do it?

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I'm not saying I agree with this statement, but I bumped into a friend who is a college head coach who happened to be at a 12u tournament. Her daughter's team was in it. The entire infield of one team had masks on. She commented how weak they looked as a team because of it. She said she could understand 3b and pitcher, but not the entire infield. She was like, "What's next? Shin guards and chest protectors for all infield players?" I said she probably should expect to see more of these as this generation moves up. Masks are still relatively new. It's really only the past couple of years that they have made more comfortable options.

The first time I saw a mask my girl was 8 now she is 13 and it seems as if every team has 4+ players wearing one now. In 5 years the girls who have worn one their entire softball lives will be entering college and you will start to see them in the college game.

I remember when helmets became required in the NHL, people thought it would ruin the game. Or in the 1950s/60s Mask for goalies? Why, they never needed them before. Back in the 1880s baseball players who wore gloves were considered soft and weak. Can you imagine a ball game where no one wore gloves?

As for the college coach. Was her DD a pitcher or 3rd base by any chance? Just wondering if her girl was wearing a mask and she was making an excuse why her dd needs one but the rest of the players look soft for wearing them.

I agree with fastpitch - pitcher and 3rd (especially when playing up) wearing them and middle infielders do look WEAK when wearing them. And yes my DD does play 3rd and plays up close to the dish. According to a friend ASA Gold coach college recruiters have the view as well. He told me to teach her how to back-up properly when the batter goes from bunt to hit.


In this game she made 6 defensive plays giving the pitcher her first no-hitter

The girls who are currently playing in college wouldn't have worn them their whole careers. Give it five years and it will be more common.

I'm intrested when they're going to turn up in my state. They're starting to become more common in eastern Australia (or so I've been told) but are still relativly rare outside 3rd base. I have never seen a pitcher wear them.

rachelsdad said:

I agree with fastpitch - pitcher and 3rd (especially when playing up) wearing them and middle infielders do look WEAK when wearing them. And yes my DD does play 3rd and plays up close to the dish. According to a friend ASA Gold coach college recruiters have the view as well. He told me to teach her how to back-up properly when the batter goes from bunt to hit.

In this game she made 6 defensive plays giving the pitcher her first no-hitter

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These two don't look weak to me.

A fellow coach here sent an email to Heather Tarr, UW head coach, asking about facemasks because we always hear that coaches will pass up on a player who wears them. Her response, "If the player can field her position, I could care less if she wears a facemak!" Interesting, because Kaitlin Inglesby is the only player in Div I that I have seen wear a mask. And she plays for....University of WA. She wears it because she suffered a fractured nose from a line drive this year.

chinamigarden said:

As for the college coach. Was her DD a pitcher or 3rd base by any chance? Just wondering if her girl was wearing a mask and she was making an excuse why her dd needs one but the rest of the players look soft for wearing them.

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College coach's kid is a pitcher, 3b who doesn't wear a mask. I'm guessing in the next generation of college players we will see more girls wear masks regularly... although, the pitchers that don't wear masks in college (I haven't seen one pitcher wear one yet on TV)...they've probably been dominant all through HS/Travel. I bet they don't wear a mask because they are the ones that hardly get hit and in turn don't feel they need it.

I can tell you from very recent personal experience that both my son and daughter are wearing face masks when the play from now on. Three weeks ago my son was hit in the nose by a baseball that caused significant damage. He had surgery to repair the damage two weeks ago. We purchased a rip-it mask (for baseball) which were extremely hard to find do to their current demand. We also purchased a batting helmet with mask. He got a lot of razzing from his teammates at first, but quite simply the doctor said he couldn't play for 6-8 weeks unless he wears the mask. If he were to take another shot to the nose this soon it wouldn't be good. My DD has been wearing a rip-it mask for two years and after having a couple close calls with it, she says it gives her more confidence to charge the ball. After a couple thousand dollars (out of pocket) for the medical bills, I wished I would have had my son in a $50 rip-it mask from the start.

knightsb can I ask why you had your daughter in the mask and not your son?