Possibly. But it's cool if your old school. I choose otherwise for my players. And see no evidence that it is incorrect. Seems to be working for the ones that keep it on.
catchers helmets
- Thread starter catcher22
- Start date
Welcome to Discuss Fastpitch
Your FREE Account is waiting to the Best Softball Community on the Web.
Possibly. But it's cool if your old school. I choose otherwise for my players. And see no evidence that it is incorrect. Seems to be working for the ones that keep it on.
Greenmonsters
Wannabe Duck Boat Owner
Old school and stubborn - not a good combination!
Hey, if you think the hockey style masks are made to be repeatedly taken off during a game then more power to you. I believe the helmets should stay on at all times on the field of play and that's what I'm going to teach my DD.
If you think my analogy is silly, then that's fine. You are why we have "Caution: Hot" printed on coffee cups. But, that's cool.[/QUOTE]
Repeatedly, no. Only on straight up high pop-ups with advanced catchers only. I have no problem with anyone teaching that the helmet stay on at all times. I have a problem with someone saying that taking off the helmet on high pop-ups is wrong. It's not. It's a different way of teaching. It offers better vision and more awareness of your surroundings. It's an advanced skill.....nothing more.
Let me tell you why NECC teaches helmet on at all times at their camps and on their DVD.........LIABILITY! It has nothing to do with the helmet being designed to stay on. It has nothing to do with it being the better method. It all has to do with the overall level of clientele going to the camps and buying the DVD's.......and I don't blame NECC one bit.
Also, if you think about it, the "Mask On" people are the reason we have "Caution: Hot" printed on coffee cups. I'm the guy very aware of his surroundings and don't need to be reminded that coffee is hot.
Misinformed and stubborn - a worse combination!
Also surprisingly common.
- Aug 11, 2016
- 126
- 28
Isn't this about safety? Infielders can wear face masks, some choose to use it and some don't. I'm always concerned about those who don't. A split second lost focus, a bad bounce, those are things that can happen and hurt players. And I don't see them throwing their mask every time they have to field a ball or get a runner out.
Also, batters use their helmets, and I don't see them throwing their helmets every time they hit or have to slide. Even when they are running, they keep their helmets on.
Why then people insist that catchers throw their helmets during a play? It doesn't make sense.
True that players can get hurt by other means, but I see many coaches teaching the mechanics of the game, but few teaching Game Safety. At least NECC is out there teaching not only the mechanics, but also Game Safety, which we found to be very good.
Players should have a choice going into a game on how to best protect themselves.
As far as my DD, she will leave the catcher helmet on because she feels safer. When she plays infield, she always wear the face mask because she feels safer. And she will keep her batting helmet because is safe. BTW... All these helmets and masks can minimize risk of injury. Even a face mask can reduce the risk of an elbow on the face at 3B.
I was present at my DD's NECC camp and they may do it because of liability, but what they taught makes a lot of sense. Therefore, my DD is OK with it, I'm OK with it and hence that's good enough for me.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Also, batters use their helmets, and I don't see them throwing their helmets every time they hit or have to slide. Even when they are running, they keep their helmets on.
Why then people insist that catchers throw their helmets during a play? It doesn't make sense.
True that players can get hurt by other means, but I see many coaches teaching the mechanics of the game, but few teaching Game Safety. At least NECC is out there teaching not only the mechanics, but also Game Safety, which we found to be very good.
Players should have a choice going into a game on how to best protect themselves.
As far as my DD, she will leave the catcher helmet on because she feels safer. When she plays infield, she always wear the face mask because she feels safer. And she will keep her batting helmet because is safe. BTW... All these helmets and masks can minimize risk of injury. Even a face mask can reduce the risk of an elbow on the face at 3B.
I was present at my DD's NECC camp and they may do it because of liability, but what they taught makes a lot of sense. Therefore, my DD is OK with it, I'm OK with it and hence that's good enough for me.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Last edited:
Repeatedly, no. Only on straight up high pop-ups with advanced catchers only. I have no problem with anyone teaching that the helmet stay on at all times. I have a problem with someone saying that taking off the helmet on high pop-ups is wrong. It's not. It's a different way of teaching. It offers better vision and more awareness of your surroundings. It's an advanced skill.....nothing more.
Let me tell you why NECC teaches helmet on at all times at their camps and on their DVD.........LIABILITY! It has nothing to do with the helmet being designed to stay on. It has nothing to do with it being the better method. It all has to do with the overall level of clientele going to the camps and buying the DVD's.......and I don't blame NECC one bit.
Also, if you think about it, the "Mask On" people are the reason we have "Caution: Hot" printed on coffee cups. I'm the guy very aware of his surroundings and don't need to be reminded that coffee is hot![/QUOTE]
Supposedly so was the person who got the cup of coffee at the fast food restaurant, personally removed the lid, added their own cream and sugar although the restaurant offered to do it for them, replaced it incorrectly and then proceeded to spill it on themselves causing minor burns but saw a million dollar payday coming their way. It's a choice pure and simple. Which way has less injuries no matter the skill level? A catcher gets hit in the face on a high pop-up with the mask on....probably no damage at all. Without the mask...who knows? Sh1t hapoens all the time. Just ask the several top 25 D1 outfielders that didn't wear masks and took one to the face. There have been several over the past few years
Last edited:
Greenmonsters
Wannabe Duck Boat Owner
Lenny, Lenny, Lenny - you seem to know an awful lot about what, how, and why NECC teaches for someone who hasn't been to one of their sessions/camps or discussed catching in depth with either Dave (RIP) or Jay. Just preface your statements with an "in my opinion" and we'd be good, but when you pass off your opinions as fact, you can expect to be called on it. But, really, liability is the best reason you can come up with for why NECC teaches to keep the helmet on? That's complete BS, but I guess that it makes sense coming from someone who still doesn't recognize or know why its a harder task for catchers (even with no helmet or mask) to catch foul pop ups than it is for any other fielder.
Love you/fight with you like a brother - GM
Read my post correctly. I don't say that catchers should toss their mask. I say to teach "Keep The Mask On At All Times" is a viable option. I say (at an advanced level) that the mask only comes off on straight up high pop-ups......if you choose that option. The mask stays on at all other times.
If you feel that keeping the mask on at all times makes sense to you then I have no problem with it. I'm not against it at all. What I have a problem with is people saying that taking the mask off on straight up high pop-ups at an advanced level is wrong. No it's not! It's an option, and in my opinion it's the better option. It's the preferred method of the majority of advanced level catchers, catching coaches, and clinicians.
