- Oct 25, 2009
- 3,360
- 48
[/QUOTE]Citations please. With the helmet worn properly, I highly doubt your assertion that the impact of the ball would "force" the cage into the player's face.
For that matter, you WANT a helmet to move when hit by the ball and have equal doubts that a more catastrophic injury would occur without a chin strap. The idea behind requiring the chin strap was to prompt the player to wear the helmet properly and to keep them on the player's head. Since 2005, how many times have you seen a helmet fall off a batter or runner in an ASA game compared to prior to the requirement.
I'm glad for your DD that you have sense enough to protect her. Hopefully, what you do will influence someone else to protect other kids.
This is simple enough to test. Put on a helmet, push the front of the mask toward your face. It reaches your face. Now, with a chin strap fitted properly to the chin (not under the chin) push on the mask and it gives (elasticity of the strap) but not enough to hit the face.
To paraphrase a well-known quote: With great liberty comes great responsibility. I guess with some, though, responsibility would be an infringement of liberty.
I would rather encourage folks to use safety equipment—period.
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