I wished I hadn't worn that mask.

[BT3100]

Some kids want to wear masks and some don't. Seems like a personal choice. Not sure why we make more of it? Does it make us feel better?

 

[guero_gordo]

My prayers go out to the pitcher and her family, as well as DD's teammate who hit the ball, who must be feeling really bad. She didn't muster much more than check swings all day Sunday.

...which brings up the other aspect, the "other" kid who has to live with the consequences of a decision they did not make nor influence. Most will snap back, but it's an ugly thing to have to go through.

 

[Tom]

RIP-IT, Champro, Sklz etc. and everyone who is pro mandatory face masks are going about this all wrong in my opinion. Instead of marketing and promoting safety and common sense they should be promoting performance enhancement. If they can sell the message and "flip the script" that wearing a mask makes good players better you will see everyone wanting to wear one. If they could do this and get the thinking to be about performance enhancement the debate would shift to should masks be legal and how do we get USSSA stamps onto them them so that the player wearing the new super deluxe rotating multi wall composite mask doesn't have an unfair advantage. Take the Evo Shield elbow guard for example. Even though they are for protection they have obviously become a performance enhancer. How many more HBPs have there been this year since a batter can take one off the elbow and be fine. It was even part of Florida's strategy to get hit early on in the year. Once players adapt to using the masks like a catcher does to directionally block routine balls it becomes an added defensive weapon...this of course is being a little facetious, but you never know when there's a buck to be made.

 

[riseball]

Thought for quite a while the marketing folks were missing on this one. Especially for the older players Performance Enhancing Equipment is much sexier than Safety Gear.

 

[riseball]

Some kids want to wear masks and some don't. Seems like a personal choice. Not sure why we make more of it? Does it make us feel better?

Yes it does make people feel better. People are always looking for validation of their personal convictions especially those with a high level of emotion. This is normal human behavior.

 

[RetiredCoach]

Thought for quite a while the marketing folks were missing on this one. Especially for the older players Performance Enhancing Equipment is much sexier than Safety Gear.

Possibly along these lines, I have noted that in sports it is not too hard to sell men on the use of "nut cups". However, these may be considered a Performance Preservation kind of equipment.

 

[NorthMS]

Possibly along these lines, I have noted that in sports it is not too hard to sell men on the use of "nut cups". However, these may be considered a Performance Preservation kind of equipment.

Wasn't it something like 100 years after the cup was invented that the helmet was invented? Shows where our priorities are.

 

[Katie Bearn]

I have to wear one now or else im not allowed to play. Doctors orders! I got hit my freshmen year of high school. It was so bad that when I went to the doctor they said I was lucky I wasn't dead. I was about 20ft from the batter thinking she was going to bunt, but then she pulled back and smashed my face in.

 

[SoCalASABlue]

I have to wear one now or else im not allowed to play. Doctors orders! I got hit my freshmen year of high school. It was so bad that when I went to the doctor they said I was lucky I wasn't dead. I was about 20ft from the batter thinking she was going to bunt, but then she pulled back and smashed my face in.

Glad to hear you're sticking with it...best of luck...

 

[Cobb_of_Fury]

Andy Brown thought Masks were for wimps -
(He also thought he heard someone leaning on the door bell, most of the time.)

Can you imagine a hockey goalie today without a mask?