Practcing with a mask on.

[Sparky Guy]

I have several girls I work with who wear a mask when they pitch in a game. I have made it a policy of mine they are to wear the masks when they practice. I want them to be so used to wearing the mask whenever they pitch it never becomes an issue with them in the circle during a game. Does anyone else do the same thing? All the videos I see of younger girls pitching they never have their masks on.

 

[badbrad]

I ask ALL my girls, especially pitchers, to practice with their masks so they are used to it when game time comes. These girls are too precious to me to have them get a pretty face messed up by a hard hit ball. My girls are like my own kids and I want to protect them just as I would my own.

Coach Brad

 

[starsnuffer]

Absolutely, if they wear a mask I make them use it in practice. I see about 1 in 5 pitchers wearing the mask. Some rec ball leagues make the masks mandatory for all infielders, and a few pitchers wear them for other reasons. I don't want to get into the reasons to use a mask or not (I think there was a long thread about this in general not to long ago), but I think they should practice like they play.

-W

 

[Lozza]

It's the same with batting helmets. If you play with it, you train with it.

My club has a rule, that if you are under 16 and you have a bat in your hand, you MUST have a helmet on.

 

[KevinC]

Yes practice like you play.

 

[coachdan]

On my team it is mandatory to wear mask during games and I have never had one of our pitchers ever complain about wearing the mask nor has it bothered them pitching. With that being said I don't make them wear the mask when practicing. My girls are 14u and have been wearing the mask sience 8u so they are use to it and we don't get any complains about the mask.

If you have younger pitcher 8u,10u, or 12u and they have not been use to wearing the mask I can see where it would help to practice with mask on until they are comfrontable with it.

 

[Amy in AZ.]

Yes, when the glove goes on, the mask goes on - and you should wear one, too. The most accidents that I see are during warm ups and practice.

 

[quincy]

My DD wears a mask when she pitches during a game, never while practicing without a batter.

She also wears a mask if playing 1st or 3rd with a “real” batter, during practice she does not wear a mask while working on either of these positions and has a coach is hitting the ball.

Currently she has a bump on her forehead from missing a ball when we were playing catch a couple nights ago.

I understand the previous responses but prefer her not to armor up every time she plays softball.

 

[Hoover's Dad]

My DD puts her mask on every time her cleats hit the dirt infield, whether she is pitching or playing middle infield. It doesnt matter if it is a coach or a player hitting the ball, all it takes is one dirt clod and a ball jumps up into your face.

She pratcices pitching with the mask about 1/4 of the time.

 

[FPMark]

My DD wears a mask when she pitches during a game, never while practicing without a batter.

She also wears a mask if playing 1st or 3rd with a “real” batter, during practice she does not wear a mask while working on either of these positions and has a coach is hitting the ball.

Currently she has a bump on her forehead from missing a ball when we were playing catch a couple nights ago.

I understand the previous responses but prefer her not to armor up every time she plays softball.

What difference does who is hitting the ball make? One of the worst injuries I have seen happened in practice with the coach hitting. Bad hops don't care who hits it. Unless of coarse the coach is hitting 'lolly pop' type grounders, but that isn't much of a practice then.