3rd baseman hit with line drive

Welcome to Discuss Fastpitch

Your FREE Account is waiting to the Best Softball Community on the Web.

Jan 18, 2009
4
1
Ohio
Sports in America are constantly evolving. Equipment, training, coaching and strategies improve and at times rules are altered to reflect those changes. Protective equipment also improves in an attempt to keep up. The problem, as has been stated, is with some people who profess to care about their athletes but care only as far as their perceived disadvantage to winning goes. I do not accept that there is any disadvantage with defensive masks. The analogy to hockey and football is apt. Tell Peyton he would see down field better if he got rid of his mask or tell any NHL player to toughen up. I would like to see the NFHS and the ASA mandate the use of infield masks. There would then be no poorly protected players for colleges to recruit.
 
Nov 23, 2012
26
0
North
My DD is playing with new team this year. Infield practice begins and no one wearing mask, she fields 1 grounder. Shakes head like she did something stupid, turns for bench, reaches for mask and resumes practice. No one else did but DD doesn't wait to follow anyone. Plays with it and practices with it.
Everyone out there is constantly looking for the edge to make their DDs studs with a bat or the next Finch, you care enough to spend hours on end on these sites in the interests of these girls. Yet when they hit the diamond, they don't keep those same interests in their safety. puzzling
Also, my wife would light us both up if DD thought about not wearing it.
 
Dec 12, 2012
1,668
0
On the bucket
Not sure why this topic is so different than others. Let them wear the mask if they want to. If her performance drops with a mask, then her spot in the lineup will change. No need to worry about not being agressive or toughening up. No different than taking private lessons from someone who teaches different than the coach likes. If that players BA and performance drops, then she will likely be moved down in or out of the lineup. If your pitcher throws good with a mask, then so be it. If she throws bad with a mask, then replace her. Likely the mask had nothing to do with it anyway.

FWIW, My DD has worn a Rip It mask for 3 years now. She has also been hit with a line drive in the circle that knocked her back a couple of feet just like in the cartoons. We tried the evoshield after that and she wouldn't wear it. Maybe the time has come to try again.
 
Feb 8, 2009
272
18
The idea that someone is somehow weak because they wear a protective mask is silly. I just wish the NCAA would require it, then others would follow suit. It only takes a split second for a girl to be seriously injured. It is is needless.
 

MTR

Jun 22, 2008
3,438
48
I would like to see the NFHS and the ASA mandate the use of infield masks. There would then be no poorly protected players for colleges to recruit.

Why, are the parenting skills of softball players that pitiful? The masks are there and ALLOWED to be worn, why would anyone other than the parents need to require them?
 
Oct 25, 2009
3,345
48
Why, are the parenting skills of softball players that pitiful? The masks are there and ALLOWED to be worn, why would anyone other than the parents need to require them?

I understand your point, but there are many parents who haven't a clue.

I bought a mask last year to offer to anyone who wanted to use it. A player who doesn't have the best skills at the moment is using it. It feels really good to be able to throw and hit to her full speed without risking her face. After her skills develop maybe she won't want the mask.

If I were the head coach I would be very tempted to require the pitchers and 3rd to wear masks. I encourage coaches to be aware of who may need to wear a mask and require it. In that sense I would agree it doesn't need to be required of everyone, maybe.
 

MTR

Jun 22, 2008
3,438
48
MTR, I'm not blaming this soley on hot bats or using that as an excuse but I for one would love the standards on aluminim and composite bats to require exit speeds consistant with what top performing wood bats produce. To me that would require players to have skillz to succeed not just be able to put a huge sweet spot hot barrel on the ball and have it fly off. But that's just my opinion feel free to disagree.

I completely agree, but it isn't going to happen, so there is no reason to include it.

As for parents getting their kids hot bats, as long as it is allowed why should they put their daugher at a disadvantage with a leesor performing bat when the opponets are mostly likely going to be using the allowable hot bat? If the change is going to come it is going to come at the association levels enforcing the rules on bat manufaturers. But even with wood bats you are right these injuries would still happen, they'd just be a lot less common.

Pretty much proved my point. Like it or not, this has to start at a grassroots level. As long as someone is willing to buy the product, it will stay. As long as someone can change the performance of a product, it will stay. As long as people maintain a "Keep up with the Jones'" attitude, it will stay.

ASA put a cap on bat performance more than a decade ago and has been fighting the doctoring of bats for just as long. They have also been fighting the manufacturers from stretching the specs beyond the intended limits. This is why ASA changed the ball for SP to a 52/300. It will fly when hit properly and the impact to a player's body is supposedly not as catastrophic as that of the 47/375 or 44/375. However, I doubt the FP community would ever accept it simply because of the misperception that their DD will not perform as well.
 
Dec 11, 2010
4,713
113
Peer pressure. Not wanting to be different, not wanting to lose their spot in rotation is why is why most girls won't run to the dugout in practice and grab the mask even if they WANT to wear it. Then what happens? They are hesitant fielding and catch one in the face. Even when mom and dad "require" it.

It should start with parents and coaches both. Coaches need to help the parents out with this.

Here is my next peeve: if you are running a practice and you have 10, 15, 30 (hs) girls swinging bats they need helmets. This is simple. Bats mean helmets. Every time. Your kid can recover from being hit in the arm by a bat but might not recover from getting hit in the head with one.

This stuff isn't nanny state, worry wart, ninny thinking, it is common sense. Come on, people. You didn't show up to the field unseat belted, swigging a fifth of rye, smoking a Chesterfield in your 1951 Ford with Impale-O-Matic steering column.
 
Aug 29, 2011
2,581
83
NorCal
Why, are the parenting skills of softball players that pitiful? The masks are there and ALLOWED to be worn, why would anyone other than the parents need to require them?

Why don't batters have the option of NOT wearing a batting helmet? Why don't catchers have the option of NOT wearing catchers gear.

When my daughter played 10U I didn't even know such a mask existed until we scrimmaged a team from the next town over. I was planning on getting her a mask after that but before we "found" time to do it her coach knocked a tooth out in practice. We "found" time the next day to buy a mask but it didn't bring her tooth back.
 
May 7, 2008
8,506
48
Tucson
I read a new post concerning the girl that was injured. Her surgery took 2 hours longer than was expected, but the doctors say that it went well. They were afraid that she could lose her eyesight, but I think maybe that fear has passed, now.
 

Forum statistics

Threads
42,830
Messages
679,478
Members
21,445
Latest member
Bmac81802
Top