Facemasks

I am not trying to hash up any old arguments on weather or not facemasks should be worn. I am here to say that I am eternally thankful that I require my DD to wear one when pitching. During a 10u TB game today she took a line drive off her facemask. When the play was all said and done she was certainly shaken up and her facemask was hanging over her ear. She went to the bench for the remainder of the inning so that both her and the DW could calm down and dry up some tears. As her team came off the field to bat, she told the coach that she was ready to go back in and she wanted to pitch. She proceeded to strike out the side that inning and had the game winning RBI in her following at bat. Like I said, not here to argue about wearing them or not, but I can tell you that my day would have ended differently.

This is my biggest fear about having a pitcher. Your story is scary but encouraging too. My DD is never on the field without a mask. It's just not worth the risk. To think how that might have turned out had your dd not been wearing hers... Terrifying.

Good to hear that your DD's day ended well!

FYI, my DD wears her mask in the circle and on the corner at 3B.

Thank God she's ok.

One of my former players took a thrown ball to the face while playing 1st base. She wore a mask when she played for my at 14U. The organization she plays for now strongly discourages the use of masks. She ended up with fractures of both orbitals, a broken nose and surgery.

I never made masks mandatory, but all of my pitchers and corners worn them. It's too bad she didn't continue to wear one. Her day would have ended up like the OP's DD.

A couple of days ago, while waiting on a delayed flight, I was chatting with some college students about sports and injuries. I mentioned my DD 3 pitches. One of the students told me she used to pitch in HS, but got hit in the head with a batted ball. Concusion, never played softball again. She wished she had been wearing a mask. I know masks can't prevent all concussions, but I know enough about physics that a mask can disperse the energy of a collision and distribute it elsewhere, absorbing much of the impact in the process. In other words one more reason for DD 3 to keep wearing her rip-it.

You guys know I'm the rec commish for a large-ish rec league (68 teams 6U-14U, over 700 girls). This past spring season I "strongly encouraged" the 10U and up coaches to require their players to wear masks in the infield. At the end of the season, we had 10 girls take batted balls off the masks, no concussions. At the end of season coaches' meetings, I was asked why I didn't make it a league rule by more than one coach.

This season, it will be a league rule for all infielders 10U and up to wear a fielder's mask.

DD has decided she will definitely wear a mask in the circle regardless of recruiting issues.

A couple of weeks ago she took a hard liner off the shin that dropped her like a rock. It bounced hard enough to 2B that the batter was still thrown out at first. After a few moments DD was able to continue, and pitched quite well. Blue even saw her out after the game and told her she was an inspiration to him.

I don't believe this issue should be about toughness, or fear, or fielding skills. I promise you my kid's tough as a pine knot and a very solid defender. This is about those freak moments that occasionally happen and that you can't take back. DD saw Tori Finucane take that shot to the face against UCLA in last spring's Supers and it made an impression. It was personal for her, because she met Tori at a Mizzou camp a year ago.

DD doesn't like wearing a mask at SS or 2B, and I'm fine with that. I'm happy she will continue wearing a mask while pitching, and especially proud of how she worked through the issue for herself.

This season, it will be a league rule for all infielders 10U and up to wear a fielder's mask.

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I would be careful about making fielder's masks mandatory. There is no national safety standard for fielder's masks as there are for batting helmets and batting facemasks. Batting helmets have the NOCASE testing and standards the batting helmets and facemasks must meet. If a girl gets hurt wearing a fielding mask I'm sure there is an attorney who love to take the case and sue the financial pants off of your league.

My suggestion is to "STRONGLY URGE" the parents to have their DD's wear fielding masks. Then consult your league's attorney and ask them about the legal liabilities regarding fielding masks. It's sad in this day and age that you have to think like that. But you have the financial welfare of a 700 player league to look out for. What seems like a common sense action by the league could end up being detrimental to the league.

I don't see any way a parent could win a suit against a rec league for requiring face masks. If a face mask fails they could possibly sue the face mask manufacturer. But a rec league for requiring them? No. I'm guessing a judge would just throw that out. It makes no sense.