Coach undermining face mask use

[KrisHur]

My DD's team (2nd year 14U) has always worn face masks. The girls have been conditioned since elementary to wear them. All the parents are on board. The whole team has them on when they play. New coach last year and she's AMAZING but.... earlier this summer we added a SS and 2B to the team that don't wear masks. At some point it was pointed out and the coach made the comment to the girls "if I had my way none of you would wear masks, we didn't when I was growing up and playing in college". sigh... Sure enough the outfielders stopped wearing them. Ok, you aren't going to take a line drive to the nose. Then 2 more of our infielders stopped wearing their mask at games (the original SS and 2B). More and more girls are not wearing them in practice. B/c of covid parents are not allowed to the indoor practices. DD said she nearly took one to the nose, I said good thing for your mask and you guessed it, she wasn't wearing it. DD plays 1B and coach has the corners play in like any hit (even with 2 strikes) could be a bunt "because you never know". I have FORBIDDEN her to play without it but I see more and more peer pressure to not wear it at practices and already told her next spring/summer there will be no softball or your will find a new team if you can't find the strength to go against the growing tide. Am I just ranting? I think so b/c I don't think I would tell the program director but am pissed that all those years getting our girls to wear the masks is gone with one flippant remark.

 

[radness]

Wearing a fielding mask is a smart safe thing to do!

Doesnt get in the way!
Lite weight!
Promotes fearlessly attack the ball!
Can help on collisions!
Adds warrior appeal!
Saves our face!

Without knowing when the coach played...even decades ago some players wore teeth guards!
Know several players who had to get stitches on their face.
Even a few concussions.

 

[Towny9]

Yea that’s just ignorant on the coaches part. I’m with Rad - if you could wear something protective that really doesn’t effect play at all in a negative way, why wouldn’t you?

 

[flogzilla]

I've had people tell me "back in the day we cut seatbelts out of new cars, we didn't need them or want them." Just because your generation didn't, doesn't mean they aren't a good idea. I know facemasks can be a polarizing issue, but I feel they are appropriate, ball comes hotter off the bat than "back in the day" too. Totally agree with all RAD's points as well.

 

[radness]

Just to add
Back in the day...
.... time warp music....
Batters did crush pitches that pummeled the defense.

Irritating to read/hear of a coach who would be dismissive of equiptment that can help us.
It doesnt make anyone tougher to bust open their nose from a bad bounce.
It means you have to leave the game.

Once saw a pitcher and 3rd baseman both go for a bunt.
They collided.
Both knocked over.
Both split open their eyebrows.
Each got about 1 1/2 of stiches.
Not 5 or 8 stiches...
A train track of stitches!

Prepair accordingly!

 

[Yanko70]

I've had people tell me "back in the day we cut seatbelts out of new cars, we didn't need them or want them." Just because your generation didn't, doesn't mean they aren't a good idea. I know facemasks can be a polarizing issue, but I feel they are appropriate, ball comes hotter toff the "bat than back in the day" too. Totally agree with all RAD's points as well.

We also use to sleep on the package shelf behind the back seat. Not gonna let my kids ever experience that dangerous stupid means of conveyance. Just because we used to do something doesn't mean it wasn't smart. The argument I get from parents, that I hate, is well the boys don't wear them. My response usually is well boys are dumb (I am one) and they should. Masks aren't a be all end all but they are a lot better than emergency room trips for stiches and $$$$$$ in dental bills. I wish NOCASE would put out a standard for the though.

This coach is just not being very smart, you have every right to speak up for safety's sake. And your own piece of Mind.

Sent from my Pixel 4a using Tapatalk

 

[HunterMO]

First and foremast.....HC doesn't have to pay the medical/dental bills if DD catches one in the face without her facemask on. The club that we had previously played under required masks for their 8u and 10u teams. We've been lucky....our HC and AC are adamant about the girls wearing a facemask. The coach is less picky about the outfielders, but we heavily encourage all of our infielders to wear a facemask. DD won't play infield without hers even if the HC said it was okay. She says she feels more confident fielding with it on. And now that she has braces it's non-negotiable. Most of our girls have seen, or have taken, a nasty hop to the face and are 100% on board with wearing a mask.

 

[ANNASDAD]

Ongoing fight that will never go away! At a certain age ole stupid here finally gave into her not wearing one at SS, but our agreement was if she ever got in the circle without a mask on.....I'd personally walk out there and escort her off the field, no exceptions and she never tried me on that promise!

Once they get older, there is definitely pressure on the girls who wear a mask compared to the girls who don't, they think it makes them look weak or scared, and they absolutely don't want to listen to common sense from us parents, we're dumb you know!

My first "issue" with this was at an elite team camp at a college in SC, the coach had all the girls throw their masks in a pile up against the fence, he said no masks on his field, and then he began to hit rockets to all the infielders! That one instance started the entire mask debate with us, one college coach who said it's a sign of weakness!

And before anyone says it........"is he going to pay for the medical bills when she gets her nose broken?" I know, I know!

 

[bmakj]

agree with all the above, stupid not to wear one in IF, OF I am ok with or without it. DDs new team was highly competitive last spring at B level in our area, and this fall at 14u, and I think every IF wears one when playing in IF. DD stopped wearing it in OF I think at 12u, but again, unlikely to take a line drive to nose with no time to react in OF.

as for the boys dont, several things wrong with this. first, as you get to higher levels with ball coming off hotter and hotter, boys are moved back by virtue of longer base paths, rubber being further away. second, well, duh, girls are just a lot smarter (said as proud poppa of two wonderful and infuriating female athletes)

 

[ANNASDAD]

Most of our girls have seen, or have taken, a nasty hop to the face and are 100% on board with wearing a mask.

Experience, or pain is a great teacher!