Coach undermining face mask use

[gdc03120]

What age level?

I coach a 16U sub-rec-level summer team (Consider it essentially a rec-type local league for girls who wouldn't thrive or financially afford any form of travel ball. It was formed years ago and designed to keep girls active between the end of softball and the start of fall sports.)

Our teams in this league, while we are 16U, are often made up of girls from 12-16 (as we have no minimum or requirement of how many of different ages are on each team - often times, we're lucky we get who we get. I'm actually the organizer for the league, along with having coached in this league, and just about every team has girls of differing ages on it.

I've never had any blowback about requiring protective masks from any of my players/parents because most of them recognize the benefits outweigh the risks (plus, again, few of these girls play travel ball as it is, so they'd rather stay protected than anything else). My pitcher(s) and corners will wear them, but I really, REALLY want all of my infielders wearing them since many will want or likely do play different positions for their HS teams. It's my belief they should get used to it regardless of if they go on to play in college, etc.

 

[ang2bmd]

I coach a 16U sub-rec-level summer team (Consider it essentially a rec-type local league for girls who wouldn't thrive or financially afford any form of travel ball. It was formed years ago and designed to keep girls active between the end of softball and the start of fall sports.)

Our teams in this league, while we are 16U, are often made up of girls from 12-16 (as we have no minimum or requirement of how many of different ages are on each team - often times, we're lucky we get who we get. I'm actually the organizer for the league, along with having coached in this league, and just about every team has girls of differing ages on it.

I've never had any blowback about requiring protective masks from any of my players/parents because most of them recognize the benefits outweigh the risks (plus, again, few of these girls play travel ball as it is, so they'd rather stay protected than anything else). My pitcher(s) and corners will wear them, but I really, REALLY want all of my infielders wearing them since many will want or likely do play different positions for their HS teams. It's my belief they should get used to it regardless of if they go on to play in college, etc.

Low skilled players and young players are a different ball game. We always encourage our young ones to wear them. My daughters 7th grade school ball team was full of high level travel ball players and we sent a 3rd baseman from a less skilled team to the hospital. I would support anyone wearing a mask that wants to. Mine plays for a team that is full of college hopefuls and there are very few mask wearers.

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[gdc03120]

That's clearly their choice in that situation. I'm fairly confident that players in this league are not bound for DI or even DIII schools, especially for athletics (including softball), because otherwise, they wouldn't be playing in this specific league; they'd be playing actual travel ball. Every coach has their own priorities and requirements for what they do for their specific players. For any team that I coach, my infielders WILL wear masks or they won't play the infield. Players/parents who have specific issues with that are entitled to their opinions or entitled to find another organization that best suits their interests. That's my choice.