- Mar 22, 2010
- 129
- 28
I think playing the corners in with two strikes because you never know tells you a little bit about the coach.
Coach undermining face mask use
- Thread starter KrisHur
- Start date
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DD didn't like wear a mask in the circle.
Two years ago I took a foul in the jaw, outside of the fence on the third base line. Almost sent me to the hospital, and three inches higher that would have been it.
She never argues about the mask anymore.
Like batting helmets and catcher's gear, they ought to be mandatory for infielders. Distances are too short, ball comes too fast. It's just being safe.
And for a coach to actively argue against safety equipment is a violation of her responsibilities. I can understand (though not agree with) not requiring, but to shame girls already in the habit out of wearing them seems very irresponsible.
Two years ago I took a foul in the jaw, outside of the fence on the third base line. Almost sent me to the hospital, and three inches higher that would have been it.
She never argues about the mask anymore.
Like batting helmets and catcher's gear, they ought to be mandatory for infielders. Distances are too short, ball comes too fast. It's just being safe.
And for a coach to actively argue against safety equipment is a violation of her responsibilities. I can understand (though not agree with) not requiring, but to shame girls already in the habit out of wearing them seems very irresponsible.
JOHNN
Just a dad of 3 girls
Definitely not over reacting here. While my daughter is alot younger, she knows that our rule is that the glove doesnt go on her hand without her mask being on.
I HIGHLY doubt the coach is going to pay medical bills if something happens. And I highly doubt the coach will pay for new teeth or reimburse you if she has or has had braces in the past. Until a coach is a childs legal guardian, they should not ever try to dictate if players wear masks or not.
I HIGHLY doubt the coach is going to pay medical bills if something happens. And I highly doubt the coach will pay for new teeth or reimburse you if she has or has had braces in the past. Until a coach is a childs legal guardian, they should not ever try to dictate if players wear masks or not.
Our house rule is also if you are on the dirt or a dodgy outfield you wear the mask. DD (16U) is starting 1B on her team but when starting P comes out she moves to OF, she was far more embarrassed in CF with a 1B glove one time than she has ever been with a mask on. After we showed her the total we paid her Orthodontist to get that smile she realized that she could not afford to not wear the mask.
ON DD's 14U team we had two MI's that were beasts. They'd play hops off their chest and still make the out. One very hot day as they came off the field they both unbuttoned their jerseys to reveal body armor. Lol, I just thought they were tough. Actually both were tough and at least one played D1 MI.
when I coached very young girls in rec, I really pushed parents to get masks for all girls . . . . I had ulterior motives, because one of my ways to get girls who were turning away from balls thrown to them (this is mostly 6 and 7 yer olds), I would take a ball, and knock on their mask (while they were wearing) several times, not hard, like knocking on a door, to show them it didnt hurt to take it off the mask, then I asked them if they thought it would hurt on the back of their head (which is where they were likely to take if they turned away from ball).
DD's old TB coach was insistent that his infielders wear masks. (Thru 14A). He argued that for most of the girls a mask was no different than a elbow guard or even a glove - it was just another piece of equipment that had been wearing since they started playing. At 16u he let the players and parents decide - many still chose to wear masks.
DD's HS coach is very anti-mask. She believes it makes a player look weak. She will "allow" a pitcher to wear a mask but definitely discouraged any other player from wearing one. She did have a senior two years ago that was playing 1st for the 1st time and insisted that she would be wearing a mask. She did and she did fantastic. No errors all season. She was also recruited to play D1 softball.
DD is an outfielder. She has not worn a mask since 12U. However - she did lose a ball in the sun the first season she went without a mask and took a ball to the chin. Split her chin open good. Sigh.
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DD's HS coach is very anti-mask. She believes it makes a player look weak. She will "allow" a pitcher to wear a mask but definitely discouraged any other player from wearing one. She did have a senior two years ago that was playing 1st for the 1st time and insisted that she would be wearing a mask. She did and she did fantastic. No errors all season. She was also recruited to play D1 softball.
DD is an outfielder. She has not worn a mask since 12U. However - she did lose a ball in the sun the first season she went without a mask and took a ball to the chin. Split her chin open good. Sigh.
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- May 16, 2016
- 946
- 93
In our house, mask is mandatory for pitching and infield. Optional in the outfield.
As for outfield, this past HS season, CF charging a ground ball that hit the grass lip, and popped up hitting her square in the face. She went down, play is stopped, and after a bit, a new CF is subbed in. DD and I were talking about it in the car ride home... how hard it hit her face.. and I said, "it'd have been a none event had she been wearing her mask." DD paused to think for a second... "Yep".
As for outfield, this past HS season, CF charging a ground ball that hit the grass lip, and popped up hitting her square in the face. She went down, play is stopped, and after a bit, a new CF is subbed in. DD and I were talking about it in the car ride home... how hard it hit her face.. and I said, "it'd have been a none event had she been wearing her mask." DD paused to think for a second... "Yep".
Kind of like seatbelts. Some people need to be protected from themselves. I agree masks should be mandatory for infielders.
Eric Dickerson was estimated to wear almost nine pounds of equipment every time he went on the field. That included over-sized elbow guards, a lineman's face mask and thick eye goggles. He said that if someone made a piece of safety equipment, it was made for a reason, and he would wear it. Another great running back of that era was Marcus Allen who wore the minimum required padding because he didn't want to be hindered. Basically, this should be a player/family choice, not a coach choice. I've suggested that if anyone ever questions DD about why she is wearing a piece of safety equipment she ask that person if they know who Eric Dickerson is.
