DD hit in the face.

[obbay]

GD- Goodluck with the transition to Mask. it is easier, peer pressure-wise, to not wear a mask. it is hard for the kids who choose to wear a mask and be different. Being a kid (especially High School) is all about fitting in, not being different. I thinik that's why the parent's role in the decision process is important.

There are no shortage of comments from ignorant parents with baseball backgrounds who have never stood 30 or 40 feet from a batter and waited for them to hit, let alone pitched to a batter from 40' (or less) away.
\

Most of all why would anyone discourage another person from taking better care of himself or herself?

I think Doug and Jennie aren't demonstrating a whole lot of brainpower when they discourage the use of the mask. Its fine to have your own opinion, but when you are high profile personalities, you need to exercise more discretion than the average person.

FWIW- the 17 yo pitcher I was talking about is one of the best fielding pitchers I have seen (locally). extremely quick reflexes, typically plays SS when not pitching. another strong athlete, pitcher (15/16 yo) was playing 3B when she caught one in the head. playing in for the non-existent bunt (coach's orders) slightly deflected a line drive from 30 feet away with her glove as she tried to move her head and caught most of the force in her temple. Not bad. missed a day of school. refused to wear a mask and quit softball altogether about a year later (unrelated). This was a kid who played year round and had been taking pitching lessons since she was about 7, she had the reflexes and knew how to play.

 

[oregonfp]

4 games into our varsity softball season out here and I have yet to see one player wear a mask. There is a lot of pressure from coaches, and fellow players to NOT wear them. Luckily my freshman DD has been moved from 3b to RF for the HS team.

 

[GOINGDEEP]

DD's college coach called during lunch checking on "lefty". He was very encouraging on her trying the mask, he said he already had one pitcher using one this year and wished all of them would. He also stated some of the girls they play against are hitting the ball like grown men.

Once again I'm glad she chose a sensible program and coach.

 

[chapelhillbilly]

I think coaches could help out here as well , no reason to have fielders play as close as they do or charge kamikaze style toward batters. But , for pitchers , the mask is about their only defense

My daughter is playing 3rd for the first time in her life playing in Middle School. She's 13 and has never worn a mask cause she's mainly played 2nd base or been a catcher. Their coach wants her right up on the batter and she does not feel comfortable being that close. The other girl that sometimes plays in her spot will get right up on the batter with no mask on. That to me is just like playing Russian roulette. There have been soo many balls that have gotten past that girl cause if it is hit hard enough up 3rd base line and you are up on the batter it is extremely hard to catch them and they have gotten past her several times. My DD will play a lil further back and so far none have gotten past her. We did buy her a mask to wear for a team where she knows the players and how well they can hit and she wore it and mouthed to me several times on field "I hate this thing". LOL I'm sure she does but I don't know about her but I like her teeth and the thousands of dollars I spent on braces to get them to look like they do.

 

[chapelhillbilly]

Two years ago, when she was 12, DD went to a jenny Finch camp. Jenny and especially her dad (Doug?) were vehemently opposed to masks. The dad spoke about them with utter disdain, and said that if you learn how to field properly you will never need a mask. That's softball royalty talking. Needless to say, we disagree and DD wears a Rit-It at third and when she pitches (which is very rare these days). I am convinced that my DD is a better fielder because of the Rip-It. According to a coach in our organization, she stays lower on hard hit ground balls than anyone he's ever had playing corner infield, and I'm convinced that part of that is due to the mask.




Back on topic - sorry about your DD's injury, GD. And yet thankful that it wasn't much worse.

I sure didn't know that she was opposed to wearing the mask. I'm not opposed to it at all but my daughter is. She is very tomboy and most of her friends are boys and she says well baseball players don't wear facemasks. I said yes and baseball players are almost 20 ft back further than you are. The softball girls have to take crap from the boys all the time about how easy softball is and they aren't real players and all that so I think that plays into the whole not wanting to wear one deal. My youngest is 11 and she has been wearing one since she was 8 but that is mainly because she is a pitcher. My oldest has always played 2nd and I didn't feel like she really needed one there but now that she is at 3rd I feel like yes you need one.

 

[flarays]

Her guardian angel was watching over her!!! Best of luck.

 

[joeman39]

chapel I fixed that high school baseball thing real quick. I know the baseball coach at the high school and asked him to bring his baseball boys down to the softball field after practice one day. They came down and I had them play infield where the girls would set up. After about one time through fielding and our girls hitting these boys respected these young ladies alot more. The boys that fielded the corners first thought this is easy then one girl hit one down third and it whizzed past his head and he started to back up. lol I told him noooooooooo you can't than he said no way I'm not staying here.... and he was standing beside third base to start with. The baseball coach and I just laughed and the coach told them boys now you see who is soft. After that had no mode problems with those boys and actually the boys are at all the home games of the girls when there not playing.

 

[Greenmonsters]

chapel I fixed that high school baseball thing real quick. I know the baseball coach at the high school and asked him to bring his baseball boys down to the softball field after practice one day. They came down and I had them play infield where the girls would set up. After about one time through fielding and our girls hitting these boys respected these young ladies alot more. The boys that fielded the corners first thought this is easy then one girl hit one down third and it whizzed past his head and he started to back up. lol I told him noooooooooo you can't than he said no way I'm not staying here.... and he was standing beside third base to start with. The baseball coach and I just laughed and the coach told them boys now you see who is soft. After that had no mode problems with those boys and actually the boys are at all the home games of the girls when there not playing.

You say that like its a good thing!!

 

[joeman39]

It is a good thing. The boys baseball team supports the girls and the girls support the boys. Why is that not a good thing? The boys, when there not playing, comes to the girls games. Did I miss something. The Boys comes to the girls games when there not playing. Hmmmmm how is that not good??? Maybe you thought I mean when the girls are not playing. I guess I should had worded a little different.

 

[Perfect Circle]

It is a good thing. The boys baseball team supports the girls and the girls support the boys. Why is that not a good thing? The boys, when there not playing, comes to the girls games. Did I miss something. The Boys comes to the girls games when there not playing. Hmmmmm how is that not good??? Maybe you thought I mean when the girls are not playing. I guess I should had worded a little different.

It might draw some heat from the D.A.D.'s (D.A.D.'s=Dad's Against Daughters Dating) members.