Does Rip it or game face build confidence

[InsidePitch]

I have been trying to get DD to wear one playing IF or on the mound. Two weeks ago at a tournament we watched an opposing girl take a bad hop to the cheek bone. Just one of those things you can't foresee. This 14U wasn't a small girl and she cried for a minute but stayed in the game. I noticed the next ball hit to her was caught to the side. So my original post...does a face mask give more confidence to the wearer to stay in there with little fear of the ball taking a bad hop? I can't help but think it would greatly reduce any anxiety about a bad hop.

Has anyone had a player that wore one for a while and decided they liked playing more without it.

 

[starsnuffer]

When my daughter was 11 she played up on the 14u TB team and got intimidated after she caught a ball wrong from one of the stronger 15 year olds. She ended up with a black and blue hand for about 2 weeks. After that she was flinching from every ball being thrown at her and making all kinds of mechanical mistakes just to not be in front of the ball. It actually took me quite a few attempts to figure out what exactly happened and why she was scared, and then eventually started building her confidence up. A palm guard inner glove and a rip-it face mask did indeed help build her confidence. This year she's playing on a 12u team and no longer uses either the palm guard or the rip-it because she doesn't want them to think she's a "wimp".

Girls, what are you gonna do?

-W

 

[ScottyDont]

At a young age (10U and under), the masks really do help with confidence. I tell my younger players' parents to buy them because it makes the girls fearless when trying to catch fly balls or sharp grounders. I've found that the older girls are getting away from them now, though. I guess it's not "cool" to wear the mask anymore.

 

[SoftSocDad]

It depends on the player. My little one loves her mask (the Schutt), but only wore it at camp during drills with the older girls and has worn it during speed drills at home. She got to a place where she no longer wanted to wear it at home, but after practicing very sparingly over the past 6 weeks, she's now turning away from most balls aimed near her face. With fall practice about to start, I'm assuming the flinching will go away as she'll be back to playing mainly with 8yo's.

 

[sru]

Sure does.

My 13yo dd wears a ripit when playing 1st and 3rd. When playing 3rd, no one on her team is as fast as her getting to bunts and infield bloopers. She beats the catcher most of the time. Wearing one takes the fear outof getting hit in the face, she can concentrate on being aggresive.

 

[Hollyrockartist]

DD has one and wears it sometimes. 3rd baseman wore her's for a couple of years and now just wears a mouth guard. Last weekend, DD was turning her head - parent from other side of the fence asked if she needed to put on her face mask. She said, "no, m'am" and didn't turn her head again. She's 13. When she did wear it, she was afraid of nothing. Not too afraid now, but will occassionally turn her head. It's used more now as a threat than anything. Certainly great for the younger players. Also have padded DD up from ankles to above knees. She didn't think that was necessary. Took a terrible thrown ball to the right side of the knee last weekend in a tournament. Bruised terribly WITH the leg guards. She has now had to admit that "Momma does know something"!

 

[2 DD Coach]

We just got a Rip-it a week ago for our 7yr old DD, who is playing up in 10u fall ball and pitching. The change from the 8u to the 10u ball had her catching off to her side, but the mask was like magic. Can't speak for older girls, but it definatley seems to help the younger one's.

 

[SnocatzDad]

Made a world of difference for one of our third basemen. Definitely improved her confidence when playing up on bunts. In this game you have to be pretty fearless to play the hot corner, I'd recommend the mask, and if they are still tenative move them to a different spot. JMO F6, F4, F3 can get by with mouth guards. F5 and F1 should wear a mask.

 

[InsidePitch]

DD is a 98' and appears rather proud that she doesn't need to wear a mask. I'd like for her to wear the mask because I think psychologically it would be a big boost in confidence. Knowing a bad hop isn't going to rearrange your face has to be good. I just need to get another girl of similar ability to wear it and I think she will. I think she perceives it as a mask of inferiority.

 

[hallelujah]

I'm not a fan of facemasks, but that's only because I grew up without them. I can see older people saying the same thing about the use of cages on helmets, which I am very used to. My question is, do you guys ever plan on taking the masks away from your daughters when they get older? If they have college ball aspirations and such, where masks aren't generally worn, what will that be like?

I would think that while they may be more confident when the mask is on now, as soon as you take it away, all that confidence is erased, or at least, the lack of mask will be a very difficult adjustment. But that depends on how long they will be using the mask...

However, I can see the facemask thing working out if this new generation of softball players brings them up into adulthood and college ball. It's a whole new generation out there using these things, but will they continue to use them as they get older and play higher levels of ball?

Thoughts?