Fielding Masks in College

[hrhubert76]

As a college athlete, I have been asked this very question several times. "Would you/Do you wear a facemask." Common sense tells me that yes, all athletes should be wearing a facemask. However, logic tells me that it is becoming a crutch and enabler for parents, players, and coaches.

For younger athletes (12U and younger), I highly recommend using a facemask. The reaction time and skill level of these players is significantly lower, and developing an adeptness to the fielding basics without being afraid of the ball is crucial. The question will be posed though, "When do we 'wean' a player from the mask?" As the players develop and become comfortable with their skills, wearing of the mask should be alternated from drill to drill during practices. For example, keep the mask off during initial warm ups (grounders, tosses, fly balls) and wear the mask when doing full infield. Do players honestly charge harder from the corners if they have a facemask on? No. Usually the ones who will go all out are the ones who don't care if they have a mask on or not. This has to do more with the personality of the kid than it does the equipment.

Maybe the problem for me doesn't come from older athletes wearing masks, but for the enabling/crutch aspect of it. The purpose of the mask is to stop the ball from hitting the player in the face. Correct. Protection. However, after being around the game for 12+ years and coaching numerous teams, I have watched the mask become more than a safety feature. It has allowed coaches to ignore the fielding techniques and create bad habits. What if we started teaching ways to correctly field a ball rather than "protecting" them from a part of the game. Yes, we are human. Yes, we make mistakes. I am not referring to the balls that get smoked back at the pitcher (even though the extra 3 feet in distance does help this matter in college). With that said, I still feel the focus needs to be placed upon teaching how to play the field without making excuses (i.e. the ground is hard, no one raked the field, so what I made an error). We all need to take personal accountability for our own actions. Learning in a protected, yet competitive environment is something we need to strive for in the future.

 

[starsnuffer]

The goal of an athlete is to constantly strive to improve and perfect their performance in their sport.

A softball player who cannot field a ball because they're blocking it with their face is not going to be better then a player who fields a ball cleanly. The mask is irrelevant in this. The better player is the better player, irregardless of what (legal) safety equipment they use. I think most good coaches will understand this, but you still have a fair number of "old guard" coaches who still think that softball players are too "soft", and thus will shun the mask.

If the mask helps one of my players be more aggressive and thus put herself in situations that force her to learn how to field faster, then good, it's working for her. If another girl starts blocking balls with her face because she's wearing a mask, then it's time to reconsider the mask as a training aid.

Is any of this really more difficult then simple common sense?

-W

 

[changeupskill]

I am still back to the point that we don't care about boys' faces, when in fact a baseball can be damaging because it is so small, hard and traveling just as fast. We only worry about girls' faces. A softball does hit with less impact than a baseball (from my working at the ballfields for several years).

It does not present a good image for the sport if all the college players are hidden behind masks. Especially the rotten looking ones they have now. If perhaps one was made that looks professional and protects just eye sockets and temples was made, I would change my mind. You can't protect girls from everything, especially when you don't do the same for boys.

Hello, as Amy and I have discussed in other forums, I think infielders masks are great ideas, but by no means need to be mandatory. My kid is a pitcher and third base. The only horrific traumas I have seen has been 200mph line drives straight to the face. A busted lip or tooth is not a horrific trauma to me. Bad yes, but not horrific. I agree with whoever said a bad bounce may mean a need to work on fundamentals. A couple notes on your post Screwball My son played HS baseball and was also a pitcher and 3rd base, and he too wore a mask. Not the same one our DD wears now, but did wear one because of the same issues. I am in Oral and Maxillofacial surgery trauma. I see these horrible injuries pesonally a lot, and see the reports from around the country. My sons teammates gave him some ribbing for about a day about his mask, then he showed them pictures of some of the kids I've worked on. Two seniors and freshman had masks a week later and never took it off. You mentioned "If perhaps one was made that looks professional and protects just eye sockets and temples was made, I would change my mind." My daughter wears that exact face mask you wish for. It is from Bangerz. Its awesome too. The short stop, maybe the third baseman at UCLA wears one too. This will be DDs 4th season wearing the bangerz beak. Find my post, and Amy's, in the other forum and check out the tests I myself did on the masks. Not that I'm a pro "mask tester", but check it out by typing Bangerz in the forum search box. Let me know what you think.

 

[Amy in AZ.]

In my opinion, a bad bounce doesn't mean that you need to work on fundamentals, it means someone needs to work on the field maintenance. I play and coach on some awful fields.

When my glove goes on my Gameface goes on. I am convinced that it saved my life this summer.

I don't know if any of you guys ever played softball, but if you hang around men's slow pitch, you will find that they are wearing face masks and even helmets, on the IF and while pitching (from 50 feet). Too many men are getting seriously injured.

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[changeupskill]

You are right Amy, a bad bounce is a bad bounce. It wasn't meant to say that girl sucks, but there ARE some hops a fielder should always expect. Thats why we teach them to have the second hand over their glove on grounders. I also know what you are saying about field maintenance, we've played on the dirt clod diamond as well. Haha. I'm glad you wear your mask, I think its great and it doesn't matter which mask it is, its a mask. Good job.

 

[Dana Marque]

Amy in AZ - My mother is originally from Robinson, IL although she has a few years on you... She always tells me how competitive they were back in her day... I just laugh because I think of Southern Ill. as just being so small - how could they be so competitive.. Thank you for proving her right. I think I may have to share this with her...

 

[GTRH8R]

In my opinion, a bad bounce doesn't mean that you need to work on fundamentals, it means someone needs to work on the field maintenance. I play and coach on some awful fields.

When my glove goes on my Gameface goes on. I am convinced that it saved my life this summer.

I don't know if any of you guys ever played softball, but if you hang around men's slow pitch, you will find that they are wearing face masks and even helmets, on the IF and while pitching (from 50 feet). Too many men are getting seriously injured.

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I agree. I saw three instances lately. First, DD's strap on her face mask was jacked up so she took the field without it against some older 16Us at a tourney (she plays 14U). Took a shot to the cheek on a wicked bad hop on a ball she did charge. She was not pleased. DD practices with a strong A team on an off-night with her regular TB team (for extra reps and you only get better by playing with those better than you) and I saw the 3B take a hard hit ball from her coach to the mouth (blood involved) and a 2B get hit by a ball the SS missed at get hit right on the orbital bone area. It swelled shut instantly. All three were not life threatening, but it illustrates the point that it is easy to get drilled and the next one could be one that messes a kid up forever. Some TB coaches in our area make it madatory for all IFs for the safety of the kids, most say it is a personal decision. I am for anything that makes it safer for kids. I have seen plenty of girls who wear them who have great fundamentals and have zero fear. I don't think it is a crutch for the most part.

When I was a youngster I got drilled in the left eye with a line drive. I came a fraction of an inch from losing eyesight in it. It didn't scare me into not being able to play, but a mask would have saved my eyesight if it was a worse case scenario.

I also saw a girl in rec who was a talented kid who took one to the face. She was never the same again and eventually quit out of fear.

It's all a personal choice, but to say a mask is a crutch is a bit extreme in my estimation.

Edit: missed the fact it was face masks in college...girls are old enough to decide if they want in college, but some wear facemasks when hitting so why not wear it in the IF?

 

[JAD]

Girls playing TB with facemasks are now more common than ever before, and I am hoping that trend continues to 'filter up' into HS and college......only time will tell, but as batters get bigger and stronger, and bats get 'hotter', I think it becomes more important than ever. My DD has @ $5K invested in her beautiful smile (orthodontist/dentist), and I want to keep it that way!

 

[JAD]

Changeupskill - the Bangerz is certainly better than no mask at all, but leaves the mouth completely unprotected. I would HIGHLY recommend you check out a Rip-It face mask for your DD. Had a pitcher on my DD take a rocket shot off her Rip-It face mask last season. Her eye still swelled up like Mike Tyson had knocked her out and I hate to think what would have happened if she did not have it on.

Defense BEST Fielder's Mask - RIP-IT Sporting Goods

 

[SBFAMILY]

Screw ball. Disagree on 2nd base and short stop. Amy has some good ones, but not sure if you watched some of the new defense's that are being played. 3b and 1b stay back and guess who are up front playing those slappers! See it all the time , when my dd bats. Plus how many colleges do you see playing on a field that is not maintained? Come to our next 18U tourney that is on the 8'th game of the day and the field has never been touched, even after rain and then drying out. It is like playing pin ball with the bounces. I watched a short stop take one in the eye on a bad bounce and being carted away. Is it really worth it to have a detached retina. Mine had one and wearing goggles for a year playing sports is not fun.