Georgia pitchers (and others) wearing a mask

[grcsftbll]

A lot of young players are afraid of the ball. It seems like a mostly normal phase to go through, especially since the young ones are still learning the skills they need to field effectively & can get injured due to that. And yes, the mask may help them have the confidence to learn faster. Mine was definitely a little more scared after she took a hop to the chin at pitcher when she was in 8U. The mask definitely did help her move past it. I imagine by the time they're high school aged, college aged, etc, if they're successful players they're not scared and using the facemask for confidence anymore. Most college players don't look particularly scared of the ball, whether they wear a mask or not. It's just another safety measure, and if they've been playing with a mask for years and years it's not going to impact their play negatively.

 

[cuzmail]

I was at a coaches clinic at Tennessee a few years ago and me and the Vols Head Coach had words about Masks on pitchers. They of course thought they were weak and need to play defense better and I was like OH, really. Anyway, we agreed to disagree. But if I am not mistaken. The first pitcher the Vols had tonight was wearing a mask. Hmmm..I wonder what happened there... I bet I know. ;-)

I'm sure the Weeklys thought of Nunley as weak every time they have gone up against her over the last four years.

 

[riseball]

...just like face shields and helmets are crutches for those nancy-boys in the NHL. MLB and their silly batting helmets with earflaps- what's up with that?

Let me add some additional perspective - What you cite has nothing to do with protecting individual players. These were business decisions. The business acted to protect their assets (the players) and the image of the sport as exposure increased exponentially with television coverage. These decisions were not made by parents and fans sitting in the stands concerned with the welfare of the individuals. If you want to see how businesses view the safety of the individual with respect to their bottom line look no further than the NFL and players with CTE. Or NASCAR and the HANS device. We had been asking for that rule for years and it was not until a sport icon was nearly decapitated on national TV that NASCAR acted.

People also love to use the seat belt analogy which is just as flawed. Just like fielding masks, seat belts were already available and increasing in popularity due to consumer demand. Their availability was only only mandated after significant studies and data analysis. It was only recently that the use of seat belts was mandated and it was not to protect the individual, rather the bottom line. No such studies or data analysis exist for fielding masks. The only evidence or data is purely anecdotal.

 

[obbay]

RB- sorry I as equating the NHL decision with youth and high school sports. We could play without helmets, then they were required and so were face shields.

I dont remember seeing ear flaps on batting helmets until after Tony Conigliaro (Red Sox) was beaned with what turned out to be a career ending pitch. When he returned a year and a half later, he had the ear flap on the helmet.

In both cases I didn't realize it was mandated by ownership. I misspoke.

I am not advocating a requirement to wear face masks, I am saying go ahead if you want to or don't, but don't criticize players for wearing an Extra piece of protection that doesn't impact their performance and might save their face or their season.

 

[MNDad]

RB has helped me understand why there are coaches who are prejudiced against the mask- thanks! makes sense when you put it in perspective.



just like face shields and helmets are crutches for those nancy-boys in the NHL. MLB and their silly batting helmets with earflaps- what's up with that?

... on the other hand in softball , aside from the obvious protection from impact, I have seen the mask take fear out of the equation so kids could focus on their skills and just play the game-which is a helluva lot more complicated than most of the other sports they can play.

I understand your point. I just think too many people think a mask is the only way to protect yourself. Some want them mandated either because they're worried their kid will be subject to ridicule. Others are afraid to stand up and make their kids do it. Lots of college players are wearing them and it's noticeable particularly in the SEC (Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, Missouri, Tennessee and probably more). If that doesn't put an end to the stigma fears I don't know what will.

I also think the debate is based more on emotion than logic. If safety were the true driving factor we’d want our girls in hockey masks like they wear in slow pitch. Then their heads would be fully protected and there would be some level of concussion prevention. It seems to be driven more by emotion than facts.

 

[riseball]

I understand your point. I just think too many people think a mask is the only way to protect yourself. Some want them mandated either because they're worried their kid will be subject to ridicule. Others are afraid to stand up and make their kids do it. Lots of college players are wearing them and it's noticeable particularly in the SEC (Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, Missouri, Tennessee and probably more). If that doesn't put an end to the stigma fears I don't know what will.

I also think the debate is based more on emotion than logic. If safety were the true driving factor we’d want our girls in hockey masks like they wear in slow pitch. Then their heads would be fully protected and there would be some level of concussion prevention. It seems to be driven more by emotion than facts.

It certainly is a discussion driven more by emotion than logic. You can see that in the tone of the discourse which rarely moves beyond anecdotes and logical fallacy. I always find it interesting that some feel the need for mandating a fielding mask for college players, yet there seems to be little interest about requiring masks on batting helmets. The good news is that after 20+ years, fielding masks appear to be mainstream and any associated stigma has been rendered moot.

 

[Rocketech1]

The good news is that after 20+ years, fielding masks appear to be mainstream and any associated stigma has been rendered moot.

I wish you were right but unfortunately it's going to take many more years before the stigma is gone. Case in point. Many softball coaches come from dad's who have either played and/or coached baseball for many yeas and they have very strong opinions about no masks for pitchers and no cages for the helmets. I have coached PONY baseball and the closest these coaches will get to safety for pitchers is a padded baseball cap (to prevent concussions???). Another example is Kristina Thorson (former NPF pitcher) who stated that she will never wear a mask pitching because the baseball players don't wear them. There is a video somewhere on DFP at the WCWS two years ago where the head coach panelists were asked about their opinions on pitchers wearing masks and they were very uncomfortable answering the question. Heck my DD's 22 year old head coach told the 14U players that she doesn't like the infield wearing masks. I could go on, but to say that the stigma is 100% gone is fantasy. This is one of the reasons I have been so vocal about the mask issue.

 

[riseball]

I wish you were right but unfortunately it's going to take many more years before the stigma is gone. Case in point. Many softball coaches come from dad's who have either played and/or coached baseball for many yeas and they have very strong opinions about no masks for pitchers and no cages for the helmets. I have coached PONY baseball and the closest these coaches will get to safety for pitchers is a padded baseball cap (to prevent concussions???). Another example is Kristina Thorson (former NPF pitcher) who stated that she will never wear a mask pitching because the baseball players don't wear them. There is a video somewhere on DFP at the WCWS two years ago where the head coach panelists were asked about their opinions on pitchers wearing masks and they were very uncomfortable answering the question. Heck my DD's 22 year old head coach told the 14U players that she doesn't like the infield wearing masks. I could go on, but to say that the stigma is 100% gone is fantasy. This is one of the reasons I have been so vocal about the mask issue.

Who said it was 100% gone? It is naive to think that will ever happen. That is like the fantasy of eliminating racism from society or harder yet, eliminating the scourge of HE from the circle. Unlike racism and HE the mask stigma is pretty much a moot point. If you have the skills, someone will want you to play for them. Wearing a mask is not a legitimate obstacle. An excuse, possibly. But certainly not a serious obstacle. There are and always will be jack wagon coaches in the game. Some have problems with race, some have problems with who a player dates, some teach HE, the list goes on. If you end up with the wrong coach, then maybe you should have done your homework. If the coach turns out to be an idiot then you learn from it, put your big kid pants on and move along. There are over 1,700 schools offering college scholarships. Even if 10%, which is highly unlikely had issues with masks, there are still 1,530 that will welcome you. That is, if you have the goods.

If someone taking issue with you wearing a mask stops you from your dream, then I would question your commitment. There are players in the game missing arms and legs. In college football there is a player (long snapper)who is blind. Players in all sports come from families where their parents are junkies or worse. So tell me again how wearing a piece of padded metal on your face is stopping you from doing anything?

 

[riseball]

And now for something completely different. As I sit here at the PC in my tin foil hat I have to wonder about Chelsea Wilkinson suddenly donning a Rip-It mask last weekend. Did she have an epiphany and suddenly fear for her safety? Or is she possibly thinking of her future in the NPF? If wearing a mask while pitching in the SEC is a good idea, then wearing one in the NPF is brilliant. Especially if you start in college. After all, given her popularity once she gets to the NPF how much would it be worth to Rip-It for her to keeping wearing their product instead of switching to Schutt or Boombah because she likes it better? Certainly more than what she will earn ducking shots from NPF hitters.

 

[3bmama]

The first girl I ever saw wear a mask was one of the best players on our team. Her mom was a dental assistant and wasn't letting her pitch without it after the business she had seen.