Keep Alabama's Demi Turner in your thoughts.

[riseball]

They are grown adults. Not up to us to question their decisions. When we step into the box we can decide for ourselves.

 

[knightsb]

They are grown adults. Not up to us to question their decisions.

I agree, that was just a nod of the cap to our old feud.

 

[riseball]

No feud here. I take no issue with players wearing masks. Also do not take issue with them choosing not to. My problem is those that want to make decisions for others.

Let me put it this way.

 

[TMD]

I take no issue with players wearing masks. Also do not take issue with them choosing not to. My problem is those that want to make decisions for others.

I get it and generally agree, but for the life of me I cannot see any upside to not wearing a mask on your batting helmet. None. I don't fully buy the "the mask makes it hard to see" argument. I played hockey growing up, and from 5 - 11 yrs old, we did not wear masks. When they became mandatory, everyone complained that they made it hard to see. And they did...for about 10 minutes until your brain adjusted to having the mask in front of your eyes and it effectively disappeared from view. (Now, whether masks in hockey have promoted higher stick work is an interesting debate, but not relevant here.)

If batting helmet masks are optional in college and a player elects not to wear one, so be it. Certainly not the decision I'd want my daughter to make (and while I'm paying her medical bills I like to think I still have some say).

 

[riseball]

I get it and generally agree, but for the life of me I cannot see any upside to not wearing a mask on your batting helmet. None. I don't fully buy the "the mask makes it hard to see" argument. I played hockey growing up, and from 5 - 11 yrs old, we did not wear masks. When they became mandatory, everyone complained that they made it hard to see. And they did...for about 10 minutes until your brain adjusted to having the mask in front of your eyes and it effectively disappeared from view. (Now, whether masks in hockey have promoted higher stick work is an interesting debate, but not relevant here.)

If batting helmet masks are optional in college and a player elects not to wear one, so be it. Certainly not the decision I'd want my daughter to make (and while I'm paying her medical bills I like to think I still have some say).

I think you have to assume that a college bound kid has at least average intelligence and appreciates the risk. Yet quite a few, many even most find that risk acceptable. I can only think of 4 reasons why:

1) They believe they can see/hit the ball better.

2) They have succumbed to peer pressure.

3) They were directed by the coaching staff.

4) They are making a bold fashion statement.

I am sure that looking at college ball as a whole you can find at least 1 example of each. But I have to go with the first as the most likely.

 

[TMD]

I think you have to assume that a college bound kid has at least average intelligence and appreciates the risk. Yet quite a few, many even most find that risk acceptable. I can only think of 4 reasons why:

1) They believe they can see/hit the ball better.

2) They have succumbed to peer pressure.

3) They were directed by the coaching staff.

4) They are making a bold fashion statement.

I am sure that looking at college ball as a whole you can find at least 1 example of each. But I have to go with the first as the most likely.

Maybe, but I'd put money on #2 and 3 before 1. I'll know firsthand next year when my daughter gets to make that choice.

 

[29dad]

Everyone will SAY that the reason for no mask is because they see the ball better. When I played Junior A hockey after high school and had a choice, I decided not to wear a mask "because I could see the ice better." That is what I said at the time. The truth was that I wanted to look cool and/or tough. After the second game of the season when I left the game to get stitched up and with three of my teeth on the ice, I decided that, come to think of it, I could see the ice just fine while wearing a mask.

 

[riseball]

I think you have to assume that a college bound kid has at least average intelligence and appreciates the risk. Yet quite a few, many even most find that risk acceptable. I can only think of 4 reasons why:

1) They believe they can see/hit the ball better.

2) They have succumbed to peer pressure.

3) They were directed by the coaching staff.

4) They are making a bold fashion statement.

I am sure that looking at college ball as a whole you can find at least 1 example of each. But I have to go with the first as the most likely.

Maybe, but I'd put money on #2 and 3 before 1. I'll know firsthand next year when my daughter gets to make that choice.

Ok. let's run with your theory.

#2 - Given the many players that go sans the mask, NCAA softball would have to be a cesspool of peer pressure. Some may argue that it is. But, I find it hard to believe that so many of the top players in the game are not wearing a mask due to peer pressure. The Romero sisters come to mind and I just do not find it plausible that they and others like them are pressured by peers into doing anything.

#3 - If you notice on almost any team some wear the mask, other do not. It is often a 50/50 or so split. Let's exclude slappers, since that is a different animal, just taking about those standing in and taking their hacks. Are we to believe that coaches are instructing some players to don a mask and other to go without? Again that is just not plausible.

I understand your reluctance to embrace #1 as the most plausible since you have skin in the game. But I have asked this of many a college player and right or wrong I have yet to get an answer that was not related to performance.

 

[slugger3]

At this point, I'm more worried about Demi Turner than the face mask...because I can attest to what the lasting effects that an orbital fracture can do to you.
I had my left eye socket severely fractured when I was 12. 32 years ago....
Orbital fractures can cause a myriad of problems...but double vision is probably the biggest.
The muscles that control your eye ball can get caught/cut/torn/injured by the fractured eye socket.
Which can lead to a loss of range of movement for your eye.
I lost very little range of movement in my left eye, laterally.
But vertically, I lost ~40% movement looking upward, and ~ 30% looking downward.
Therefore, leaving only ~ 30% of range of movement, the rest is double vision...but luckily the 30% range of movement is almost centered on my eye looking straight forward.
So all I have to do to see a object clearly is to move my head as the object moves... my eyes don't move much, my head does.
Laying on the floor trying to watch TV, or crouched down in a duck blind trying to look up...ya, that ain't gonna happen.
It took a while to get used to it. And I don't even know it's there now.

My uncle had his eye socket crushed about 11 years ago.
He's much worse off. Because his eyeball range of motion is a small circle or cone, so he literally has to move his head on a swivel to see anything clear...caused big problems for him at first, he has alot of severe headaches still...mine lasted about 2 years or so...
His left eye is almost locked in place. He thought about having it removed because it was/is causing him so many problems.

So hopefully Demi's fracture wasn't too severe, and didn't cause any damage to the eye muscles.
I'm curious as to what the protocol for recovery is nowadays, for this type of injury for an athlete.
I can guarantee she's as tough as nails as will recover fine. Even if it does take a little time.
Hang in there Demi!

 

[STRIKE3]

If it was me playing D1 I would wear a facemask and a cup. But, I am a man in my 40s.