Mask Watch

[ang2bmd]

Yes. That was the Be The Best coaching clinic in New Jersey. I was the one that asked that question. Because this topic riles me up. I coach a 10U travel team, and in 2010 I had a hard-throwing 9U that was a regular in our pitching rotation. In the spring: line drive up the middle. Straight to the face, just below her left eye. Face was swollen for weeks. To this day, she still absent-mindedly pokes at her face. Until that moment, I had always recommended masks, but never forced anyone to wear one. Starting the next season, I had an epiphany: I was the head coach, and if I wanted everyone to wear a mask, then they'll darn well wear a mask. Now, every year, I tell every parent at tryouts that their 10yo DD will be wearing a mask if they play for me and, if they don't like it, they should play for another team. In the years that have followed, every 10U team we play against now wears masks.

Sounds like a success for acceptance of the mask, right? Well... Each year, I pass my 10Us up to the 12U level, and *almost* every year, the new coach will yell at them on the first day of practice to take the masks off. "No one will recruit you if you wear a mask!" This is why I asked my question when I did. Now, if a 12U coach insists a girl can't get recruited wearing a mask, I ask them, "How many D1 coaches have you actually talked to personally about that?" Of course, none of them has. So I tell them the story you just told. They still don't accept the premise, but I feel with more masks appearing in college, we're making progress.

I'm convinced this will play out just like it did in hockey. Anyone who's old enough can remember when no hockey players wore a face shield. The players fought against mandatory face shields tooth and nail, saying almost exactly the same nonsense that today's softball players say about fielding masks: "If you wear a mask, you will become afraid of the puck." "Masks hinder your play and obstruct your vision." "I've played my whole life without a mask, and they're no way I can adjust now." Well, face shields became mandatory and, lo and behold, none of the doomsayers proved accurate. Today we look back and think those guys were insane for ever playing without a face shield. In 10 years, we will be saying the same thing about fielding masks.

My daughter plays with the Beverly Bandits organization which regularly places players in D1 at a high level and no one is yelling at them to take their masks off.

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[Tatonka]

Yes. That was the Be The Best coaching clinic in New Jersey. I was the one that asked that question. Because this topic riles me up. I coach a 10U travel team, and in 2010 I had a hard-throwing 9U that was a regular in our pitching rotation. In the spring: line drive up the middle. Straight to the face, just below her left eye. Face was swollen for weeks. To this day, she still absent-mindedly pokes at her face. Until that moment, I had always recommended masks, but never forced anyone to wear one. Starting the next season, I had an epiphany: I was the head coach, and if I wanted everyone to wear a mask, then they'll darn well wear a mask. Now, every year, I tell every parent at tryouts that their 10yo DD will be wearing a mask if they play for me and, if they don't like it, they should play for another team. In the years that have followed, every 10U team we play against now wears masks.

Sounds like a success for acceptance of the mask, right? Well... Each year, I pass my 10Us up to the 12U level, and *almost* every year, the new coach will yell at them on the first day of practice to take the masks off. "No one will recruit you if you wear a mask!" This is why I asked my question when I did. Now, if a 12U coach insists a girl can't get recruited wearing a mask, I ask them, "How many D1 coaches have you actually talked to personally about that?" Of course, none of them has. So I tell them the story you just told. They still don't accept the premise, but I feel with more masks appearing in college, we're making progress.

I'm convinced this will play out just like it did in hockey. Anyone who's old enough can remember when no hockey players wore a face shield. The players fought against mandatory face shields tooth and nail, saying almost exactly the same nonsense that today's softball players say about fielding masks: "If you wear a mask, you will become afraid of the puck." "Masks hinder your play and obstruct your vision." "I've played my whole life without a mask, and they're no way I can adjust now." Well, face shields became mandatory and, lo and behold, none of the doomsayers proved accurate. Today we look back and think those guys were insane for ever playing without a face shield. In 10 years, we will be saying the same thing about fielding masks.

Good for you, keep it up please! That 12U Coach should be taken out to the woodshed for an old fashioned whooping (old school method). There is a thread about this subject somewhere on DFP that is chock full of injury pics from kids getting hit without the mask...it should haunt those who guilt or ridicule a kid for wearing safety equipment like a mask. And your story about Hockey face shields is fairly recent....I was in College when the NHL passed the rule making it mandatory for new players signing with the league to wear helmets! McTavish was the last holdout retiring in '96/97. How many kids playing hockey today would consider going into a game without?

 

[marriard]

Sounds like a success for acceptance of the mask, right? Well... Each year, I pass my 10Us up to the 12U level, and *almost* every year, the new coach will yell at them on the first day of practice to take the masks off. "No one will recruit you if you wear a mask!" This is why I asked my question when I did. Now, if a 12U coach insists a girl can't get recruited wearing a mask, I ask them, "How many D1 coaches have you actually talked to personally about that?" Of course, none of them has. So I tell them the story you just told. They still don't accept the premise, but I feel with more masks appearing in college, we're making progress.

Posted this before, but it is the discussion I have had many a time...

Coach: Don't wear a mask. It shows you are weak or can't field or wont be recruited and so on.....
Me: Coach, do you throw front toss?
Coach: Of course I do
Me: Do you use a screen?
Coach: Yes. These girls hit hard and I need to protect myself.
Me: So you stand behind a full body protecting screen and you have the balls to insist a player doesn't wear a little mask?

Should they be mandatory? I have somewhat mixed feelings however there is already plenty of required protective equipment in sports (batting helmets & cages, catchers mask, chest protectors, etc in softball alone) so it isn't as big of a leap as some people make it out to be.

But mandatory or not, no one should be shamed into not wearing one.

Oh and parents... be a parent. It is NOT your kids choice. It is NOT her coaches choice. Those are total cop outs.

It is your final decision to make. If you think she should be wearing one, she wears one.

 

[cleareyesfullheart]

My daughter plays with the Beverly Bandits organization which regularly places players in D1 at a high level and no one is yelling at them to take their masks off.

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If a coach "makes" a player not wear a mask they are setting them selves up for a law suit if that player ends up with a ball to her face.
I feel P, 1, 3 are the only ones who really need a mask.
I also feel an outfielder who wears a mask their skills are not where they should be.

 

[cleareyesfullheart]

Posted this before, but it is the discussion I have had many a time...

Coach: Don't wear a mask. It shows you are weak or can't field or wont be recruited and so on.....
Me: Coach, do you throw front toss?
Coach: Of course I do
Me: Do you use a screen?
Coach: Yes. These girls hit hard and I need to protect myself.
Me: So you stand behind a full body protecting screen and you have the balls to insist a player doesn't wear a little mask?

Should they be mandatory? I have somewhat mixed feelings however there is already plenty of required protective equipment in sports (batting helmets & cages, catchers mask, chest protectors, etc in softball alone) so it isn't as big of a leap as some people make it out to be.

But mandatory or not, no one should be shamed into not wearing one.

Oh and parents... be a parent. It is NOT your kids choice. It is NOT her coaches choice. Those are total cop outs.

It is your final decision to make. If you think she should be wearing one, she wears one.

Even at the college level? They are adults and can make choices. Many get to college and take off their batting helmet masks.

 

[marriard]

Even at the college level? They are adults and can make choices. Many get to college and take off their batting helmet masks.

As an adult aged person at college - sure - and you are seeing many make their decisions both with batting helmet cages and fielding masks appearing more and more at the college level. As a parent, you still have influence on your adult kid (well maybe) but probably not final say. But then I am not talking about college or adult age players.

When they are not 'adults'... nope. Be a parent. Your 12 year old doesn't have the maturity to make those decisions no matter how 'mature for her age' she is. You are meant to though.

The "My 10 year old says she doesn't want to wear a mask even though I would like her to' is a BS cop out. If you don't mind her not wearing a mask and consider it unnecessary, own your decision. Absolutely valid to say "I decided it was unnecessary".

 

[CNJ-Catcher06]

Yes. That was the Be The Best coaching clinic in New Jersey. I was the one that asked that question.

I see you got riled enough to make your first post on DFP, welcome! You sound like a coach with a good head on your shoulders, keep contributing

 

[CoachRichSoftball]

Funny thing that... I've actually been lurking in this forum for over a decade. Never posted. I find that posting on the internet leads to mostly trolling and harassment. But, you're right, this one hit me. If the replies don't send my blood-pressure through the roof, perhaps I'll post in another 10 years!

 

[BuckeyeBW]

I feel until 14u they should all wear one on the infield, after that is is the players and their parents decision. My daughter pitches, plays OF and does some 3rd or 1st at times, she is 12u. She is a good fielder with high confidence, sometimes too much, but likes her mask, she will even grab it during warm ups as habit. I told her as long as she is on my insurance she will wear a mask on the dirt. Not to be sexist but having a beat up face is way worse for a girl than a boy. Funny story though; we were in 10u playing a good team with a good coach who is also a dentist. Somehow his daughter couldn't find her mask about the 3rd inning. So he puts her in right field. Our first batter rips one between 2nd and 1st and it hits the lip on the edge of the grass/dirt and smacks her in the mouth and knocks her top 2 teeth out. He gets the teeth and shoves them back in her mouth and say's they will actually re-root themselves. I didn't know that. Kid was ok and played the next game.

 

[chardrok]

One of our outfielders took a bad hop off the grass lip to the mouth in the fall. Fortunately, she was wearing a mask. No damage at all.

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