Safety Correctness Gone Too Far

[NVfishing]

Yes it does. Are you kidding? Have you hit with and without one? Some don't fit well for players of certain sizes), some block view of certain pitches.

I would wear a helmet but would not wear a cage over my face even after seeing the Baylor incident. Only when boys wear them will I change my mind. It was just stitches. If that was a baseball, her eye would have been damaged, yet no one tells the college boys to wear one.

I would say the only difference is boys don't mind scars on their faces and girls do. A boy would wear that scar with pride.

 

[Lozza]

I would say the only difference is boys don't mind scars on their faces and girls do. A boy would wear that scar with pride.

No, society makes it so that girls are judged more on their looks than boys are.

And personally, I take great pride in my bruises and scars. I have photos going back 15 years of my softball bruises. Even when I went to work three months ago with an awesome bruise on my leg (silly grass made the bounce bad!) I was very happy showing people the colour of it.

 

[obbay]

LL still isn't requiring facemasks on the softball batting helmets.

That's what I thought but at a recent meeting I learned that when we have all-stars, all helmets must have the cage or we can't play.

I remember when hockey players didn't wear helmets, and the goalies didn't all wear masks (I don't go back far enough to remember when nobody wore masks) why do they wear them now? Does anyone think the NHL is heading toward bubblewrap?

Look at the science in football helments and still there are many head injuries. Mainly because of a false sense of security.

A sense of security (false or otherwise) does not create head injuries. There are many head injuries, but they are not increasing, just being paid more attention to. Perhaps paying attention to injuries is part of the sissification of sports ?

Regardless of the sport I don't want my DD to get hurt or be afraid to get hurt. Same goes for any key players- I want to keep them playing for as long as possible.

 

[Amy in AZ.]

I used to wear my bruises with pride, too. But as you age, nagging injuries just get so much worse. It wouldn't surprise me if an athlete like Stacy Chambers (UofA's catcher), who suffered a concussion from a foul ball, will suffer additional problems later in life. She thought for a time that she would end up taking her own life.

 

[Goobie]

Are you thinking Evo Shield? I think that stuff is sooo cool.

If anyone was watching the California-Kentucky game on ESPN, the announcer (speaking about the Baylor catcher) said it was a horrible accident but that college shouldn't require face guards on helmet. Yes, I'd agree with that, but if I did play college, I'd use a face guard on my helmet. I think in the 8 years I've played softball, I've only been hit twice in the face guard, and that was because of poor bunts. Masks and protection should be up to the player, parents, and coaches, not up to the organization.

The commentator was Stacey Nuveman. She is currently the assistant coach or hitting coach at San Diego State. She did a good job in my opinion stating her reasons for why she didn't feel that the masks were necessary. She even commented that you were seeing them more in D1 now due to the fact that they were required in high school, etc. What I didn't like is when she said something to the effect of Some of her players (on the college team she coaches) wear masks and she "makes fun of them" and tells them to "toughen up." Why people like her have to make fun of people that choose to protect themselves from that 1 in a thousand accident is beyond me. Seems to me that if one of her players does end up taking one off the face now... some attorney will line up to point the finger of blame back to her and the University because of her comments on national TV. She probably should not have opened herself up like that.

My opinion... If someone wants to wear a mask or a heart guard or whatever... it is their choice. Mandating all of those items is ridiculous.

 

[quincy]

I find it interesting that only 2 players on our Team that wear a face mask are the 2 that need it the least. Observing the various Teams this seems to be a common theme.

Each their own.

 

[EP Dad]

What I didn't like is when she said something to the effect of Some of her players (on the college team she coaches) wear masks and she "makes fun of them" and tells them to "toughen up." Why people like her have to make fun of people that choose to protect themselves from that 1 in a thousand accident is beyond me. Seems to me that if one of her players does end up taking one off the face now... some attorney will line up to point the finger of blame back to her and the University because of her comments on national TV. She probably should not have opened herself up like that.

I didn't like that either. No one should be ridiculed for wearing a mask.

 

[softballphreak]

I find it interesting that only 2 players on our Team that wear a face mask are the 2 that need it the least. Observing the various Teams this seems to be a common theme.

Each their own.

Maybe they're playing better because of a sense of security with the masks on. I have a mask in the trunk that I require kids I'm working individual lessons on infield to wear. I particularly target kids if I see them blanking on the ball. Once they develop sufficient skill to handle the plays they may not need nor want to wear them in the game

 

[SoftSocDad]

Only when boys wear them will I change my mind. It was just stitches. If that was a baseball, her eye would have been damaged, yet no one tells the college boys to wear one.

 

[softballphreak]

Yes it does. Are you kidding? Have you hit with and without one? Some don't fit well for players of certain sizes), some block view of certain pitches.

I would wear a helmet but would not wear a cage over my face even after seeing the Baylor incident. Only when boys wear them will I change my mind. It was just stitches. If that was a baseball, her eye would have been damaged, yet no one tells the college boys to wear one.

We would need to have proper fit, of course. And yes, I have hit with and without one. One design, in particular, makes you have to keep your head on the ball in order to see through the opening. That's a positive, by the way.

It was not "just" stitches, there was also fractures.

People shouldn't even have to wear a helmet. Why should they? Why should boys have to wear helmets?