Say yes or no to the face mask?

[fastpitchdad8]

A month or so ago my kid had a LASER one hopper at short off a rock (field was horrible) to the mask. Dead square on the mask. Put her down lke she was shot with a rifle. Had she not had the mask on it would have been very, very bad.

Girls that aren't wearing masks are taking an awful chance that isn't necessary in this day and age.

Take my opinion for what its worth..

 

[Sweet Lou]

I agree. Would just like to see half the passion for developing skills as there is for wearing a mask as the result would be a plethora of awesome infielders.

While not every kid is going to have the reflexes, attention, and desire to become a great fielder. I agree with you that instilling a passion in kids to learn the proper skills you can get a team a of very good fielders.

But even good fielders can get bad hops or shots that they simply don't have time to react to. Even MLB players get carted off sometimes on shots to the head or face. And while I'm perfectly fine with grown adults making their own decision about safety gear, I'd prefer that decision get taken out of the hands of younger players. That just my opinion.

 

[Acroyear]

I make my DD's wear masks in the infield, but let them decide when they are in the outfield. When they don't wear them in the outfield, I still sweat those worm-burning grounders that hit the grass transition and hop up right as my DD's are charging in to field them.

In my experience, the coaches that belittle the mask are also either a: coaching from behind a screen, or b: from that older generation that has no clue as to what kind of ball speeds the newer bats (and my 12u) can generate.

I think the pro's are coming around too. See: Alex Torres

 

[mth23]

When one of my players says "coach do i need to wear my cage?" I reply "YES". I would not be able to live with myself if a line shot harmed a child, and her cage was in her bat bag. My team rule, if you have it, you wear it. If parents don't like it, well there are other teams in town.

 

[riseball]

....My team rule, if you have it, you wear it. If parents don't like it, well there are other teams in town.

Having a hard time making sense out of that policy. Is having a player show up with a mask that neither they nor their parents want used pretty common?

 

[Tom]

A thought occurred to me while I was watching the boys' LLWS a month or so ago. Currently, the Little League division — mainly for 11 and 12-year-old boys — is played on a field with a 46-foot pitching distance, 60-foot base paths and with a harder ball. Yet not a fielding mask to be seen, and rarely on batting helmets. If your son were on one of these LL teams, would he be compelled by you to wear a mask? Or are girls different?

/yes, I realize I'm opening a can of worms.

As the father of a 11U fastpitch catcher and 8U baseball pitcher I would absolutely have my son wear one if pitching or playing 3B. It is stupid and irresponsible IMO to have a pitcher not wear a mask (and should be a helmet too. How many serious injuries happen from shots to the temple when wearing a mask since the natural inclination is to turn your head?). When he complains I just remind him that no one will ever say anything about a facemask when you strike them out.

There needs to be one that looks different from the fastpitch mask though so boys don't think its a girl thing. I always find it interesting when fathers on my son's team ask me why he wears a mask. These are same fathers of boys who play football and lacrosse, and when asked why their kids wear a helmet in those sports they have their answer. I guarantee every parent of those players in the LLWS made sure their kids seat belt was buckled before they drove home.

I found it ironic that some of the base coaches in the LLWS were wearing helmets standing right beside their 3B who were not. The reality is the problem is not going away until big leaguers wear them or it made a rule. It reminds of racing bicycles in the 80's, back then no one wore a helmet, now that the pros do, you hardly ever see even a recreational cyclist riding without one. Same with seat belts, how many of us wore them back in the 70's & 80's?, now it is just something you do.

BTW: The repose about "why don't you throw BP without a screen" is brilliant, I am going to use that.

 

[bucket pinata]

Last weekend my DD took a comebacker in the circle in a 16 Gold tourney. She has great reflexes and is a good fielder. the liner came straight at her face and she did get her glove up in time. just in time, the force of the ball smashed her glove into her mask hard enough to sprain and bruise the thumb on her glove hand. So there is an example of catching the ball and being very glad she had a mask on at the same time. You just never know.

 

[mr19]

As the father of a 11U fastpitch catcher and 8U baseball pitcher I would absolutely have my son wear one if pitching or playing 3B. It is stupid and irresponsible IMO to have a pitcher not wear a mask (and should be a helmet too. How many serious injuries happen from shots to the temple when wearing a mask since the natural inclination is to turn your head?). When he complains I just remind him that no one will ever say anything about a facemask when you strike them out.

There needs to be one that looks different from the fastpitch mask though so boys don't think its a girl thing. I always find it interesting when fathers on my son's team ask me why he wears a mask. These are same fathers of boys who play football and lacrosse, and when asked why their kids wear a helmet in those sports they have their answer. I guarantee every parent of those players in the LLWS made sure their kids seat belt was buckled before they drove home.

I found it ironic that some of the base coaches in the LLWS were wearing helmets standing right beside their 3B who were not. The reality is the problem is not going away until big leaguers wear them or it made a rule. It reminds of racing bicycles in the 80's, back then no one wore a helmet, now that the pros do, you hardly ever see even a recreational cyclist riding without one. Same with seat belts, how many of us wore them back in the 70's & 80's?, now it is just something you do.

BTW: The repose about "why don't you throw BP without a screen" is brilliant, I am going to use that.

Newbie here but jumping in regardless (heck why else did I join).

I'd be surprised if you don't get some backlash from your son in the coming years about that mask. I understand your points but do believe it's gonna be a tougher sell as your kid gets older and the other kids become less receptive to "different".

I didn't see the post on BP without a screen, but unlike players the batted ball doesn't always have my undivided attention when throwing BP (usually baseball), not to mention I'm usually in several feet from the actual mound. As for coaching 1B/3B, similar situation where the batted ball will not always have my undivided attention with runners on base, etc.

All that being said my 12u DD wears a mask mainly because when we showed up at our first practice last year she was the only one without one -- so off to the local sports store I went while they started practice. Not really an issue for her or myself, but I will say given how far in our 3B played during bunt situations I might have had her in full catcher's gear.

 

[sbmom19]

Our HS conference made a rule for the upcoming season that all pitchers and 3rd baseman are required to wear a face mask after a pitcher at States took a line drive to the face resulting in multiple fractures and reconstructive surgery. My DD (15 yrs old) who is primarily a catcher didn't want to wear one in the field until I showed her some pictures of some players that didn't wear one, including a 2nd baseman that took one in the face in a practice. She now wears one all the time.

As for college players not wearing one, my DD and I payed special attention who was and wasn't wearing a mask and it seemed to us that there were a lot more players wearing one this year. I can't imagine any coach who would frown on an extra piece of safety equipment...

 

[riseball]

...As for college players not wearing one, my DD and I payed special attention who was and wasn't wearing a mask and it seemed to us that there were a lot more players wearing one this year. I can't imagine any coach who would frown on an extra piece of safety equipment...

Usage has increased but use is still very uncommon in college. My observation has been the older, more elite the play the fewer masks present. Could be they do not want the stigma attached, they do not need them, or both.