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FACEMASKS!!!

What's on your mind?

by Chin Music » Wed Jul 19, 2017 10:40 pm

Curve I believe we are talking girls softball right? Being a former men's pitcher also and playing through the transition of a "soft"ball to the rock the girls play with today, maybe it is time to evolve equipment wise as the game has changed. I never had a face mask on my batting helmet when I played. Batting helmets weren't even required half the time. I've seen my daughters many times foul a ball into their face mask and was glad to see they had one.
Riding my daughters coat tails through rec/travel/College with the bats and balls these kids play with after 10u/ rec more safety could be addressed.
Most parents and coaches have seen a pitcher get drilled with line shot comebacker so why not protect her face? Reaction time
at times can be near impossible!
I wouldn't have a problem mandating face mask for pitchers till after 18s if nobody changes balls or bats.
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by curveballerguy124 » Thu Jul 20, 2017 2:32 pm

No Chin totally kidding, I made a joke of it because like I said, I see more MEN wearing them now then ever before.. IMO If grown ass men who have been pitching for 15+ years are wearing them for safety then a teenage girl with less experience, less ball movement and less velocity, should most definitely have one on regardless of who she is facing at the plate.

I do talk to my pitchers about wearing facemasks all the time, but for the most part it falls on deaf ears. The only way to assure a kid wearing a mask is to mandate it......Buuuuut, like we all know that will probably not happen until something tragic occurs to somebody who is in a position to make that sort of change! So until then the task of facemasks lands in the hands of mom and dads everywhere and unfortunately that's not one of those life lessons you can tell your DD after the fact, "I told you so"!!!

That's my .02
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by ocarterok » Thu Jul 20, 2017 5:15 pm

The State of Kentucky has mandated that all softball players (in school ) must wear a facemask. I'm assuming they mean rec-ball too?

http://usatodayhss.com/2017/kentucky-be ... n-softball
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by jtat32 » Fri Jul 21, 2017 3:48 pm

ocarterok wrote:The State of Kentucky has mandated that all softball players (in school ) must wear a facemask. I'm assuming they mean rec-ball too?

http://usatodayhss.com/2017/kentucky-be ... n-softball


From the article, it looks like just high school with a recommendation to the junior high school governing body to do the same. Can't see that it would impact rec ball directly.

This was discussed on another site (UCS) with insight provided from some natives that middle school kids can play on HS teams, and do so frequently to fill rosters. This leads to large differences in abilities of the players on the field. It's certainly possible that creates liability issues for the HS governing bodies and that's what lead to the legislation.
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by sdiamond » Wed Jul 26, 2017 11:41 am

Yes Kentucky High School Athletic Association made it mandatory for the corners and pitchers to wear facemasks as has Missouri. So now we only need 48 other States to follow. I appreciate all the comments here and as some have stated it should be the parents who insist their child wears protective gear.Thats what dumbfounds me though, they dont.
Thanks again for your responses much appreciated.
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by Sam » Wed Jul 26, 2017 2:50 pm

its the frickin bats or the balls......no need for masks if dumb down either.
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by Pale Rider » Thu Jul 27, 2017 7:01 am

Sam wrote:its the frickin bats or the balls......no need for masks if dumb down either.


The game, the players themselves and yes the equipment has evolved to the point that masks are a smart idea...
The popularity of the game itself is due to the fact that its much more 'lively' and yes, we dig homeruns... Dumbing down the equipment is wildly more expensive and more easily manipulated than just a mask...and would take away some of the what has made the game more popular...
I remember when the wearing a helmet in hockey was frowned on also...but wearing some protective gear is just the smart thing to do...
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by Pale Rider » Thu Jul 27, 2017 8:54 am

Lets go back to this...in the 60s
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by Sam » Thu Jul 27, 2017 12:05 pm

Pale Rider wrote:
Sam wrote:its the frickin bats or the balls......no need for masks if dumb down either.


The game, the players themselves and yes the equipment has evolved to the point that masks are a smart idea...
The popularity of the game itself is due to the fact that its much more 'lively' and yes, we dig homeruns... Dumbing down the equipment is wildly more expensive and more easily manipulated than just a mask...and would take away some of the what has made the game more popular...
I remember when the wearing a helmet in hockey was frowned on also...but wearing some protective gear is just the smart thing to do...



They did it in baseball. Why is softball any different?
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by Pale Rider » Thu Jul 27, 2017 12:19 pm

Sam wrote:They did it in baseball. Why is softball any different?


And have since changed it back somewhat...at the cost of millions (overall) that most college softball teams cant afford...vs a $50 mask for a few kids?

Sam we can argue this chit (again) for months (again) and still agree to disagree
WTH is the big deal about wearing a mask...what's the 'downside'? Whats written on the con side?

We're seeing more and more high end pitchers wear them...its really not a big deal.
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