MASK

[Bring it]

John:

Already did that, but I will re-state. Your points are off the subject...ths is a softball site and I don't see the need to bring in other topics unrelated to softball for comparison. Others might, I don't, so I did not choose to personally respond directly to those points you brought forth to the discussion.

[coachmatt]

Truth is we live in a world that we cannot protect our kids from injuries or even death unless we put them in a suit of armor and say a few prayers that nothing can find that chink in the armor.
The best we can do is to prepare them for any given situation.....I can honestly say that I have bloodied more noses, blackened eyes, knocked teeth loose and left many a seam imprint on foreheads and various body parts during practice than in all the games i have ever coached in preparation to play the game that we all love so much.

not proud of it....just the way it is....

[Blind Squirrel]

John:

Already did that, but I will re-state. Your points are off the subject...ths is a softball site and I don't see the need to bring in other topics unrelated to softball for comparison. Others might, I don't, so I did not choose to personally respond directly to those points you brought forth to the discussion.

My bad. I misperceived the subject of this thread to be the possibly significant danger faced by children involved in an optional activity and how parents should respond to that danger. I was under the mistaken belief that comments about the need for certain positions to wear masks because of the relative amount of danger of serious injury, were relevant.

Now whether you are anyone else elects to respond to the questions about similarly dangerous optional activities (i.e., football and driving) is not for me to decide. Nor is the general perception of folks who are unwilling to stand up for what they believe in and engage in adult discussion. Everyone forms their own opinions and comes to their own conclusions when folks refuse to address relevant points. If you still fail to see the relevance, then there isn't really much I can do to help with the underlying reason.

Perhaps you should just cast aspersions at people who don't believe masks should be required and leave rationale/reasoning out of it.

John

[Bring it]

John:

I will type real slow so you understand what I am standing up for and what I believe in...WEAR THE MASK. Is this plain enough for you to understand? Just in case you did not get it the first time...WEAR THE MASK.

Now if you want to find a good NASCAR site, or perhaps a football safety site, I will be glad to discuss the finer points of safety in those areas on those sites. However, on this site I am more concerned with not witnessing some DD's skull being crushed in a GAME because some parent has a stronger belief in parent rights than the safety of their DD.

[knucklecurve]

I talked to my DD about this particular topic when I saw it last week and made me begin to consider it as well. She plays 3rd base and absolutley loves it. I made a simple comment to her that I was thinking about getting her a mask, and her response back to me was, "I'll wear it if you get me one", without any hesitation which kinda took me by surprise. I think that it will make her even more fearless and a better 3rd baseman for doing it!!!

I would never be able to forgive myself for not protecting her, becasue all it takes is one time and she would be scared for life.

Who would risk that for there kid?!? I guess now we know.

[Blind Squirrel]

If I had known what I was dealing with, basic feelings of compassion and common decency would have prevented me from submitting my earlier responses. I am dead serious. I would love for someone else to address the issues I've raised if anyone is interested in seeing this discussion continue.

John

[SnocatzDad]

I have no strong opinion on this issue. I do wonder if, given the available information on the potentially serious affects from the hits suffered by youth football players (including those studies funded by the NFL), that the folks who condemn others for not protecting their kids would allow their sons to play football? I wonder if, given the statistics on 16/17 year old drivers, a single one of these people allow their under 18 year old child to drive a multi-ton vehicle with the ability to go 100 mph, particularly when nothing can be done to prevent the actions of the drivers around them?

John

I think those are other valid areas of concern.

My son is 7th grade and plays line in football and I am very cognizant of the dangers. The long term effects of multiple concussions is something that new information comes out on all the time and I must admit that I've been tempted at times to just say no. We do take steps to make this safe. Our youth coaches go through an orientation that discusses the dangers of putting a kid with a concussion back in the game and what to look for, and our HS trainer takes a baseline on the entire football team at the beginning of the season so that he has a reference point the judge against when doing the testing for concussion of a player during a game. None of that happened 10 years ago. That is managing the risk.

Kid safety behind the wheel is also a big concern and we have special laws in place for beginning drivers to help try to get them past that first year safely. We have a curfew on how late they can be driving and another rule that limits them to haveing only one non-sibiling minor passenger for the first year.

I think the mask issue needs to be looked at as an evolution of the sport. Kids are starting younger, pitching faster, hitting harder and using bats that would have seemed magical ten year s ago. Tiger Woods isn't the reason every golf course added 50 yards per hole on the PGA tour, club technology demanded it.

The factor that sways me to make this a rule versus an option is the fact that I as a coach don't want to be responsible for one of my players putting a ball through your kids skull. I've known two players who caused serious injuries to the face of other players and it has had a lasting affect on them, so not wearing a mask by choice doesn't just effect the the player at risk.

[Blind Squirrel]

I have no strong opinion on this issue. I do wonder if, given the available information on the potentially serious affects from the hits suffered by youth football players (including those studies funded by the NFL), that the folks who condemn others for not protecting their kids would allow their sons to play football? I wonder if, given the statistics on 16/17 year old drivers, a single one of these people allow their under 18 year old child to drive a multi-ton vehicle with the ability to go 100 mph, particularly when nothing can be done to prevent the actions of the drivers around them?

John

I think those are other valid areas of concern.

My son is 7th grade and plays line in football and I am very cognizant of the dangers. The long term effects of multiple concussions is something that new information comes out on all the time and I must admit that I've been tempted at times to just say no. We do take steps to make this safe. Our youth coaches go through an orientation that discusses the dangers of putting a kid with a concussion back in the game and what to look for, and our HS trainer takes a baseline on the entire football team at the beginning of the season so that he has a reference point the judge against when doing the testing for concussion of a player during a game. None of that happened 10 years ago. That is managing the risk.

Kid safety behind the wheel is also a big concern and we have special laws in place for beginning drivers to help try to get them past that first year safely. We have a curfew on how late they can be driving and another rule that limits them to haveing only one non-sibiling minor passenger for the first year.

I think the mask issue needs to be looked at as an evolution of the sport. Kids are starting younger, pitching faster, hitting harder and using bats that would have seemed magical ten year s ago. Tiger Woods isn't the reason every golf course added 50 yards per hole on the PGA tour, club technology demanded it.

The factor that sways me to make this a rule versus an option is the fact that I as a coach don't want to be responsible for one of my players putting a ball through your kids skull. I've known two players who caused serious injuries to the face of other players and it has had a lasting affect on them, so not wearing a mask by choice doesn't just effect the the player at risk.

Thank you for an intelligent, reasoned response. More later.

John

[Bring it]

I agree that was an intelligent response. I basically said the same thing as he did in the last paragraph. I just did not see the need to discuss the other points to get there.

[monkeysmom]

You can use whatever example you would like, football, driving, volleyball and the core issue remains the same...if there is an item that will prevent significant injury or even loss of life to a child, most parents will err on the side of caution and protect their child. Once it has been proven to be effective, associations and TD will enventually jump on the bandwagon and require them to reduce liability. I am sure that is why so many sports require the current equipment they do now.

I cannot wrap my child in bubble wrap and prevent all injury and danger but I can when I am educated to the risks make decisions to protect their welfare.