Pitchers - Wear your masks

[JCates]

If a parent wants their kid to wear a mask,who cares it's their decision.My daughter is a freshman in college ,no batting gloves,no face mask on helmet,no mask at third base.She 19 and that is her decision..I don't think attacking anyone's parenting skills is needed.

I will agree with you 100 percent in regard to your daughter...she is a legal adult. I have never discussed anything about legal age individuals other than mentioning I saw the mask on a D-1 college pitcher in a game I went to in response to a previous poster who implied that college coaches see this as a weakness. What I have questioned is the use of common sense by parents with younger players, etc. Others have brought the college age into the question and whether college coaches look at this as weak.

I do not think parents that refuse to have their child wear a mask are bad parents. I do think they are using a lack of common sense on this issue, and I don't apologize for my beliefs. If they are confident in their decision then my thoughts should mean absolutely nothing to them and they can go about their business. I sincerely hope their decision does not backfire on them. If it does I certainly will not take pleasure that it happened, not will I ever say I told you so. My only concern will be the rapid recovery of that child. I am sure the guilt they will feel over their decision should that happen will say more than I ever could, and saying something at that point would serve no purpose.

That said, I can, and will argue on the side of safety in this case and will continue to do so. If I can convince a few to change their opinion about wearing the mask with younger players then that is a positive in my opinion. As I have said previously...my only concern is the safety of the young players. If that makes me a bad guy I can live with that label.

[Joe]

If a parent wants their kid to wear a mask,who cares it's their decision.My daughter is a freshman in college ,no batting gloves,no face mask on helmet,no mask at third base.She 19 and that is her decision..I don't think attacking anyone's parenting skills is needed.

Whose decision was it when she was 14? We'll wait for your answer before attacking...

[americandad]

Five years ago it would have been my decision,no one was wearing masks and the ones out there were terrible.Five years ago my kid was catching and playing base.
If a parent really believes their kid should wear a mask and lets her play without one and she gets hurts that would be hard to live with.When my older girls were playing we had the same discussion about face masks on helmets .Then companies came out with ones that were designed better.I think that a lot of kids feel safer at the plate ,so they don't learn proper bunting form and how to turn inward on a pitch coming at them.Just like when a girl fouls a ball into their face when they are swinging at the ball because they have a terrible swing.A proper swing and that would never happen.When is the last time you saw a major league player do that.So proper technique would cut down on the amount of injuries.But there is always the freak thing ,so I don't blame a person for wanting their kid as safe as possible.It's not anyone's place to give another parent a hard time when they are leaning towards safety with their kid.If you are coaching a youth team and you tell a parent you don't want his or her kid to wear a mast and she gets her face busted up.How could you face that parent and player?That would be tough.

[JCates]

For those wanting stats, etc. here is one article I researched and found. I bolded the stat for Spaz who cxhose to ignore it with his post below.

Softball Pitcher's Face Mask Should Be Mandatory
By Jim Moyer


The time has come for the Sanctioning bodies of adult softball and youth fastpitch softball to require all softball pitchers and 3rd basemen to wear a protective softball face mask. While the actual risk of being hit in the face with a line drive is slight, the severity of the injury can be blindness or even death. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission in 1991 reported that more than 100,000 cases of facial trauma occurred in children younger than 14 years while they participated in sports activities with a surprisingly high incidence of female pitchers that are hit with a batted ball.A couple of real life examples that I have witnessed first hand. A few years back when my daughters softball team was just a 10 year old team, we had the opportunity to play a High School Junior Varsity team. During that game, one of our 10 year old girls hit a line shot back at the pitcher. The pitcher was just able to move her head enough that the ball glanced off the side of her head just above her ear. She immediately fell to the ground and everyone rushed the field to see about her. Fortunately the ball had glanced off of her rather than a straight on blunt impact. She only suffered from a rather severe abrasion on her head, a swollen ear, and a pretty good size knot on her head. Understand that I'm talking about a fairly athletic 14 year old girl only had the chance to react and turn her head about 45 degrees to avoid a ball hit by a 10 year old girl.

Just this season I was watching a fastpitch softball game of 12 year old girls. I was sitting by the father of the 3rd baseman and we were discussing how scary it is that coach's have the 3rd baseman play so close to home plate. Many 3rd baseman now play about 20 feet inside 3rd base and even closer when the coach thinks the other team is going to bunt. Later that same inning, a batter ripped a line drive about 18 inches directly over his daughter's head. She didn't even have time to flinch. Honestly, it was so sudden she didn't have time to duck or move her hands for protection. The dad, relieved that his daughter was okay, said, "That's it. I'm online tonight and will buy a protective face mask. She won't play 3rd base again without one."

One might think a protective face mask is only applicable to girls softball, but that would be naive. Just two years ago, I met a man that played recreational slow pitch softball. He proceeded to tell me that he still plays softball but he can no longer pitch. He had been struck in his right eye socket with a batted ball and could not risk being struck again. Are you ready for this, it took three surgeries and 189 stitches to repair the damage to his eye socket, nose, and cheek. I don't know his exact age, but I suspect he was in his late 20's or early 30's when the injury occurred.

The game of softball is the most participated sport in the U.S. Given this level of participation and the possible severity of facial injuries, it just makes sense that players in high risk positions should be required to wear a softball protective face mask. The unfortunate reality is that most people will not wear safety gear until they are required to do so. A couple of years ago, face masks on batting helmets became mandatory. In the year prior to that rule, my daughter's softball team was the only team in our fastpitch softball league that voluntarily put face masks on batting helmets. That's just one team out of approximately 50 teams.

I'm not sure why more players don't wear the protective face mask. I suspect some parents are not aware that it exists and many other parents don't want to spend the $40.00 because the odds are so slim. Imagine what the cost might be for a trip to the emergency room, a week in the hospital, and two or three re-constructive surgeries. That's just the actual financial cost. Also consider the potential of losing sight in one eye, or the mental damage associated with having scars from 189 stitches. Those costs can't be measured.

Now that you have been made aware of the safety issue, the severity of the injury, the knowledge that there are softball protective face masks on the market, what will your position be? Will you be proactive with your local league? If you coach, will you be proactive with your team? Finally, will you be proactive with your daughter, or with yourself if you play softball?

Slow pitch softball and fastpitch softball are great games. I hope you will take the necessary precautions to ensure your safety and those you are responsible for. For more information regarding softball game face protective masks, please see http://www.mysoftballcoach.com/game-face.html.




Jim Moyer is the author of http://www.mysoftballcoach.com Having coached over 500 youth fastpitch softball games, Jim decided to put the information online to allow parent/coaches to draw on his unique experience.

[JCates]

Five years ago it would have been my decision,no one was wearing masks and the ones out there were terrible.Five years ago my kid was catching and playing base.
If a parent really believes their kid should wear a mask and lets her play without one and she gets hurts that would be hard to live with.When my older girls were playing we had the same discussion about face masks on helmets .Then companies came out with ones that were designed better.I think that a lot of kids feel safer at the plate ,so they don't learn proper bunting form and how to turn inward on a pitch coming at them.Just like when a girl fouls a ball into their face when they are swinging at the ball because they have a terrible swing.A proper swing and that would never happen.When is the last time you saw a major league player do that.So proper technique would cut down on the amount of injuries.But there is always the freak thing ,so I don't blame a person for wanting their kid as safe as possible.It's not anyone's place to give another parent a hard time when they are leaning towards safety with their kid.If you are coaching a youth team and you tell a parent you don't want his or her kid to wear a mast and she gets her face busted up.How could you face that parent and player?That would be tough.

Agreed...but you have to factor the pitch and everything else into that statement. There are so many variables involved in making the perfect play and even the professionals are not able to be perfect all the time. This is why I push for the mask...it only takes once and the damage can be awful. I cannot understand how any parent can look at their DD knowing there is a high quality, relatively inexpensive means to protect them that will not affect their game. The Rip It mask is a great preventative. These same parents will think nothing of putting down $300 for a high level bat. Why does safety always have to be reactive instead of proactive? Reactive means a problem has already occured and then it is to late for the DD.

[anonlooker]

For those wanting stats, etc. here is one article I researched and found.

Are you kidding me? This is what you found to support your position. A guy who quotes his coaching record at the 8u level. A guy whose 10u team plays a HS JV team and claims his competition is fairly athletic but couldn't handle a batted ball by a 10u player?
To quote the great G
LMAOWIOAB

Mind if I join you?

Anecdotal evidence does not constitute "stats, etc"... it doesn't even count as reliable evidence.

I looked for stats, from the NFHS Softball page, under Sports Medicine, the National Center for Catastrophic Injury Research has conducted a 27 year study of Catastrophic Injuries in HS Sports.

There have been 5 total for softball, in 27 years. Those 5 are divided into three categories... go ahead and read the report for details. It includes stats for all HS and college sports.

This is the kind of information well-informed people use to determine risk factors.

I have no issue with kids wearing masks, only with the type of hysteria you propagate while implying that everyone is at great risk. That simply is not the case. The sky is not falling.

[JCates]

@Spaz:

I copied the whole article. As usual, you chose to ignore the stat so I will print it again.

According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission in 1991 reported that more than 100,000 cases of facial trauma occurred in children younger than 14 years while they participated in sports activities with a surprisingly high incidence of female pitchers that are hit with a batted ball.

Plain enough for you.

[JCates]

For those wanting stats, etc. here is one article I researched and found.

Are you kidding me? This is what you found to support your position. A guy who quotes his coaching record at the 8u level. A guy whose 10u team plays a HS JV team and claims his competition is fairly athletic but couldn't handle a batted ball by a 10u player?
To quote the great G
LMAOWIOAB

Mind if I join you?

Anecdotal evidence does not constitute "stats, etc"... it doesn't even count as reliable evidence.

I looked for stats, from the NFHS Softball page, under Sports Medicine, the National Center for Catastrophic Injury Research has conducted a 27 year study of Catastrophic Injuries in HS Sports.

There have been 5 total for softball, in 27 years. Those 5 are divided into three categories... go ahead and read the report for details. It includes stats for all HS and college sports.

This is the kind of information well-informed people use to determine risk factors.

I have no issue with kids wearing masks, only with the type of hysteria you propagate while implying that everyone is at great risk. That simply is not the case. The sky is not falling.

I am not trying to create hysteria. I found a stat and posted it for information. I have never stated that it happens on a huge basis. I have commented, and this is a generalization of my comments, that I think it is important to be proactive and protect these younger kids from potential major injury by using a inexpensive mask that does not affect the way they play the game. I personally do not want to see a stat that indicates that a ton of kids have had their face crushed before such a simple decision is made. I believe in being proactive in the protection of children and I think as adults it is a role we should embrace.

If you and Spaz and whomever else want to argue against this have at it. I don't care. My view in whether the mask should be worn will cause no damage to children. That is a stat you can not argue with. The only thing that I have argued for is protecting younger children and for whatever reason that seems to offend you...nothing I can do about it.

Fact: Very few of the kids that play softball will make it to the college level of play.

Fact: The mask, both on the helmet and on the fielder is showing up at the college level as the technology has improved with such inovations as the Rip It mask. Personally saw a D-1 game this week where both were worn in the game.

That said, I think daughters can protect those faces and brains they will have long after their playing days are over and not risk the precious scholarship so deeply wanted by the parents. Here is another proactive suggestion for you...create a college fund in case DD does not get a scholarship, burns out on the game of softball, or gets injured (hopefully not by a shot to the head).

Why risk a major injury to your child by not utilizing this technology? Especially with the younger players who have less developed skill levels? Above everything thing else, this is a game.

By the way...I don't have time to review what the NHFS definition of catastrophic injury is. What injuries make that list? As a dad, a broken eye socket, concussion, vision reduction and just the fact of knowing my daughter was injured because I refused to have her wear something like an inexpensive mask that could have protected her without compromising the game are just a few of the injuries I would consider catastrophic if it were my daughter injured.

[Joe]

A few years back when my daughters softball team was just a 10 year old team, we had the opportunity to play a High School Junior Varsity team. During that game, one of our 10 year old girls hit a line shot back at the pitcher. The pitcher was just able to move her head enough that the ball glanced off the side of her head just above her ear. She immediately fell to the ground and everyone rushed the field to see about her. Fortunately the ball had glanced off of her rather than a straight on blunt impact. She only suffered from a rather severe abrasion on her head, a swollen ear, and a pretty good size knot on her head. Understand that I'm talking about a fairly athletic 14 year old girl only had the chance to react and turn her head about 45 degrees to avoid a ball hit by a 10 year old girl.

Did I miss something here? Am I reading this right where a JV team played a team of 10 year olds? Teenagers verses pre-adolescent children? If so, the debate should be about what dumb-ass coach let these two teams take the field together. The mask argument is way down on the list of proper decision-making by the adults on this one...

[JCates]

A few years back when my daughters softball team was just a 10 year old team, we had the opportunity to play a High School Junior Varsity team. During that game, one of our 10 year old girls hit a line shot back at the pitcher. The pitcher was just able to move her head enough that the ball glanced off the side of her head just above her ear. She immediately fell to the ground and everyone rushed the field to see about her. Fortunately the ball had glanced off of her rather than a straight on blunt impact. She only suffered from a rather severe abrasion on her head, a swollen ear, and a pretty good size knot on her head. Understand that I'm talking about a fairly athletic 14 year old girl only had the chance to react and turn her head about 45 degrees to avoid a ball hit by a 10 year old girl.

Did I miss something here? Am I reading this right where a JV team played a team of 10 year olds? Teenagers verses pre-adolescent children? If so, the debate should be about what dumb-ass coach let these two teams take the field together. The mask argument is way down on the list of proper decision-making by the adults on this one...

Joe: I will agree 100 percent with you on that one. I copied and posted the entire article and I probably should have just copied the stat to keep this conversation from going off course. I figured someone would figure I was trying to create hysteria in my attempt to be proactive. Wait...that happened anyway so I reposted with just the stat so that we can keep this conversation on the mask and not on whatever other directions people go on this discussion.