I 'm a Firm Believer In....

[ASA/NYSSOBLUE]

...face masks for the P, 3B, and maybe 1B...

Worked a PONY 12U today, and first game I had the plate, and it was pretty darn good game - two pretty decent pitchers, excellent catchers..was actually better than a lot of the JV crap I have had this year ! Anyways, about an hour into a 1:20 time limit game, we actually in B5! 'Home' team had a runner on 1, when the B hits a SHOT right up the middle, which glances off the P's cheek. I immediately call dead ball - R1 as past 2nd, so placed her on 3. The P, of course, immediately breaks out in tears, both sides coaches go out to help her, etc,etc... my partner & I, rightly or wrongly, stop the clock for ten minutes, as the kid is looked at. She calmed down very quickly, ice was put on it - and she returns to pitch! Everybody applauded, and I give her a nice big 'thumbs up'. she actually pitches just as good, until.....there's ANOTHER shot up the middle! The kid deflects this one, but at this point she loses it...and quite frankly I came pretty close too! She comes out, and her RP gives up the game ending runs... After changing for the second game, I went over to the kid, and made sure she was OK....she had calmed down by this point, so everybody was happy...

I ABSOLUTELY now see the need for the masks for kids...and maybe anybody else playing FP. One parent said, that the $50 investment is worth it - esp wen the kid has $5,000 in braces on!

[wadeintothem]

I agree, no softball org should ban their use on the field, allowing parents to take such action as that as they see fit for their kids. And I also hope I or my partner could handle a non injury graze and a "really close call" quicker than 10 Mins.

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by ASA/NYSSOBLUE

...face masks for the P, 3B, and maybe 1B...

Worked a PONY 12U today, and first game I had the plate, and it was pretty darn good game - two pretty decent pitchers, excellent catchers..was actually better than a lot of the JV crap I have had this year ! Anyways, about an hour into a 1:20 time limit game, we actually in B5! 'Home' team had a runner on 1, when the B hits a SHOT right up the middle, which glances off the P's cheek. I immediately call dead ball - R1 as past 2nd, so placed her on 3. The P, of course, immediately breaks out in tears, both sides coaches go out to help her, etc,etc... my partner & I, rightly or wrongly, stop the clock for ten minutes, as the kid is looked at. She calmed down very quickly, ice was put on it - and she returns to pitch! Everybody applauded, and I give her a nice big 'thumbs up'. she actually pitches just as good, until.....there's ANOTHER shot up the middle! The kid deflects this one, but at this point she loses it...and quite frankly I came pretty close too! She comes out, and her RP gives up the game ending runs... After changing for the second game, I went over to the kid, and made sure she was OK....she had calmed down by this point, so everybody was happy...

I ABSOLUTELY now see the need for the masks for kids...and maybe anybody else playing FP. One parent said, that the $50 investment is worth it - esp wen the kid has $5,000 in braces on!

Yet, these parents are the same looking for the "hottest" bat for their DD so she may compete for the almighty scholarship. Maybe these parents should be buying wood bats instead.