Another bruised plate ump

[Dakota]

Here is what I see...

No chest protector at 12U or below (very common).
No chest protector anytime (frequent, but not as common as for the little kids).
Use of soccer-style half-shin protectors (all levels).
No plate shoes (very common).

Personally, I've taken too many "foul tips to the ..." (using TV announcer-speak) knee caps, shoulders, shins, feet, etc., even with the little kids to go without the gear. Not to mention wild pitches (even though not real fast, they still don't feel very good bouncing off the shins!). But, I'm not into macho pain, and I prefer to stand in to see the pitch, instead of dodging and ducking.