Softball Infield Facemasks: Mandatory or Non-Mandatory In any sport, there is a great risk for injuries for athletes that play the game, and athletes accept the fact that injuries can and will happen. For the probability of injuries happening, there is always a discussion about how to improve safety so injuries will not happen. In softball, the greatest discussion is whether to mandate infield facemasks or not. Sure the normal injuries will happen such as sprained ankles, cuts, and bruises, but there are the facial injuries that happen when the player is not protected properly.
To start off, a softball field is very small compared to baseball, which means that pitchers are more at risk to being subjected to facial injuries. Softball
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To be more exact, “a radar gun recently clocked the exit speed of a ball off one composite bat at 115 mph, 17 mph over the NCAA’s limit” (Jjgisondi.) On bunt situations, corner infielders, which are the first and third basemen, should wear protective facemasks when playing these positions since these position players move in about 20 feet from the batters box. The batter could fake bunt and hit the ball. When this happens the corner infielders have even less time to react when a line drive is hit. In comparison, “even hockey players, among the toughest athletes in sports, wear protective head gear while goalies fully cover their faces. Wearing facemasks is not a sign of weakness but of intelligence” (Jjgisondi.) Both leagues, the USSSA and the ASA said, “that a safe amount of time for a player to react to a batted ball is .42 seconds” (Guerriero.) Bats over the years have become better and allow more "pop" to them so the ball can be driven farther than aluminum bats. At the Washington State University Sports Science Laboratory, the batted ball exit speed was tested. When the ball is pitched in the middle of the plate, the batter is normally going to make contact with the ball anywhere from 6-8 inches in front of the plate. In fast pitch softball, the pitcher throws from 43 feet away, not including their stride which is normally anywhere from 5 feet towards the home plate. When the ball …show more content…
“Too much protection can be problematic because masks can cause distractions and limit visibility” (D’Elia). When players want to wear a hat or visor to shield the sun, they can't with the facemask. This is messing with the fielders view and can cause the player to lose the ball in the sun, or just entirely. Facemasks can come in different colors, clear, or can even shield the glare from the sun, but sometimes these different masks make the glare worse. When a player gets the wrong size mask, it can slip and slide and cause discomfort. Also, some players do not like to wear masks because of the simple fact that they affect play. Many fast pitch softball pitchers and infielders stay clear of infield facemasks when possible. Reasons being for affecting play is that they can be uncomfortable, sweat can drip into the eyes when playing, they don't look very good, all sports have risks that come with playing the game, and also players think that college coaches will not scout you because you wear a mask which makes the players feel like they are showing the college coaches that they are scared of the ball if they are wearing a mask. Lastly, many people believe that the decision to wear a protective mask should be left up to parents, players, and coaches. “No one wants to get hurt while playing but injuries will occur every now and then despite whatever precautions are taken” (D’Elia). In conclusion,
The big question for people who don’t play this question is really, what is softball? Softball is a little bit more modified version of baseball but softball is played on a smaller field,with a larger ball, played with 7 innings instead of 9 and with underarm pitch in a circular motion. Now that we know what the basic part of softball is let’s talk about the equipment. The equipment used to play softball is a bat about waist level give or
The International Softball Federation was founded in 1952 to govern International competition. “The Championships in 1965 developed women’s softball by making it an international game a step towards the Pan American Games and the Olympics (World Book).” Eleven years later, women softball players were given the closest equivalent to Major League Baseball with the 1976 formation of the International Women’s Professional Softball League. The contracts of the players ranged from $1,000-$3,000 per year.
A person that would like to play professional ball will choose baseball because there is a professional big league, such as the St. Louis Cardinals, but in softball that opportunity is not available. Baseball is played on more levels than softball. It is played on the professional, international, Olympic, college, high school, and little league levels. If a player is fortunate enough to make it to the professional level, he can make millions of dollars.
The researcher has chosen to write this paper on hitting because she has played softball for twelve years and the perfect softball swing has always eluded her. The softball swing is one of the most difficult softball skills to achieve greatness in. There are a number of great hitters all with different batting stances and styles, each one comfortable to them. There are many different tactics and coaching ideas out there to help improve hitting. In fact, there are several videos now on the market to help the softball player perform better. Coaches often teach hitting drills to improve batting techniques and ability. Confidence is an important factor in hitting. If the player lacks confidence then she will not be a good hitter. Softball is not only a physical game but a mental game.
Baseball/softball was, is, and always will be one of the most popular sports of all time. Homeruns, stealing second base, and spectacular plays and catches on the playing field will continue to catch the eyes of millions of people around the globe. Today I’m going to give you a brief demonstration of how the game of baseball/softball is played.
When you strike a bat against a ball it sends vibrations, much like the vibrations acting on airplanes or bridges, which travel in waves through the bat. This motion is important to understand because every vibration the bat experiences takes energy away from the ball's speed as it leaves the bat.
A regulation fast pitch softball, at the high school level, has the circumference of 12 inches and a weight of 6.25-7.00 ounces. The ball has a leather surface and a raised seam that makes gripping the ball easier. These dimensions are different from that of any other ball and effect the shape of a softball throw.
The first reason is, softball players have less time to react to the ball while batting and fielding. Softball fields are closer and smaller than baseball fields. Baseball infields are 16,700 feet and softball infields are only 7,200 feet. This leaves softball players in the infield, outfield and the batters with less time to react to a pitch or a hit. The distance from home plate to the pitcher's mound in softball is 43 feet while in baseball it is 60 feet. Sarah Trifoso plays for the Niagra Purple Eagles
Looking at an article, Baseball vs. Softball, from a website called Ball or Nothing, they state that “Softball, which is perceived to be a “girls sport”, not only differs from baseball in field dimensions, equipment and rules, but, in contrast to many preconceived notions, it also has a higher rate of injury in regards to concussions and sliding related injuries.” So, both the two have different levels of injury rates with different types of injuries. Also in this article, a conversation between Dr. Joe Congeni and Barry Howell quote that “...concussions are far more common, nearly two times as frequent, in softball than baseball (Congeni, 2014).” A study conducted by the American Academy of Pediatrics went more in depth about the concussion differences and claims “the rates of concussions for baseball was 0.2 per 1000 athletic exposures, and for softball the rate of concussions was 0.5 per 1000 athletic exposures.” Congeni also hypothesizes that the shorter distance from home to the mound and a smaller infield is why is it more likely to be hit by a pitch in softball (which make
As Paige and I walked across the field towards our team I felt euphoric. Four long years of work, sweat, and dedication had led up to this night. It was the perfect end to my senior year of softball. The scoreboard just beyond the mass of sweaty, screaming softball players read 15-0. This was the final score of the district championship game, a game my team had never won before. The applause and cheers of the fans echoed in my ears for hours afterward
In American football, helmets are required to decrease traumatic brain injuries and have been successful in doing so. A large part in the success of helmet design is improvements in technology. The sizes of athletes have gone up to make football more dangerous. To protect against brain injury, helmets designs have changed to become heavier and wider, filled within the space are energy absorbing materials, air space and padding to protect the skull upon impact. Originally, helmets were designed to prevent only traumatic brain injuries, but technology is advancing to fill the gap of concussions. Until recently, the seriousness of concussions were not considered part of the equation that needed to be addressed, so manufactures did not utilized in constructing helmets to address this issue (Post et al. 653). Upon predicting risk of concussions in tests, by themselves linear and rotational acceleration are not suitable measurements for modern helmets. These testing measurements do not address the rotational forces and minor hits to the brain which are associated with concussions (Post et al. 654). Given the seriousness of concussions in contact sports, more attention is given to prevent and reduce concussions through testing methods and advancing technology, stronger regulation and changes to the sport. As stated in the article involving the National Football League (NFL), “The risk involved in playing sports are also very real. The NFL is struggling with serious mental and physical health problems because they sustained repeated mild traumatic brain injuries, is what concussions are called. (“Concussions and Marketing of Sports Equipment” 6).
For many of those athletes who lace up their cleats, pull on a glove, and slide through dirt each year, softball has become more than a sport but a way of life, each one of them knowing that “When you step on the field, nothing else matters.” It’s not just the sport, it’s the way to go.
One of the first skills a future softball player learns is how to properly hold a bat. Though they are young and cannot follow much direction, this is the time when their skills first begin. The type of hit that results is dependent on the angle and amount of force the player uses. The softball will pop up high, and sometimes far, when the bat swings in an upward motion. Swinging the bat very straight, along with using a great deal of force, creates what is known as a “line drive” hit. Learning how to swing the bat is only a portion of the skills a player learns at a young age. Having the proper stance is a necessary tool in having an appropriate amount of power for the softball player to hit the ball. Even though it is the player’s arms that hold the bat, it is the player’s legs that allow her to push the ball far. Another important factor is the batter’s grip. The batter must understand how hard to hold onto her bat as she swings, especially when considering the different possibilities of the pitches that can come. If her grip is too strong and her wrist too locked, it will be very difficult for the batter to swing the bat at a hard, swift angle. The bat will be uncomfortable in her hands, and will cause the batter to almost chop at the ball, as if she were holding an ax. Because of this, the player will not have any strength in her swing and, in turn, she will not have any strength in her hit. The
An occupation is anything that has or will occupy your time. Every one has their own occupational history. It is important to know what is involved in performing your occupations correctly. An occupational history includes any of your past, present and future occupations. My personal occupational history includes being a softball player, a waitress, a mother, and in the future an occupational therapist assistant.
The great American football is full of exciting competition, but do we realize the danger! Helmet safety in football remains an immense problem as the sport accounts for the highest incidence of concussions. Since leather football helmets, the technology for safer football helmets has improved drastically and continue to improve. The development of newly designed helmets and technology has lowered the risk of head injuries for players. Furthermore, improvements in helmet testing methods have led to better understand head injuries and the protectiveness of the helmet. However, football helmet safety still remains a challenge, such as a necessity of a proper categorization system to rank helmets and regulations to improve helmet safety. Regardless, standards and regulations attempt to address helmet safety through government intervention and a proper measuring system for football helmets. Americans are culturally involved in highly dangerous aggressive football competition. Despite the cultural perception of football, measures are taken to ensure safety, such as the reforms and education with regards to playing safer football. I intend to address technological advances and regulation of football towards the discussion of helmet safety. Therefore the aggresivity in football’s culture should embrace stronger helmet standards and regulation that are promoted through improved testing methods and innovations because of the need to prevent further dangerous head injuries, especially concussions.