The Importance Of Face Mask In Softball

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As softball season rolls around, every player is preparing themselves for the season. Smelling the dirt and fresh grass makes every softball player antsy for the first game. Most girls have loved this sport ever since they started T-ball at the age of four. So many memories from growing up playing softball all summer long with your best friends. Singing chants in the dugout to making double plays in the field. Softball can’t be compared to anything else because there’s nothing like receiving a regional championship plaque after a long, hard fought game. Some may say that softball is the least dangerous sport, but how about taking an 100 MPH line drive to the head? That’s where a face mask would come into play. Softball has transformed into …show more content…

A plastic and a metal one. They both cover the entire face and is a protective shield against a 110 MPH line drive. A face mask has straps that are connected to the mask that go on and around the head. The straps are adjustable to fit anyones head. All face masks have a chin pad that is usually velcroed into place, that is adjustable as well. Which one is the most reliable? Although, they are both better than not having one at all, the metal face mask is definitely more reliable and more protective. Obviously, the plastic one will break easier than the metal one. When the ball hits the plastic face mask, it could break through and still break a nose, crush the skull or even cause death. With the metal one, the ball is less likely to break through. The metal shield will stop the ball from breaking a nose, crushing the skull or killing someone. Yes, getting used to a face mask will take awhile. Especially getting used to grounding a ball, catching a pop fly and making a great throw to first base to make the third out of the inning. In the end, a face mask is definitely worth the hassle of getting used to playing with it on. Don’t wait until an injury occurs! Infielders need to wear a face mask before it’s too late and they can no longer play because of that one hard hit that ended their career …show more content…

A softball tournament in Huntington Beach turned into the header on the national headlines in the matter of a few hours. Kristi Denny was preparing to pitch a normal softball game on a Friday night. Well, at least she thought it was a normal game. Kristi was pitching for El Toro High, which is the high school she attended. Inning by inning the game was moving along quickly, when all of a sudden Kristi's life changed forever. Kristi threw a pitch and the batter got around on the ball and absolutely hammered it. The batted ball was traveling at 100 miles per hour, at least. People in the stands compared it to a laser beam. A ball that Kristi didn’t even see. That slaughtered ball struck Kristi Denny right in the middle of the forehead. Kristi had no time to react to the ball before she was laying on the ground with a shattered skull. Before anyone got up and ran out to the pitching circle, a player’s father had already called 9-1-1. When Kristi’s mom, Kathy, finally got out to her, Kristi was feeling her forehead with her hand. She was in total shock and so was her mother, coaches, team mates and the entire crowd. Luckily, Kristi was wearing a face mask. Since she was wearing a plastic face mask instead of a metal one, the ball broke through the plastic and still broke her skull into many pieces. While Kristi was laying on the dirt, feeling her forehead, she whispered; “my head’s inside of my

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