What is your take on this situation?

Question

My son is 14 and is on a youth baseball team, he is a catcher, and during practice catchers are only required to wear a catchers mask while catching, I would like him to wear all the protective equipment he can, but he says he doesnt need it because it is just practice. What areas should he be worried about getting hurt in particular while catching without protection?

Answer 1

How many times do you have to ask this question? I smell a troll...

Answer 2

well in my own situation, when I was about his age I was also a catcher, except I played softball...it was in the middle of a game and I had on all of my protective gear, and I remember getting the worse bruise of my life, the ball hit me on my inner thigh were there is no protective gear, I could barely walk, it was the size of a grapefruit and red and purple, I mean its not likely for this to happen, but you cant overprotect your child either....I was being safe and I still got hurt

Answer 3

Are you not on a baseball field in practice? is it not the same field as you play on when it is not pratice? I would say, he should wear all the same safety stuff he does in a real game. If he cant wear it... then he cant play. im sure he will be quick to put it all on.

Answer 4

People still swing bats and pitchers still pitch hard what is the difference?  The ball team when you signed up probly had you sign a thing for liability and that they are not at fault.  So you have to be the bad guy and make him wear it for his protection.

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Answer 5

Practice is no different than playing a game. The catcher is just as liable to be injured.  Just ask a professional catcher.  Some of them have had serious injuries just during practice.  The coach is at fault for this by the way. S/he is supposed to be enforcing the rules including the safety ones.

Answer 6

My take is that you have a really odd obsession and/or hobby.

http://answers.yahoo.com/search/search_r...

Answer 7

At the risk of being alarmist, I will tell you that a coworker was struck in the forehead by a softball while playing outfield.  Her sinus caved in, and a steel plate was put in her head to repair the injury.    Another risk is that of being struck squarely in the chest by a fast moving ball, which can cause the heart to stop, resulting in sudden death.   http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15699543/   A face mask is not going to protect against this risk, though.

That said, also please keep in mind that such injuries are very, very rare, and he is probably more likely to twist an ankle (which a catcher's mask will do nothing to prevent) or to be injured in an auto accident riding home from the game.  

The risk of physical injury must be weighed against the risk of interfering in a child's social development, which is going to be somewhat challenged if he is the only kid with an overprotective Mom who loads him down with safety gear that none of the other kids have to wear.   It can be pretty hard on a boy's self-esteem.