Minimizing facial injuries in little league

If they taught early on the proper fielding methods they will get hit in the chops


No way we go to helmets and masks in the field

some youth leagues in our area use "RIF" baseballs at the younger levels -
others use "soft bouncey baseball look-a-likes" (the RIFs are NOT the bouncey look-a-likes) - yet others insist on hardballs

Worth RIF

I'll caution you tho that you may meet some resistance ... I sat on some youth boards where some guys insisted on hardballs immediatly because that's the way they did it

Bee

And perhaps that is the way it should be instead of the country continuing to make our kids soft and softer with each generation---learn the game the correct way

quote:

by >: I'll caution you tho that you may meet some resistance

see ... I'm a genie

lol, I can remeber like it was yesterday ...

our golden retriever usually lurked when the kids were playing catch and was awsome at snagging a throw mid-air - telling her no was useless, she'd give the ball up but it was sloppy by then

after yrs of honing her skills on softer baseballs she lept for a hardball - the first and only time she ever did it ... it knocked her dingy

she did continue to chase grounders & missed throws the rest of her days

quote:

Originally posted by TRhit:
Bee

And perhaps that is the way it should be instead of the country continuing to make our kids soft and softer with each generation---learn the game the correct way

TR...I like your posts, but you are way off base on this one!!! I guess when I was working with Mark Texiera in the fall between his 9th and 10th grade year, teaching him how to field ground balls, he was "learning the game the correct way". Does Mark look soft to anyone?

I'm talking about continuing to try and make baseball, to the youngest ages (6-9), a safe and enjoyable experience. Our central MD, you can't swing a dead cat without hitting a little league with 5-600 kids. Fields are at a premium. And maintainence of these fields is very spotty. I'd like to hear about alternatives solutions, not nagging about softening up the kids.

A 7 year old getting hit in the nose by a bad hop isn't character building!

I don't care for TR's way of putting it, but I have to agree with him on this one.

The crowd that wants your son to wear a helmet everywhere and wear a chest protector in the field is teaching your son one thing: Be afraid, be very very afraid.

Bumps and bruises are a part of the game and it's better to learn how to handle those things earlier as opposed to later.

Injuries do happen, but serious injuries are extremely rare and not totally preventable if you're going to play the game at all.

It's OK for a parent to worry, but we do all need to learn how to cut the old apron strings and let 'em play, for Pete's sake.

Dumb down the bats. The new Slugger SR League bat reminds me of those big red plastic bats we used to play with as toddlers. It's really getting rediculous.

Bad hops and bruises are part of the game. If worse comes to worse there's always the outfield. That's where my son was at that age.

umm, we are talking about a 6 yr old fresh outa tee-ball right?

Bee...

Exactly. My boy Matt has been taking ground balls for two years now. I wouldn't be playing him in 7-8 ball if I didn't think he could handle it, but most of all, because he tells me that is what he wants to do. But I'm still thinking about him, the other kids, and all the moms out there who keep their fingers crossed they won't be visiting the dentist after the game. Like Bee reiterated...6 year olds. They have not developed the ability or reflexes to protect themselves yet.

I'm simply looking for ideas on what can be done to minimize facial injuries.

I'd expect more out of this crowd. Bad hops and bruises are part of the game...darn tootin they are. Play those kids in the outfield? That will keep em coming back. With all due to GloveMan...don't want to turn 7-8 baseball into whiffle ball.

Think out of the norm here people. Instead of talking about the problem and reasons not to solve it, offer up some innovative solutions. I know you all can do it! You have seen (almost) everything.

I'm sure glad football coaches got the common sense to put face guards on the helmets, aren't you? I'm sure some folks thought that was dumb at the time as well. Any takers now?

Want to address one other thing...not a proponent of helmets in the field or chest protectors, not because they look stupid or make the kids afraid...but because they restrict motion. Motion is the best thing some one has at their disposal to get them out of a dangerous situation.

"It's supposed to be fun, the man says 'Play Ball' not 'Work Ball' you know." Willie Stargell

Hall of Famer Bob Lemon once described baseball as "a kid's game adults just screw up."

In other words, when they're 6,7,8 years old, LET THEM ENJOY playing baseball. Who cares if it's with whiffle balls, incredaballs, etc: LET THEM HAVE FUN!!

How many facial injuries actually occur every year?

Originally posted by TRhit:

No way we go to helmets and masks in the field

And perhaps that is the way it should be instead of the country continuing to make our kids soft and softer with each generation---learn the game the correct way


When the game began, batters and catchers did not use helmets. Should we go back to that?

I agree:

In other words, when they're 6,7,8 years old, LET THEM ENJOY playing baseball. Who cares if it's with whiffle balls, incredaballs, etc: LET THEM HAVE FUN!!

BUT KEEP SCORE, IT MATTERS!

I agree with keeping score.

TR, that's an interesting question. Good luck finding an accurate answer.

What question?

If you want a score on the TEE BALL stats ask the father/mom of the kid who got the game winning"hit"

When I was younger we played with tennis balls. I still see young kids 6-9 playing with softer balls when in an UNORGANIZED fashion. If you are going to insist on a hardball for the little ones at least tell the parents to buy a 2 buck peice of plastic called a mouthgaurd, so they can save on the 20k dentist bill.

If you like the look of missing teeth go play ice hockey.

Learn to catch the ball!!!!!

I had a coach who when a player complained about the ball taking a bad hop and getting by him replied "anybody can catch the good ones you have to learn to catch the bad ones

quote:

Originally posted by TRhit:
How many facial injuries actually occur every year?

I would not mind seeing a head/faciel light weight face mask for pitcher's.
something that protected the head, eye socket.
Spiderman mask.
Light weight composite, fit's with the baseball cap.
Just a thought.
EH

hey kid ...

"anybody can catch the good ones you have to learn to catch the bad ones ...
c'mon, don't worry they're only baby teeth!"

"su-ck it up and take one for the team"

"you gotta dive for those balls"

"try to look like a ballplayer"

"if ya showed any work ethic at all you'd be infield"

"you'll always su-ck till you flash the 'Akadema leather' kid"


"gee, I'm doing my best coach Will, coach Midlo, & coach TR ... - what's work ethic? .. I gotta pee soon!"

"what's Akadema, uncle GloveMan"?

quote:

Originally posted by Bee>:
hey kid ...

"anybody can catch the good ones you have to learn to catch the bad ones ...
c'mon, don't worry they're only baby teeth!"

"su-ck it up and take one for the team"

"you gotta dive for those balls"

"try to look like a ballplayer"

"if ya showed any work ethic at all you'd be infield"

"you'll always su-ck till you flash the 'Akadema leather' kid"


"gee, I'm doing my best coach Will, coach Midlo, & coach TR ... - what's work ethic? .. I gotta pee soon!"

"what's Akadema, uncle GloveMan"?

I am gonna need this kid. He is focused, wears his hat correctly, has his glove up and ready and gets his knees dirty. I can see D1 all over this guy!

Merry CHRISTmas to all!!!

What a great pic!!! Is there a game going on, or is he honing in on the snack mom?

Is that a s o k k e r game I see in the background?

Nah.. Looks like I see a ball glove in there. Maybe that cone is being used for a base or something..

I got hit on the noggin when I was that age... I haven't been the same since the accident, the accident, the accident (twitching).

Your right Bee, he won't stop anything with that glove!

I love the grass stains!

LT,
I remember once you posted an inquiry about playing your son "up" which you have decided to do.

My only suggestion is that if you have concerns, then he should be playing with his own age.

JMO.

Thanks for reminding me TPM. You are correct, I did ask the board about that one.

I really don't so much have a concern about my son. Having coached for 15 years at the 17-18 level, you can see I am concerned with baseball in general...not just what is best for my family.

Around these parts, fields are pathetic for the most part. Especially in the spring. When we try and improve them, the county threatens to pull our permit. If playing bad hops and catching a ball in the face each game is "part of the game", then I don't know what to think?

How good were fields 30 years ago? 20 years ago?

I know the field I played on was pretty horrible but we played anyway. If a kid got hit in the face, the game stopped and they checked on him. If he was fine the game continued - if he was hurt he came out - if he was hurt real bad his parents came to see him.

I got hit in the chin once trying to field a ground ball and my mom hit it. We were at the field on our own (dad was working) and she hit one and it popped me good - had a bruise for a week. She said get over it and catch another one. To this day I swear she hit it harder than the one I got hit by.

Larrythompson (and others) i'm not trying to minimize the role of safety in sports but at what point does it go to far?

Where is the fine line between a parent staying up in the stands and coming onto the field to check on their kid?

Where is the fine line between teaching toughness and being irresponsible in terms of safety?

People say our society today is better because parents are looking out for the kids - supervise and organize and instruct because they didn't get it when they were younger.

My question is - what was wrong with the "good old days"?

Was society really all that wrong to let kids be kids?

Today's society you will be hard pressed to find a group of kids in a vacant lot or field in a pickup game.

Good old days (and I consider myself in that although I grew up in the 1980's) it was very common to find kids in a vacant lot or field in a pickup game. Those weren't immaculate fields either.

I'm not trying to start a "fight" but just throwing those questions out there.

Personally I like the argyle socks. Very old school!

Larrythompson, back to your initial question:

Every league I've ever seen for kids 6 & under uses the squishy ball. Then at the slightly higher ages, they use an age-specific ball that feels firm to the grip but has a core engineered to make its impact less threatening. That ball was specifically designed to deal with the threat of injuries to the eye area (fractured orbits, etc.).

Probably the best thing we could do for safety is to recognize that the 60' diamond is OK for kids 7-10 years old but too small for kids 11-12. I remember calling time once when a kid playing 3B for the opposing team crept in way close, expecting a bunt when my guy (a very strong kid) was not bunting. I spoke to the opposing coach and told him, "I swear to you he's not bunting, please back that kid up."

I would rather see the supervising adults use that kind of judgment (and quiet intervention) than to deck kids out in body armor. A mouthguard is probably fine, but the helmet and face mask setup to me is overkill. I also always worry about face masks because they can obscure vision in one of your eyes without your really realizing it, so that you lose your depth perception. Sometimes these overkill safety attempts create more harm than they save.

The best thing a coach can do with young kids is keep an eye out to make sure the kids are paying attention, not daydreaming when a hot shot is coming their way. And the sooner a kid learns to attack the ball, and not to think of the ball as something that is attacking him, the sooner you can stop worrying about that kid's safety. To me the helmet, the facemask or the chest protector all send the counterproductive message.

quote:

Originally posted by larrythompson:
Thanks for reminding me TPM. You are correct, I did ask the board about that one.

I really don't so much have a concern about my son. Having coached for 15 years at the 17-18 level, you can see I am concerned with baseball in general...not just what is best for my family.

Around these parts, fields are pathetic for the most part. Especially in the spring. When we try and improve them, the county threatens to pull our permit. If playing bad hops and catching a ball in the face each game is "part of the game", then I don't know what to think?

I read into your first post that you had concerns about your son. A 7-8 year old does hit the ball harder than a 6 year old, I suppose that's why kids in LL are placed within their own age levels so that injuries remain minimal. Prepare your son for what may occur on the field according to the age group he is playing, or if you have concerns, keep him on the 6 year old level for now until he can learn. Bad fields aren't just found in your state but everywhere you go, every level.

If you work with older players, I'll bet if you ask most of them have been faced with a bad hop at sometime, slid too hard into the base, run into another player, or have been hit by a pitch standing at the plate, just to name a few of the situations that cause injury that can occur in this game.

In any sport there is chance of injury, the best defense is knowledge of how to handle each situation. That knowledge grows as the player becomes older and wiser and moves from level to level.

Kids don't need to play organized ball until they reach 9YO & player pitch.

Prior to that, for the most part they really can't play the game. Their bodies haven't grown enough or gained enough strength. And any injuries may be more severe because of this.

And they pick up too many bad habits that are hard to break when they get older.

And when they do get boinked with a ball, as will happen occasionally to any ballplayer no matter how well trained, they are often too young to handle it. Thus ending up with a fear of the ball that is difficult, sometimes impossible, to master.

Organized sports for kids less than 9YO are more for the parents than the kids.

Turn them loose in the backyard with a plastic bat and wiffle ball. Let them make up their own rules. Let them start when they want, quit when they want. Let them chase the neighbor's cat with the bat if they want.

quote:

Turn them loose in the backyard with a plastic bat and wiffle ball. Let them make up their own rules. Let them start when they want, quit when they want. Let them chase the neighbor's cat with the bat if they want.

but how will this affect their spot on the traveling team

quote:

Originally posted by Bee>:
some youth leagues in our area use "RIF" baseballs at the younger levels -
others use "soft bouncey baseball look-a-likes" (the RIFs are NOT the bouncey look-a-likes) - yet others insist on hardballs

Worth RIF

I'll caution you tho that you may meet some resistance ... I sat on some youth boards where some guys insisted on hardballs immediatly because that's the way they did it

The brother of an MLB pitcher told me the RIF balls take weird hops when compared to regular baseballs, And are not that much softer.

The RIF balls are harder to field because they DO take funny hops. For most 6 yr olds it's no big deal but for the few who can field it does mess them up.

Face gear on pitchers/3B/1B is fairly prevelant in softball, but I don't think you'll ever see it take hold in youth baseball. (Dixie does require masks on helmets)