Poll for metal cleats

I'm sorry, but the previous posts dealt with the safety issue.... which is why I made the wood bat analogy... I agree that face masks have greatly improved safety issues, in regard to pitchers and corner players...

Hardly seems fair to penalize the entire high school playing world because we are worried about what might happen due to an "unscupulous player".

I certainly understand your point, but it really is mute, since this is a done deal..

Focus now should be to educate your players about metal spikes...

Best regards...

 

No Metal

I personally don't like the idea at all. As a player who has never worn metal cleats, I dont know of any advantages/disadvantages to them over rubber. But I do know that I have been cleated in the face on purpose covering home,as a pitcher, with rubber cleats. And I can't imagine having metal. As for the college players using them...yes it would make it an easier transition from HS to college, as well as going to 43', but how many HS players are actually going to play in college?

 

Love metal cleats. Would never go back to plastic. When you get cleated it tends to hurt a little more. However, less likely to sprain your ankle.

 

Do NC High Schools have to approve or do we automatically comply with national rules?

 

Adopt!

It is not a mandatory rule. It will be up to the NCHSAA as to whether our State will adopt or not. I am sure coaches will be polled in Greensboro next week at the rules meeting. NCHSAA will probably make a decision at their winter meeting in November. The NCFSCA asked about metal cleats last year and the NCHSAA said that they were not recognized by the National Federation and presented a major safety issue. Well, the NFHS has decided to allow, so now it is up to the NCHSAA as to whether our State allows them or not. Sure this is going to be one of the hottest topics at our meetings next week. It should make for an interesting rules meeting as well.

 

Adopt!

agreed.

nice having that voice in place....keep the NCHSAA Informed and in line!!

 

Metal cleats will promote more agressive play all over the field. Rubber cleats slip, especially in wet outfield grass. Aggressive outfielders are more prone to pulled muscles and sprains caused by slipping. Recovery from these types of injuries can be measured in weeks. If the back is involved it can be a season ender. Today's players, for the most part, are much more skilled and aggressive than those even five years ago.

Metal cleats will increase the risk of cuts to basemen, but most of these injuries are minor, heal quickly, and rarely interfere with a player's ability to play.

Baserunners who know how to slide properly seldom put fielders at risk. The issue of good sliding techique will become a very important part of practice in both HS and TB (if its not already).

The level of the game is rapidly getting higher and its time for metal cleats to be part of the game.

 

metal cleats--yes

I am for the metal cleats. I don't know about a traction difference when both are new but I will say that after 70 or more games the metal cleats will retain their traction better than rubber ones resulting in less injuries on slicker fields. As for the "unscruplous player" what protects our players from them now? If a pitcher really wants to hit you she will. I would like to know the number of young ladies that play at the next level that are injured due to having worn metal cleats instead of rubber ones?

 

I have heard a couple of points about not allowing metal cleats.

1. OVERALL, there are too many underskilled and younger players in HS than in TB and while the higher skilled athlete might not have a problem with metal, its the younger, underskilled athletes who are going to get hurt.

I coached high school ball in Iowa for 4 years before getting back into college. Iowa does not follow the NFHS rules at all and has worn metal cleats for years. Fastpitch is huge in Iowa and since we play our high school season in the summer, they allow 8th graders to play with the high school team. Most schools also have varsity, JV and freshmen teams. We had about 18 on the varsity, 18-20 on JV and 18-20 on the freshmen (ususally mostly all 8th graders) team. We had a ton of young players and never had an issue with the metal cleats. The kids loved them because they didn't slip in the box, or running the bases or in the outfield or pitching. The kids learn how to use the metal cleats immediately and it makes for better play.

2. So many kids don't know how to slide so they are either going to injure themselves or someone else.

So teach them. Its pretty easy. Put eggs in their hands and wet down the grass and tell them to slide. They figure it out pretty quick. Also, teach your fielders to get the heck out of the way if they are covering a base! The reason so many kids get cleated is they obstruct the plate/base wrong. Teach them to get out of the way!


I also think when we have arguements like this.....

The girls aren't skilled enough....they're going to get hurt....we need facemasks and chinstraps and rubber cleats....

they are sexist and degrading to our girls. Has anyone ever brought these issues up for baseball? The only baseball players who wear facemasks and chinstraps and rubber cleats are 12! And lets not start on me about the facemask issue since that's already been debated on here but think about this...a 4 seam fastball in baseball has the same rotation as a rise ball....and there aren't that many girls who throw a true riseball...most of them only throw a high fastball. Yet why don't baseball players hit as many balls in their faces as girls do? Because more coaches take more time to teach them how to swing correctly! Girls get hit in the face more times than not becuase their swing mechanics stink and they help push that high fastball up into their face.

But to finish up....you don't hear the same safety issues with baseball players as you do with softball players. Its basically the same game just with some different strategies and techniques. Give the girls a chance. Teach them to be athletes just like we do the boys! Don't take something away from them just because you think they're going to get hurt if you are not going to take it away from the boys.

Those of you who have spent the week downgrading the new hire at CC have constantly said....if we were football or baseball this wouldn't be happening. Well, guess what...if this were a football or baseball issue you wouldn't be trying to avoid it or say it was going to cause injuries on a message board because it WAS football or baseball and those sports are played by boys and you don't have these silly safety discussion about boys sports. So you can't have it both ways! COACH THEM UP!!!!!!