Protective Eyewear for baseball players

My guess is that the people that are lobbying for this are NON-ATHLETICS!
Probably never played a sport that had the word contact in it! Man O Man, I feel for you brother. Hell, when I was a kid, a cut or bruise from any athletic event was a Badge of Honor!

 

Right Braves.

This is what Im thinking also. My problem is how to argue against this data. I to could not believe and still do not believe that the stats are entirely accurate nor do they reflect day to day reality amongst youth and other levels of baseball. I have not seen ANY eye injuries in baseball. Lots of sore arms etc but no eye injuries.

Im more concerned and place a lot of emphasis on metering numbers of throws. We have way more arm injuries, acute and chronic, that should be more of a concern to us.

The eye Dr has certainly the best point of view to listen to. But he to says what we are saying. He just doesn't see baseball eye injuries. (Again no pun.) But if the eye pro saves one kids sight it is a good thing.

My additional concern, shared by others who posted on this subject, are the chicken little effect that saturates some thinking amongst those who would use these stats to promote an agenda.

I just can't figure that part out. Why are there some out there who want to protect our kids from everything under the sun and the sun itself. As a parent I think I have done just fine taking care of mine. As a coach I think I have done everything I could to foster a safe, challenging and competitive evironment.

What else can I do? I don't want this to get out of hand and have little Bobby and Cindy baseball player having to use eye pro that they probably do not know how to use properly in the first place. Once mandatory eye pro is in place the same logic is going to be used to see what else they can be protected from.

The more we protect them the less likely they will be able to protect themselves.

 

First, I would say the one's that bring this argument up are by people that probably didn't play sports at a high level or may not have played it at all.

Second, I would discuss in more detail with drncvol the studies and what he believes. Being an optometrist, he would be a more informed member how to provide a better argument with the studies and how to go about rebutting the issues.

I don't believe anyone is trying to avoid safety, but there are some inherent risks one has in playing sports and at many points one has to accept it.

 

There are risks

in living. Dont walk across the street because studies show if you walk across a street your chances of getting hit by a car are 100% greater if you just stand on the other side. Dont play sports because studies show if you play sports your chances of getting hurt playing sports is 100% greater if you stay inside and play video games. Dont ever try and hit because studies show your chances of striking out are 100% greater than a kid that never plays.

The fact that you can fail or might fail or will fail alot and the risks that are there is what makes the sport exciting and a challenge. If every kid hit a home run every time they got up would that be excited? If there was not chance that anyone was going to fail would that be fun? If you are going to play sports or live your life at all there will be risks. But that is part of life. I do believe that there are some risks we can help eliminate or at least decrease. Wearing a batting helmet for instance. But please lets have some common sense.

Whats next full body armor for all the players? Face masks for every player? Eye protection , face maskes , elbow guards , knee guards etc etc? Good grief.

 

When my son was 8 and playing coach pitch in a rec league, and during warm ups, he was on 2nd base and threw a rope over to the kid playing 1st . He never got his glove up high enough and the ball made a 'splat" type sound when hit him in the eye. Of course the kid went down screaming and blood was coming out of his eye and nose. He was taken to the ER. Luckily for him, no permanent eye damage, only a broken socket below the eye. I'll never forget that sound or that incident.

If there was ever a need for protective eyeware, it would be for the youngest kids, younger than 10. A lot of the kids this age are scared of the ball and dont have the skill or coordination to put the glove up in front of the face and catch the ball the proper way or a hard shot hit right at them. Many of them will move to the side to catch the ball. I dont think most would wear eyeware unless it was mandated anyway becaused they would be teased by thier buddies that didnt wear it. I'm not in favor of it but it might help prevent some injuries at the youngest ages where parents force kids to play the game and kids arent developed enough to catch a ball thrown or hit at their face.

 

While we're at it, why don't we make all the kids wear a batting helmet (with face guard)!!!!!!!! I'm real sorry for any of these kids that do in fact get hurt, but why punish the kids that do know how to play because some don't have a clue! What makes this situation worse about your story, how do you think the kid that threw the ball feels? I'm sure he felt real bad, but what happens next is, this kid becomes afraid to throw the ball for fear of hurting someone else and his skills deminish!

 

I might be in the minority, but I'm not opposed to some of the measures taken for safety reasons for the kids 10-. I hate to see young kids be scared of the ball...hitting or catching. Especially when those fears can be overcome at that age. Most of it goes back to good coaching, but...geez...you don't always find the best coaches at that age.

Which reminds me of another point. Some of your best coaches can not coach (or don't have the temperament) to coach the younger guys and some of the best younger players coaches can't coach the older ones. It takes a special person to be able to coach, effectively, the younger kids.

 

Things happen! Accidents happen! More kids probably have been hurt (or killed) driving to or from a baseball game than actually playing in a baseball game. However if your child did get hit in the eye by a baseball it would just be human nature as a parent to second guess why you did not make him (her) wear eye protection.

You would not believe how many kids play the game with poor eyesight, either by refusing to wear their glasses or parents failing to get regular eye care for their kids. The vision screenings that some leagues will do aren't all that accurate (just like the drivers' license screenings). Many pass that should have failed and many fail that should have passed.

Heck Greenville Rose had a WR a couple of years ago that dropped more throws then he caught (but he did have a couple of big passes to help Rose win a state football championship against Jack Britt). After the season I checked his eyes for his first eye exam ever and he was 20/400 in his right eye and 20/200 in his left. I don't see how he could catch anything but maybe if he had worn contacts or at least glasses, his football career may have not ended in high school.