Protective helmets have been worn by motorcycle riders, cricketers, fastpitch softball players and baseball players for years to protect their noggins against head injury. Over the years, Softball players throughout the world have suffered everything from a small bump opn the head to serious brain injury. Despite this, a large percentage of slow pitch softball players in the UK (and Manchester) still do not wear one.
Whilst they are called ‘batting helmets’, because this is slow pitch softball, the real danger occurs when the players is running the bases, not actually batting. A player can get hit on the head in many ways, and its not always the ball that can do the damage.
Without question, the most common head injury comes from a thrown ball hitting someone on the head. At the end of the day the runner and the ball are often heading for the same point on a softball diamond. Being hit by the ball ‘off the bat’ is another concern and would result in serious injury.
Concussions can also be sustained in collisions between base runners and fielders, collisions between a runner and a catcher, or a runner sliding into a baseman. A collision, in fact, between a player’s head and another object need not even take place: a significant jolt to the head can cause one.
Here are a few things to think about:
1. It might save your life or prevent serious head injury
2. Don’t wait until you get hit before you buy a helmet
3. Safety comes before coolness. I can guarentee that if you wear a helmet, people will say “thats a good idea” more often than they say “you look so uncool”.
4. Be an example. If people see you wearing a helmet, it will encourage them to do the same.
5. It’s not just you. Pro-athletes of several sports have at some point been forced to convert to safer equipment. I take that back. Not forced—more like, persuaded by situation, in an, “Oh, NOW we get it, hand over the safe stuff!” way. Its a different sport but Lest we forget NHL’s ever-evolving goalie mask. It all started with Jacques Plante taking a wayward backhand shot to the face. With several nasty cuts on his mug, he refused to return to the game unless he was allowed to wear a mask. Smart guy.
Are you taking notes? You, Vain Batter, could be the Jacques Plante of softball. The good news is, softball helmets don’t look like something Hannibal Lecter might sport. These days batting helments are light, well designed and fairly stylish.
6. It might save your life. Come on now…I feel like I had this conversation with my mother when I was five years old. I didn’t want to wear helmets, or knee pads, or any other “geeky” form of protective mountain biking gear. Granted, all of my helmets came with holographic stickers to ease the humiliation of looking like a goofus. Vain Batter, please don’t make me go that far. Desperate times call for desperate measures. Will stickers do the trick?
7. This is not about tradition. Some of you are playing the “tradition” card as your excuse for not wearing a safer helmet. You’re right, its different, but hey, lets make this the new tradition.
8. There pretty cheap these days and can be delivered to your door. Here are a few currently available from Amazon which you can buy for between £20 – £35.
Well i’m convinced. Think i’ll be adding a batting helmet to my xmas list!
I’m already there, I just need to remember to put it on every time I bat!
All good points, I do wear a helmet and have done for a few years despite never having been hit with the ball. People get hit all the time, I just want to make sure I am wearing a helmet if/when it happens to me. I quite like the number of brain cells I have and would like to keep as many of them intact as possible.
Am proud to have been wearing a helmet for a number of years now and it’s great to see more and more each year. I’ve been hit twice in the head since wearing one and both times have got extra bases and no pain = win win
I’ve worn a helmet for 3-4 years now. I admit the first tournament I wore it to (Bristol Main) I only wore it twice and both times tore it off my head after running up the first base line due to the whistling noise that was generated, which I hadn’t expected, due to high winds on that particular day.
Since then though I’ve always wore one (and the whistling is a very rare occurrence !) and a great tip I’d give is to wear it during practice too, so you get used to batting in it, not just on game day.
I insisted that my team (Tigers – EMSL) bought enough helmets for the team (x4) and I have to say 80% of our players now wear one whilst at the plate. The EMSL have even voted on it becoming COMPULSORY in our league to wear one from next season, and this was initially at the request of a fielder who had hit someone in the head with his throw from the outfield and didn’t want to field guilty if it happened again……
Never played without one! the first time i was asked to come down and watch the manchester thirstball, i tunred up and within minutes of being there i saw a player slide into third and the ball hit him on the back of the head. The noise from the contact was bad, but the waiing from the player was worse.
Its not a pleasant sight to see, hear or be near too…..Just not worth it!!
After seeing that I have never stepped up to the plate without my lid on. For me it should be league ruling, but thats my personal feeling on it.