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New helmet rule

All high school softball players in Massachusetts will now be required to wear a face mask protector with their batting helmet, a new Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) rule that sparked a variety of reactions from coaches in Boston's western suburbs.

''I'm all for it," said Franklin High coach Lori Salvia, who had members of her team using face masks three years ago.

Lou Tredeau, the coach at Framingham-based Marian High, said the rule should protect batters.

''I've seen kids get hit in the mouth, and as a parent who has sunk thousands of dollars into dental bills, I say you do anything for safety. Kids know to turn their head on an inside pitch, but there's always the chance a ball could be fouled off and hit them off the bat."

Salvia said the face mask protectors are used in college, as well as on many private summer teams. She noted that with more teams playing ''the short game" and more hurlers firing a variety of pitches -- such as the spin, rise, and curve -- there is a greater chance for injury.

''It's not like baseball, where there isn't a ton of bunting," she said. ''In softball, the short game [i.e. bunting, slap hitting] is developing more than it has in the past, and the pitches have such different spins. So it's harder to stay on top of the ball, which can lead to facial injuries."

Salvia has some concern with one aspect of the new rule, which the MIAA adopted because it's supported by the National Federation of High School Athletics. While the face mask protectors should keep batters safe, she's worried about base runners and fielders being hurt by them.

Wayland High coach Keith Meliones said one of his fielders was injured by a face mask in a recent season.

''The team we were playing had a few girls using them, and one of them tried to steal a base," he said. ''She ran into the girl who was trying to tag her out and our player was injured pretty badly because of the face mask. That worries me a bit."

Medfield High cocoach Johanna Madge also had worries. ''I'm concerned with how safe it is in the sliding aspect of the game," she said.
While Millis High coach Kristen Hedrick is supportive of any rule that promotes safety, she also knows the rule change will affect the school's athletic budget. The Mohawks bought new helmets a few years ago and now will probably have to purchase them again, because face masks might not be compatible with the team's helmets.

The new rule will have an impact on coaches across the state, and Wayland's Meliones already has a plan on how he will approach the season.

''I'll probably try one on myself and head to the batting cage to see how it affects things," he said.