I have been spending these winter months trying to decide if I should allow my son to pitch or not. He has one hell of an arm, and coaches want him to pitch. My concern, other than him being mature enough to handle the pressure, is his safety. I can not stop picturing a line drive right back at him. There is so little time to react from the mound! These kids' heads are left unprotected. Serious injury or death can occur, all for a baseball game! Baseball is extremely important to us, but not worth my child's life.
So, should I allow him to pitch using a fielding helmet? He says he will wear whatever he has to to be able to pitch. Is that enough? What about a face mask? Will this protective gear (especially the face mask) hinder his pitching and/or fielding? Or should I just forget about it and enjoy the game at ease? His strong arm is useful in other positions too.
I guess it's a good thing I have a little more time to decide.
