South Atlantic League Says Force3 Mask Is ‘Preferred Face Mask’ Of League

The low Class A South Atlantic League on Tuesday said it had adopted the Force3 Pro Gear Defender Mask—which BA wrote about last year—as the preferred face mask of the league.

The partnership begins with the league’s 2017 all-star game in Columbia, S.C., on June 20, when a player will be chosen as the “Force3 Defender of the Game”.

Force3 Pro Gear’s Defender Mask reduces the possibility of sustaining severe head injuries by exceeding the protective qualities of any other mask tested.

“We are excited to collaborate with a forward-thinking company that is dedicated to innovation and developing only the highest quality products that provide protection for our teams, umpires and players of all ages,” South Atlantic League president Eric Krupa said in a statement. “With the increasing rate of head injuries suffered by catchers and umpires, we want to ensure that our teams know there is better protection available for them in the form of the Force3 Defender Mask. We are committed to spreading awareness about this mask throughout our league, and we hope to inspire other leagues across the country to join us in our effort.”

The South Atlantic League joins Braves catcher Tyler Flowers, the first MLB player to wear the Force3 Defender, in his desire to make parents aware of the mask and help protect future generations of players.

“We want to help parents with a catcher in the family be more confident that their child will be safer from head injuries,” Flowers said. “The more catchers we have out there, the more I can spread my passion and love for the position. Simply put, this mask is a game-changer.”

Virtually the same weight and size as a traditional mask, the Defender’s patent-pending Shock Suspension System (S3) reduces the Severity Index of impacts up to 50 percent in most cases. The Defender is the official face mask of the ECAC.

“The Defender Mask has already been proven to be a safer choice for the South Atlantic League’s athletes and umpires, and we are thrilled that they recognize this and want to spread the word about its protective qualities,” said Jason Klein, president of Force3 Pro Gear. “We look forward to working with the league to help them put the Defender Mask on the heads of as many players and officials as possible.”