A Look At Sports Protective Wear

By Lila Barry


Safety in sports has garnered more and more attention in recent years due to the increasing numbers of people participating and the need for injury prevention. Properly caring for and maintaining facilities and equipment is one method of ensuring safety while the enforcement of rules made for the protection of the participants is another. The most obvious example though, is the increased use of sports protective wear.

A wide variety of this type of gear is available, varying according to which sport is being played and the particular needs of the user. Certain sports have rules requiring the use of specific types of protective wear because of the intrinsic dangers involved. There are also additional options for those with special needs or conditions.

American football is perhaps the easiest example to visualize. The players in this game will be seen wearing large shoulder pads, a helmet with a face mask and mouth guards at a minimum. Most often they will also use pads for the thighs, knees, hips and tailbone.

Ice hockey is another sport that necessitates the use of lots of protective wear due to its violent nature and the hard surface on which it's played. In the past, players did not wear helmets. Even goalies, whose main job is to get in the way of a high-speed object flying their way, did not wear anything for protecting their face or head. Nowadays though, all players are almost completely covered in padding, with the goalies in particular being well-protected.

Helmets are probably the most-used type of protective gear in sports, being seen in a wide variety of activities. This is due to the fact that suffering a head injury can have a tremendously negative effect on one's life and helmets can be effective ways of preventing this. In addition to American football and hockey, they are also standard in baseball, auto racing, cycling, horse riding, skiing and snowboarding among others.

In some instances this type of equipment is a bit less obvious. For example, in surfing one can wear a rash guard that serves two purposes. One is to prevent chafing from the board rubbing directly on the skin and the other is to prevent sunburn. The leash that attaches to the surfer's leg and the board could also be considered a type of protection, not only for that particular surfer but to keep the board from getting away and endangering others.

There are times when items beyond what is required by the rules may be needed. When one has suffered an injury and is returning to play, they many choose to wear some type of brace or tape, such as with a sprained ankle. This is also commonly done for chronic injuries, for example bracing or taping an ankle that is not currently injured but has been in the past.

Sports protective wear is widely available and can be quite effective in preventing and protecting injuries. Each sport involves some level of risk. Each participant should be aware of these risks and their own needs and choose their gear accordingly.




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