Sports Protective Wear For Safety

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.

Many types of protective wear are available and can be chosen depending on the specific needs of the person playing as well as the demands of the chosen sport. Some types of protection are mandated by the rules of the games, particularly in more dangerous sports. In some instances people may choose to utilize additional equipment to suit their needs.

One obvious example of a sport that requires the use of a significant amount of protective wear is American football. A helmet with a face mask, a mouth guard and shoulder pads are the absolute minimum. Pads for this hips, knees, thighs and tailbone are generally necessary as well.

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.

The type of safety gear that is used more than any other is probably helmets. Because concussions and other head injuries can be severely debilitating, these are particularly important pieces to be worn. Besides the aforementioned American football and ice hockey, cycling, skiing, snowboarding, auto racing, horse riding, baseball and many others utilize them as well.

Such examples are quite obvious but this isn't always the case. For instance, rash guards are often worn in surfing to protect the skin from both the sun and from excessive friction caused by rubbing against the board. The leash, which is worn on one leg and attaches to the board, can be viewed in this way too. The leash keeps the board from flying away and putting other surfers in danger of being hit by it.

In addition to required equipment, bracing and taping is commonly used to protect an injured body part. If one is returning to action after recovering from a sprained ankle, this may be an option for preventing a recurrence. This is also the case with chronic injuries, for example using a brace or tape on one's ankle to prevent further sprains even when there are no current problems with it.

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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