The Importance of Safety Baseball Equipment

baseball Equipment, baseball glovesBaseball is not a dangerous sport, but the risks of getting seriously hurt from batted balls, uncontrolled pitches and players crashing together are always present. It is important to prepare oneself amply to avoid occurrence and/or becoming a victim of such accidents. This means being aware of game rules, doing enough warm-ups such as jogging and stretching, acquiring correct techniques, being mindful of others and wearing complete protective gear, particularly catchers. Injuries can include anything from simple bruises, scrapes and concussions to ones that require complex treatment such as broken bones and loss of consciousness. If you feel even so much as small pain, be honest and tell your coach about it so that appropriate treatment can be administered and avoid aggravating your injury. In this article, we will be focusing on the different kinds of safety baseball equipment, their importance and how they can protect you from certain injuries. The helmet. The helmet protects the head from wild pitches and batted balls. Other features used for protecting the other parts of the face, particularly the eyes, nose and chin may or may not be included. Some leagues require that batting helmets have an extension for the ears. The helmet should be worn when a player is at bat, waiting to bat or running the bases. Catcher's gear. A complete catcher's gear set includes a helmet, face mask, throat guard, full-length chest protector, athletic supporter with a cup, shin guards and a catcher's mitt. They protect the most sensitive and vulnerable parts of the catcher's body from wild pitches, getting hit by the batter's bat and collision with opponents attempting to touch home base. Baseball Cleats. Cleats provide traction for running on dirt and grass, and therefore prevents injuries related to losing balance and sliding. Their spiked soles, however, make them a potential source of injuries. Safety underwear. Sliding pants prevent bruises and concussions from sliding from occurring. Athletic supporters and cups provide support and protection of the groin. Shin and foot guards. Shin and foot guards protect the batter's pivot leg from being hit by a wild pitch. Mouthpieces/mouth guards. Mouthpieces protect the teeth, lips and tongue from injuries. Injuries may include cuts on the lips, knocked off teeth and a bit tongue. All baseball safety equipment need to fit and be worn properly. The batting helmet should fit snugly, and the chin straps, if present, be fastened. If it has an eye shield or another type of face guard, it has to be in good condition and attached securely. Catchers should have their complete gear worn every time they are catching pitches, whether playing in a game, warming up or practicing in the bullpen. Everyone should be wearing their athletic supporters. Some leagues require that certain players-often pitchers and infielders-to wear protective cups too. Sliding pants, batting gloves, shin and foot guards and mouthpieces are optional. It is also extremely important to know which bats are allowed in a league. Some bats are banned because they are too dangerous for pitchers and infielders, particularly in youth tournaments. Be sure you know what your leagues rules are before going out to buy your bat. Can cleats from other sports be used? Yes, they can, but a player may not be able to perform as well as he would with baseball cleats. Other sports such as football, lacrosse, and soccer require the use of spike-soled shoes too. All of these sports, including baseball, have footwear designed specifically for each of them, with the kind of surface and dominant player movements kept in mind. Baseball cleats for instance have metal points that are sharp and long, which are necessary for piercing through and breaking dirt. They are lighter and built for forward sprinting. Football cleats on the other hand have spikes that resemble knobs, are heavier and provide more support around the ankles for different kinds of movement on wet grass. David P. is an Online Content Manager that mostly writes about Baseball and Softball equipments , Baseball Bats, Softball Bats fast pitch softball batsand Sporting goods. You can connect on facebook at facebook page or name Rate this Article

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David Whitfield has published 6 articles. Article submitted on April 03, 2013. Word count: 641