Batting Helmet
The batting helmet hasn’t been around all that long, but thankfully they are here to stay. There are more than 19 million young people involved in youth sports in the United States and softball is the most widely played game across America.
It can be played at virtually any age and pitching can be either slow or fast. But this sport is not without it’s injuries. It is also estimated that softball and baseball injuries are the leading cause of emergency room visits. No wonder the nurses have that knowing smile whenever parents wheel in a softball player. According to a study done by Michigan Medical School (Ann Arbor) the most common injury involves sliding. That’s why break away bases are becoming the standard in youth softball leagues.
Because the sport is so popular, helmet manufacturers are spending record sums on innovation and design. Looking for fashion as well as safety and having the sports community knocking on your door is almost too good to pass up. That’s why helmet manufactures are working hard for your business. There are some really interesting tests being done to ensure the production of safety among batting helmets.
Injuries in baseball and softball are the most plentiful in all of sports. that’s right. More than football, hockey and basketball. the reason for this is because more people play the sports. Nearly every kid participates and as people age, softball becomes the choice for those wishing to stay active.
These statistics from the Institute for Preventative Sports medicine alert us to the dangers of sports injuries and they have deduced that the majority of injuries do not occur with elderly people playing the game, but with the 5-14 age group. Sliding accidents are first and head injuries are next.
Softball Helmets are helping. Tests by the National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment (NOCSAE) involve launching softballs from a pneumatic cannon at a female dummy head which simulates a pitcher throwing fast pitch softball in a game or practice situation.
In order to recreate this situation, the team had to construct a 12 year old profile. They needed the right head diameter, the proper batting stance, the regulation distance from pitcher to impact and several softballs from all the major manufacturers.
It was really, quite elaborate and significant in determining how to construct softball helmets. Every major manufacturer is paying attention to these tests because they provide valuable information on the human body as well as insight how to offer protection.
When they conduct these tests for batting helmets, the balls are launched at the dummy heads in three locations-the right temporal area, between the eyes and on the forehead. These launches are at rates up to 60 mph to test the effectiveness of today’s softball batting helmets. Do the helmets crack? Will a batting helmet withstand the impact of a ball at the speed in which a normal twelve year old can throw?
Of course the tests are ongoing. As pitchers continue to evolve into bigger and stronger athletes, they will be able to pitch at faster speeds. Likewise, batters will grow too, but the human brain and the circumference of the head is staying pretty much the same size. This means more protection.
The institute also tests the effectiveness of softer balls, break away bases and chest protection. leading manufactures subscribe to the findings in order to offer your players the latest in baseball and softball equipment.
