Sports Equipment for Youth

Healthy child development will often include exercise, and exercise will often include the need for specialized equipment for sports. One of the serious dangers in starting children in sports at an early age is that their bodies are still developing. Still in the process of growing into an adult, how can they be expected to use regulation size equipment without injuring themselves? The straightforward answer to this question is that they can't be expected to use regulation size equipment without risking injury. Recognizing this fact, many sports equipment manufacturers offer youth sized products to promote improved safety while participating in the sport.

Manufacturing sporting equipment with both safety and children in mind has created specialty products that weigh significantly less that regulation sized and in some cases even less than traditional youth sizes. Spalding offers a line of products for youth under the age of eight called Rookie Gear that actually weighs 25% less than traditional youth sizes. Playing with a lighter ball will help build confidence and enable learning of sound fundamental skills. With Rookie Gear footballs and basketballs available throwing, catching, dribbling, shooting, and rebounding are made both safer and easier for the younger players just starting out and in need of distinctive equipment for sports.

Some sporting equipment may seem inconsequential, but in actuality be very beneficial not only for performance, but for safety as well. Something as simple as a sweat band can be of significant benefit if it does its job correctly and keeps sweat from getting into the athletes eyes and obstructing their vision even if only momentarily. Again, the benefits of a good pair of socks can be easily underestimated, but a good pair of athletic socks can increase mobility by improving ankle mobility. Items like protective glasses or goggles can keep serious eye injuries from occurring and specialized footwear can have a major impact as well.

Most equipment for sports has a very unique design specifically for the particular sport in question. An excellent example of this is in reviewing the wide range of footwear that is available for different sports. A long time ago, a good pair of "tennis" shoes would be used for almost every sport at the playground level, but things have changed in today's world with some very expensive basketball shoes now being worn as a fashion statement.

Again, designed with very specific sports in mind, a pair of basketball shoes or running shoes will be designed to lower the impact levels through the use of compressed air or other special soles. One would not think of wearing a pair of golf shoes to play football. The shoes worn by a wrestler are not the same as the shoes worn by a gymnast, or the boots worn by a snow skier.

With many products designed with both safety and performance in mind, equipment for sports has become a multi-billion dollar business. When taking a closer look at the specific reasons why a particular design incorporates certain features, one can begin to see how and why these products reduce the levels of injury that occur in the sport while simultaneously improving performance. It is best to start our youth out thinking safety first when becoming involved in sporting activities.

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