Although the youth flag football rules are designed with safety in mind, there still remains an inherent risk of injury as with any athletic sport. There are many reasons sports injuries can occur. In this article we examine one in particular; lack of safety equipment. Poor, ill-fitting or missing equipment is one of the prime causes of injuries in youth sports.
The following 3 pieces of flag football equipment will help keep your child safe and prevent unnecessary injuries.
Mouth Guard. Although these are required during games many kids (and parents) forget to wear these during practice or informal scrimmages. We recommended to parent’s to keep a spare mouth piece for their kid at all times. They are relatively inexpensive and having a backup can come in handy.
Athletic Cup. This item is not required by many leagues but should always be worn. It provides much needed protection from incidental contact with other players or equipment. Make sure the fit is snug and firm against the body.
Protective Eye Wear. Sport goggles can help reduce eye injuries and facial injuries to kids during athletic play. If your child wears prescription glasses, a pair of sport goggles will keep help protect his or her glasses and more importantly his or her eyes. It will also prevent injuries from occurring to other children due to the glasses getting broken during play. Specifically look for goggles that are highly impact resistant and shatter proof.
Its important to teach your kids to wear the proper equipment and follow all safety rules when they participate in any activity. By reducing the risks for injury you will keep your children happy and having fun playing youth sports rather then sitting out with an impairment.
