Football helmets not properly fitted
As the high school football season begins, schools should pay attention to a recent article in The New York Times that said football helmets aren’t protecting students because they aren’t properly fitted.
Dr. Eugene Hong of Drexel College led a study that found the 10-step fitting process commonly used in professional and college football was often not followed in high schools, due to lack of training of coaches and equipment managers.
The two steps most commonly mishandled were making sure the mask was two inches away from the nose and keeping the chin straps an equal distance apart.
According to the American College of Sports Medicine, 300,000 sports-and-recreation related concussions are diagnosed nationwide each year and Dr. Hong believes thousands of young football players will suffer from them this year if their helmets aren’t properly fitted.
Dr. Hong believes helmets shouldn’t just be fitted at the beginning of the season but periodically, because helmet fit changes due to collisions, wear and tear and the growth of the player.
Dr. Eugene Hong of Drexel College led a study that found the 10-step fitting process commonly used in professional and college football was often not followed in high schools, due to lack of training of coaches and equipment managers.
The two steps most commonly mishandled were making sure the mask was two inches away from the nose and keeping the chin straps an equal distance apart.
According to the American College of Sports Medicine, 300,000 sports-and-recreation related concussions are diagnosed nationwide each year and Dr. Hong believes thousands of young football players will suffer from them this year if their helmets aren’t properly fitted.
Dr. Hong believes helmets shouldn’t just be fitted at the beginning of the season but periodically, because helmet fit changes due to collisions, wear and tear and the growth of the player.
posted by healthcare trainer @ 12:49 PM
<< Home