Friday, June 24, 2011

Ensuring Baseball Safety for Everyone

By Athena Hunter


While baseball is not usually considered as dangerous as contact sports such as football, many players of all ages do get injured while playing this game, so it's important to follow some sensible policies for safety. There are a variety of ways that these injuries can happen, like for instance, being hit with a ball or a bat or running into another player. Read on for safety guidelines that will help you prevent or avoid injury and accident during baseball play.

The player who should have the most safety gear is the catcher. It is very essential that it is always worn. At any time the risk is high that the catcher can be hit by a pitch. So, the most helpless areas of the body should be protected. The body gear should be a helmet, face mask, chest protector and the right kind of gloves. The catcher's mask must consist of a throat protector attachment. This is because a incoming pitch to throat can be very deadly. Even though all baseball players have to be aware of safety, it is the catcher who has the most dangerous position on the team and has to be especially cautious. Because they stand behind the batters and are close to the thrown pitches, catchers must be extremely careful. More than the other members on the team, the catcher must pay attention at all times.

During practice sessions, coaches should give players a clear idea of who is expected to cover which territory so that everyone knows what to do. While everyone wants to catch the ball, they also have to be taught to always be aware of the location of their teammates. No matter the age of the player or type of league they are on, helmets are imperative to avoid injury from dangerous fast ball hits. Stepping up to bat puts you at risk of being hit by the pitch which is true in games as well as practices. Faceguard helmets provide the best protection especially for kids. You want to make sure you are protecting your head from severe trauma or even death which makes this your most important body part.

Base running is an activity that can cause injuries if players don't know the proper techniques. There are many possible pitfalls when running the bases. To begin with, you don't run straight ahead, but around the shape of the infield, which can make it easier to trip or sprain something. A base runner has to focus on several things at once -deciding what base to land on, avoiding being tagged out and watching out for players who may be in his path. If a runner becomes careless and doesn't pay attention to his movements, this can easily lead to an injury when running or sliding. Of course, injuries can be minimized by players staying in good condition and running or other aerobic activity off the field. Coaches should drill players on base running skills so that they know how to do this safely and effectively.

Baseball safety, then, is not complicated, but if everyone remembers the basic principles, accidents can be greatly reduced. While baseball is not usually perceived as a dangerous sport, and it's not if proper guidelines are followed, there are always potential dangers with balls traveling at high speeds and bats being swung. That's why it's important that coaches and others supervising a game keep close watch on the field and players to make sure everyone is staying safe.




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