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posted 11/06/2009 Hi Members,
With the launching of the High School’s helmet program which they have graciously invited us to participate in, I figured this would be a great opportunity to discuss equipment. I’m sure I don’t have to tell everyone the importance of equipment for the sport of hockey but in order for equipment to be effective, it must fit properly. The conferences this year have experienced a number of serious injuries ranging from concussions, to broken bones and one very frightening neck laceration. Many of these injuries may have been prevented or reduced in severity with either properly fitting equipment or the use of optional equipment. In our program, it is the player and parent’s responsibility for maintaining safe, properly fitting equipment. The coaches will do their best to alert the parent or player if they spot a problem, but they can’t catch everything. Here is a basic head to toe guideline for equipment. For more specific information, please see a respected pro shop. Pure Hockey’s representatives are all trained by the manufacturers for proper fit and features. I am sure there are others in the area but make sure you are dealing with a qualified representative. The big multi-sport stores are often times NOT the best option.
Helmets – For obvious reasons, this is the single most important piece of equipment however its effectiveness is greatly reduced if it does not fit properly. All helmets must be HECC certified (sticker on the back) with a full face mask. Please note the HECC certification has an expiration date. Past expiration, protective padding becomes compacted, glue begins to fail and the helmet becomes unsafe. Expired helmets are not permitted. A properly fitting helmet should be snug, allowing for no side to side or up and down movement. All screws, snaps, straps and J hooks should be tight and in place. The face mask must be large enough to allow the chin to fit in the chin cup. Mouth pieces are not required below the peewee level BUT ARE HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. A properly fitting mouth piece will do a great deal to prevent a concussion and they don’t work unless the player puts it in his mouth. If there are any questions regarding helmets, consult a good, trained pro shop.
Neck Guards – Required for ALL Yankee Conference players and HIGHLY RECOMMENDED for all other players. If anyone witnessed the accident at Bavis a few weeks ago, you know why. A good, properly fitting nick guard made from a ballistic nylon material is highly recommended for all players.
Shoulder pads, elbow pads, gloves – Should provide ample, gap-less coverage from the shoulders down to the hands. The equipment should be snug enough to prevent shifting while still allowing for movement. Gloves and elbow pads should be large enough to protect the wrist and fore arm. Many players like to play with a shorter cuff glove. This can expose a wrist or fore arm to a stick slash or cut by a skate blade. If using shorter cuff gloves, it is important that the elbow bad sufficiently covers the fore arm.
Cup (boys) Pelvic Guard (girls) – This one is obvious. Cups and Pelvic guard use should start from day one. No exceptions for the mini-mites. Goalies should make sure they are using the properly sized goalie versions.
Pants, Knee Pads – When standing the pant should slightly overlap the knee pad. When on the knees, there should be no gap between the top of the pant and the knee pad. The bottom of the knee pad should be long enough to leave no gap at the top of the skate. A puck between the shin pad and the skate is EXTREMELY painful. Many players are going with longer shin pads and tucking the skate tongue under the pad.
Skates – While not technically a protective piece of equipment, an improperly fit skate will negatively impact skating. A good sturdy boot fit correctly is important for proper skating technique. Skates can vary in size drastically by brand and should never be purchased without trying them on. For best results, skates should be properly fit by a trained pro shop. Skates should also be sharpened every 3-5 hours on the ice or at any sign of knick or burr on the blade.
Stick – Also not a protective piece of equipment but probably the most commonly miss-sized piece of equipment. Did you ever wonder why when a kid rears back for that wicked wrista, the puck just comes tumbling off the stick? Chances are the stick is too long. While standing on skates, the top of the stick should fall somewhere between the chin and nose. I know the argument is that with composite sticks being so expensive and kids growing so fast, you want to keep them a little longer so the kid can use it for a while. Honestly, most youth hockey players do not need the most expensive, technically advanced stick endorsed by his favorite player. A stick that is 10 grams lighter than another will not improve a shot, but a stick that is 3 inches shorter and the proper length will have a huge impact. (By the way, 3 inches of stick probably weighs 10 grams anyway!) If you must use the most expensive stick, cut it to the right length from the start and utilize wood extensions to prolong the life as you grow. Or just go with the cheaper wooden stick (if you can still find them!)
Hockey is an expensive sport and we all try to stretch our equipment dollar as far as we can. Bear in mind though that for most youth hockey players, often times the lower, cheaper model gloves, shoulder pads, stick etc, that fits properly will be much more effective both in protection and performance then the top of the line piece of equipment that is either bought too big or used that extra year and is too small.
Be Safe and Have Fun!
Joe Radzik
President, HYHA
