Football - Equipment
Fans watching TV think that football equipment only means the ball, the helmet, face mask, jerseys, shoes and the pants. The fact is that's the only football equipment TV or stadium fans see. But, any accessories manager will give you an insight of gear that is much broader than the equipment you see on TV. When confronting 230-pound forces at high speeds, highly-paid and insured players use much more than helmets and gloves to protect them during a game. Pro football equipment runs the entire gourmet of items - from defensive head accessories, to under pads and shoe soles. The objective of this accessories is to keep individual players safe during a game. Live games expose us to only few, but not all, of the football equipment used during a game.
For example, who notices the Cleats on the undersides of a players shoes. And what about equipment such as chemical hand warmers, or heated benches that players use to sit on. These items are in no way less important accessories, than the articles we see players wear on TV. For many of us, a piece of accessories used by one player may look similar to that used by another player. Gloves are a great example - they all look the same, don't they. Unlike us 'ordinary' folks however, professional football equipment managers have a different view. Slight differences in football equipment are present sometimes, largely based on individual playing positions. If you play Receiver, you are apt to favour tact gloves, with sticky rubber palms. Thicker padded gloves are preferred by Linemen, as it gives their fingers and hands greater fortification. And which fan ever views an exciting game, only to notice the players shoes.
And yet, shoe bottoms form a crucial part of gear. So important are shoes to the accessories list, that an NFL team may go through 2,500 pairs per season! Ideally, all football equipment needs to be as light as possible, and should match turf and weather conditions. Choices of shoe bottoms are a good example. Dry conditions and an Astroturf pitch means lighter soled shoes are preferred. But equipment needs change if conditions are damp or wet, where thicker soled shoes are called for.
However, the helmet may be considered the most important of all gear, mainly in light of so many famous players suffering head and neck injuries. And the football equipment manager must ensure that the helmet - including the Shell, Face mask, Jaw Pads, Air bladder, mouth guard and chin strap - are a perfect fit for each player. And all of this doesn't even symbolize a small portion of the football equipment each team uses. You need to also look at Knee pads, Hip pads, Thigh pads, Shoulder pads, rib-protecting equipment, flak jackets, and a lot more. And since a team has a roster of 53 players, that brings a whole lot of complexity to the football equipment managers job.
For example, who notices the Cleats on the undersides of a players shoes. And what about equipment such as chemical hand warmers, or heated benches that players use to sit on. These items are in no way less important accessories, than the articles we see players wear on TV. For many of us, a piece of accessories used by one player may look similar to that used by another player. Gloves are a great example - they all look the same, don't they. Unlike us 'ordinary' folks however, professional football equipment managers have a different view. Slight differences in football equipment are present sometimes, largely based on individual playing positions. If you play Receiver, you are apt to favour tact gloves, with sticky rubber palms. Thicker padded gloves are preferred by Linemen, as it gives their fingers and hands greater fortification. And which fan ever views an exciting game, only to notice the players shoes.
And yet, shoe bottoms form a crucial part of gear. So important are shoes to the accessories list, that an NFL team may go through 2,500 pairs per season! Ideally, all football equipment needs to be as light as possible, and should match turf and weather conditions. Choices of shoe bottoms are a good example. Dry conditions and an Astroturf pitch means lighter soled shoes are preferred. But equipment needs change if conditions are damp or wet, where thicker soled shoes are called for.
However, the helmet may be considered the most important of all gear, mainly in light of so many famous players suffering head and neck injuries. And the football equipment manager must ensure that the helmet - including the Shell, Face mask, Jaw Pads, Air bladder, mouth guard and chin strap - are a perfect fit for each player. And all of this doesn't even symbolize a small portion of the football equipment each team uses. You need to also look at Knee pads, Hip pads, Thigh pads, Shoulder pads, rib-protecting equipment, flak jackets, and a lot more. And since a team has a roster of 53 players, that brings a whole lot of complexity to the football equipment managers job.