I do not have a daughter....we have about 100 of them!
Our son grew up learning to ride a bike with a helmet and after a few years he said the other
kids and
parents were teasing him about it, so I said OK you do not have to wear it.
After he hit the tree his friend came to the house and said Ken hit a tree and is asleep. He was air cared to UC and taken to Children's Hospital. Was in a coma for a week, partially paralyzed on the left side of his body and was on seizure medication for 5 years. He had three cerebral contusions and a post lateral fracture of the right hemisphere....
I made the decision for him not to wear the helmet!
After he returned home every kid in the neighborhood wore a helmet.
From the net... http://www.sportsdoctor.com/articles/female10.html
General knowledge of people coaching girls.
Boys have historically been trained from an early age to use their body in sports activities which develop their neuromuscular systems.Girls are not exposed to this early motor learning at a young age, putting them at a distinct disadvantage when they decide to get involved in high school sports.
It is essential for girls to receive training early, to play competitively later.
Source: Physical Therapy Corner: Knee Injuries and the Female Athlete
Anatomic Differences
Females have wider hips than males, which increase the angle on the knee joint. This increases stress on the ACL, especially during landing and cutting movements.
Females also have a narrower notch in the inside of the knee and the ACL may get pinched or frayed during cutting, increasing the risk of tear.
Muscle Imbalances
In general, the quadriceps of females are stronger than their hamstrings, putting the ACL at an even higher risk.
In males, the hamstrings are stronger, thus protecting the ACL.( It works like a hinge on a male and a ball joint on a female knee!)
Additionally, bio mechanical research shows that the gluteus muscles, or external rotators of the hip,
fire differently in males and females. In males, the hip muscles fire a split second before landing, thus stabilizing the hips, or core.
With females, the gluts' don?t fire before or after landing, so the hips rotate in, the knees buckle inward, and the ACL is stressed.
Source: David Marshal, M.D .Medical Director, Sports Medicine Program Children's Healthcare of Atlanta
Landing Patterns
Sports typically involve some degree of running, jumping, landing, cutting, acceleration and/or deceleration.
Females tend to perform these tasks with more of a straight leg than males. This straight leg landing pattern does not let the muscles of the thighs and calves absorb the shock, so the stress of landing is transferred to the ligaments of the joint, like the ACL.
You see where am coming from, as I worked with boys and girls and could see the differences, however I did not understand why until I started to do my own research.
You wonder why they throw like girls or hit like girls?
Read this again please...
Boys have historically been trained from an early age to use their body in sports activities which develop their neuromuscular systems.Girls are not exposed to this early motor learning at a young age, putting them at a distinct disadvantage when they decide to get involved in high school sports.
It is essential for girls to receive training early, to play competitively later.
When did your daughter start playing softball? At 9 to 12 years old for most of you and so the are already behind the power curve in my opinion.
Most of the coaches I have worked with know little when it comes to the actual differences of male, female differences because they are men in my opinion.
I have done clinics with Crystl for nine years now and you would think at least one coach or parent would have been able to demonstrate or show us how to get balanced!
It has never happened! And there are a lot of you on here we have worked with and that is data.....and then there is the throwing and you all have your excuses for not understanding until it is explained to you and then you have the light bulb moment and get it!
I know funsister and her medical profession and she has been a huge resource for us and continues to help open doors to help you.
Some of you are correct it is your choice about the face mask.
Look at the predisposed conditions that your daughters already have and especially the shoulder and ACL issues. Then look at how your team warms up and then Google Santa Monica Sports Med and the PEP program. :lmao:
In my opinion you have missed the big picture of protecting your daughters and if they play basket ball and or sokker you have really blew it.
The sokker coaches are more aware of the ACL issues than the basketball coaches has been my experience and the softball coaches for the most part have no idea of the injury rates or the prevention.
Just my opinion....so shoot me!
