So, October is upon us and you know what that means – Breast Cancer Awareness Month. During this time, people around the world raise awareness about breast cancer. The goal of the campaign is to encourage women and men alike to undergo screening early in order to identify the onset of the disease. By doing so, men and women are able to receive counseling and treatment. As a result, no one gets to face breast cancer alone.

Over the years, you probably noticed that every October, pink football stuff is available on major websites like NFL. It does not end there. Even high school football gear has become pink too as a way of showing support. Common football gear available include pink socks, pink sweatbands, pink ribbon wristbands, pink sleeves, pink helmet, pink armbands and pink footballs being used by the players.

There is more. You probably noticed that pink is everywhere even in the stadium. This means the NFL logo will feature a pink ribbon. Its purpose is simple – to raise funds and awareness for the National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

To show your support, you can also shop for pink BCA football gear too. Here is the ultimate guide to help you find the right pink football stuff.

Understanding football gear

It is important to understand that to be successful in football – practice, dedication and endurance are needed. Sporting the right gear ensures that players are safe as they tackle each other with the objective of winning. During the Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a few adjustments are made to show support. So, if you are shopping for the pink football stuff, it is wise to know what is available for purchase.

Pink sweatbands

Sweatbands are designed with the purpose of wicking sweat from your brow when working out. This helps to prevent sweat from running into your eyes whether at the gym or when running around the neighborhood. They are fabricated with a continuous loop of terry cloth, which is an absorbent fabric. The Breast Cancer Awareness Month version is usually embroidered with a pink ribbon on the front to show support. One thing you need to know is that awareness does not end once October lapses. By adorning this gear even when working out or training, you will be able to create awareness among fellow gym attendees.

Pink wristbands

These are designed to go hand in hand with the pink sweatband. They are also embroidered with a pink ribbon to create awareness and show support. The towel-like terry cloth is colored pink making it the right gear for footballers who want to show support for breast cancer awareness month. Its purpose is simple – to wipe sweat from the forehead especially for the officials. In football, they help to absorb sweat running down the length of the player’s arm thus preventing the palms from becoming slippery. As a result, players have better grip.

Pink helmet

This is one of the most important pieces of football protective gear apart from shoulder pads, mouth guard, athletic supporter and leg pads. As the most recognizable piece of football gear, it acts as an advertising platform for the league and the team. It is common to find the team’s logo imprinted on either side. During the Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the league and team logo can be modified up with some pink color. Furthermore, a pink ribbon can be imprinted on the helmet too. Helmets are vital as they prevent head injuries during game play. They are made with a hard plastic exterior and layer of foam cells for the interior to ensure better impact absorption.

Pink sleeve

It is quite common for the players to get injured in the field. Thanks to improved sports medicine, players are able to continue doing what they love as well as staying protected from further injuries. You probably have seen players wearing an arm sleeve during game play. Ever wondered about its purpose? Well, compression sleeves in particular are designed to help the player’s muscles recover from previous injury. Furthermore, it promotes better circulation to the heart improving healing time. A pink sleeve is perfect for showing support for the Breast Cancer Awareness Months. The good news is that different sizes are available.

Pink football

Perhaps the most important part of the game… there would be no game without the football. The objective is simple – to score more touchdowns or field goals as the other team in order to win. There is some body tackling between opponents resulting in the ball passing from one player to another. To show support for October’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the football can be imprinted with the pink ribbon on either side.

Other football gear

There are more football accessories which can help to highlight breast cancer awareness. They include neck rolls, jerseys and pants. Football pants and jerseys are made from nylon and they usually include a lace up fly. Thanks to the pant’s knee length design, it’s able to provide maximum movement and flexibility. There are football pants which are manufactured with thigh, knee and hip pads. This is done to prevent the pads from shifting as well as providing protection to the player. Football pants can be accessorized with a pink stripe on either side of the leg or even a pink ribbon.

With the neck roll, defensive players are able to prevent injuries which may be brought about by the backward motion of one’s head. They are fabricated with nylon or vinyl together with padded foam. Wearing a pink neck roll will surely show support for the breast cancer awareness month.

What To Consider When Shopping For Football Gear

To shop for the right product, there are factors that one needs to consider. This helps to ensure that you have the right gear that fits the player’s body size, feet and head too. As a beginner, it can be a daunting task when it comes to shopping. Not only do you have to know what terms like OPO (Oral Protection Only) and NJOP (Nose, Jaw and Oral Protection) mean but you have to know more about the player’s chest and back measurements. To help you out of this dilemma, we have listed factors to help with your quest.

Size

This is the most important factor when it comes to shopping for football gear. Selecting the wrong size for your players will result in ill fitting gear. This is not what you want. Can you imagine watching your players walking onto the field with buggy pants, ill fitting shoulder pads and shoes? Not only will this be comical to the fans but it could result in penalties. Furthermore, your players will not be allowed onto the field.

When it comes to size, you have to be perfect. Mistakes could result in the above predicament. For shoulder pads, it is important to measure both the chest and back for each player. Furthermore, you can include their weight too. For example adult sizes range between medium to 5X large while for the youth, they range between 2X small to X Large.

For the helmet, you can use a caliper to determine the players’ sizes. To ensure accurate measurements, players need to keep moderate to short hairstyle. If you are unsure what sizes to purchase, use this football helmet sizing chart. This is helpful in that it will help you resolve problems that emanate from the availability of different brands and models.

Soft vs. Hard Chinstraps

You may well be aware that a loose fitting chinstrap will result in the helmet being loose. This is definitely not good news. For starters, it places your player in danger. If you have watched how players tackle each other for the ball, then you know the kind of danger your players are in. To prevent the helmet from moving around, it’s wise to purchase one that fits perfectly. This means that it should not be too tight or loose. It should be just the right fit.

As already explained, chinstraps do play a vital role. Two types are available – soft and hard chinstraps. Soft chinstraps are designed to stay on the chin thus keeping the helmet secure around the players head. Thanks to improved technology, soft anti microbial fabric may be used. This has been found to prevent chafing and skin irritation.

Just like soft chinstraps, hard chinstraps help to lower the chances of injury. Modern designs are able to conform to varying chin sizes thus ensuring that they are able to fit well. Furthermore, they provide comfort too.

Here is what you need to know:

Hard chinstraps are perfect for adults while soft chinstraps are perfect for the youth.

Pure Leather vs. Composite Leather Footballs

Footballs are at the core of the game. As said earlier, this is a sporting accessory that is tossed between players. Players use all forms of tackling to ensure that the football makes it to the opponent’s side thus scoring a touchdown. Common features found on a football include four panes of pebble grained leather, two white stripes and eight white lacing. The league’s logo is also imprinted on either side. During the Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a pink ribbon is usually imprinted besides the league’s logo to show support.

Today, two types of materials are used in the making of a football. They include – leather and composite leather. Leather footballs are of the highest quality. They are the only type of football allowed in the NFL and NCAA games. To ensure they are durable, they are passed through a tanning process which makes them tacky and easy to grip. The leather used is of high quality which means its water resistant making the football, all weather resistant.

On the other hand, composite leather is basically synthetic leather which means the end result is not of high quality. Furthermore, it costs less. While they are naturally resistant to moisture, they tend to become slick when wet. This football is intended for recreational and practice use only.

Field position

In a football game, you have the offensive and defensive sides. On the offensive side, the following positions are available – quarterback, half back, wide receiver, center and guard among others. On the defensive side, you have the middle linebacker, outside linebacker, cornerback and safety among others. What you are familiar with is that players do wear protective gear such as helmet, cleats, mouth guard, athletic supporter, shoulder pads and pants. What you don’t know is that some positions do need extra protective gear.

For example, quarterbacks require pads designed for mobility, agility and range of motion. This means that they should have lightweight padding, no excess epaulets, have flexible cushioning and shell. Furthermore, they should be strategically positioned allowing the QB to run faster.

For the lineman, the right pads should be designed for ultimate protection especially against hard hits. The pads should be designed with the heaviest and most durable material. Furthermore, they should be streamlined and have a sleek profile without extra epaulets. This helps to prevent others from holding onto the shoulder pads. Elastic straps should be made available to ensure a secure and adjustable fit.

Having this in mind, you can finally provide your players with the right gear depending with their field positions. Not only will you be ensuring their comfort but their protection too. If you want to win against your opponents, protect your players.

Type of Material

When it comes to providing the ultimate protection and comfort to your players, the type of material used in fabrication of the gear plays an important role. For example, shoulder pads are designed to absorb the impact directed to the shoulders and chest. This helps to protect players when on the field. To ensure ultimate protection for all players, it is common to find new padding designs being incorporated. This helps to improve performance, comfort and protection.

In most shoulder pads and helmets, you may find TPU cushioning being used. This material has been found to be unique and indestructible since it does not break down. Furthermore, it compresses and holds heat closer to the body. TPU protects the player, lasts longer and absorbs more impact force than other padding systems.

The IntelliArch shell was designed by Riddell and it’s utilized in pro-level shoulder pads. It is renowned for being 11% thinner and lighter than traditional designs. Furthermore, it has extended corrugations making it more rigid and tougher. This ensures that it is able to absorb the biggest hits while ensuring the player remains flexible and mobile during the game.

For the sweatbands and wristbands, terry cloth is the right material. It helps to absorb sweat finally improving the players grip. Don’t forget about the pants and jersey. They are designed with a moisture wick material allowing mobility and flexibility.

Accessories

It is important for players to stay safe while on the field. That is not all. They should be comfortable to ensure flexibility and mobility. For the above to prevail, football gear accessories are made available. They include:

Back plates

They are designed with hard plastic and padding material finally providing protection to the lower back, spine and kidneys. The back plates are also fabricated to be easy to attach. They are lightweight and have low profile designs thus they don’t restrict movements. Back plates are commonly used by QB’s and youthful players.

Rib guards

Just like backplates, rib guards provide protection to one’s rib cage. It is usually worn under the jersey. The rib guard can be attached to the shoulder pads or worn separately. It is made with a hard shell outer and impact absorbing foam cushion. This helps to protect the player against impact force.

Padded Shirts

If you are in search of a football gear accessory that adds extra padding, then the padded shirt is the right choice for you. It aids by adding extra padding around the shoulders, spine and ribs. The accessory can be worn separately or as a base layer. To ensure protection, they are designed with sewn-in padding. This helps to absorb impact energy.

Injury pads

Football players can minimize injuries or soreness by using injury pads. They help by adding extra protection and impact absorption. This has been found to allow better healing without restricting play time.

Neck rolls

Defenders are prone to severe injuries during game play. It is quite common for one to jerk their head backwards leading to serious neck injuries. To prevent this, neck rolls are needed. They help to prevent the snapping back of the neck as well as whiplash. Furthermore, they reduce spinal injuries, stingers and burners. A neck roll is usually attached to the shoulder pads around the neck area. They can be tied down or even inserted under the pads. The good news is that multiple designs are available thus providing you with varying choices.

Final Thoughts

By now your mind is teeming with new information about the breast cancer awareness month football gear. Not only will you be able to select the right sizes but the right gear and accessories too. Just to recap the factors that you need to consider when shopping for pink football stuff, they include size, type of material, field position, accessories, soft vs. hard chinstraps and leather vs. composite leather football.

Bottom line: Thanks to our ultimate guide to pink football gear, your team can display its support for this October’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month.