As a brand new baseball parent, there’s a lot I don’t know. How do you choose a proper glove? What size bat is best? How do you read this fancy playoff schedule bracket thingy?
Of larger concern for any new baseball parent is the issue of safety. From helmets to jock straps and proper warm-ups to hydration and sunscreen, it’s everyone’s job to keep our kids safe on the field. One thing I never considered, however, was the importance of protecting my son’s heart ― until now.
How scary! But wait, what’s a heart guard shirt and why don’t I (or the other team parents) know about them? My 9-year-old son is pitching this season and of all my fears, a line drive straight to the head was (perhaps foolishly) my biggest one.
Heart guard shirts worn under a uniform, contain special padding designed to help protect athletes from severe trauma to the chest, a condition that can result in commotio cordis, which is described as a “blunt, nonpenetrating trauma to the chest resulting in irregular heart rhythm and often leading to sudden death,” according to NCBI.
While rare, commotio cordis does happen and the results are often fatal.
Thank goodness the young pitcher is on the mend. Like the 74K people who have shared Curtin’s message, I, too, plan to spread the word about the importance of these shirts designed to protect the hearts of young athletes (and their parents alike).
We agree with all our heart.