Being an athlete can be dangerous. Just ask anyone who has ever spent time on a baseball field or a basketball court. Experienced players can likely recount multiple stories of injuries occurring during games. Many times, these injuries are fairly insignificant—a bloody nose, a bruised knee, or a jammed finger. But other times, these injuries can be life-altering.
Hard Hits
In 2013, Major League Baseball player Bryce Harper had a serious impact with a fence during a game against the Los Angeles Dodgers. As Bryce ran to catch a line drive, he looked over his shoulder at the ball. At the last second, Harper turned and came face-first with the perimeter fence.
There was no time to react, and the impact was painful. Harper’s head bounced backward, his hat flew off in a different direction, and his body fell towards the hard dirt field. Bryce Harper ended the game with a bruised neck, injuries to his knee, and 11 stitches in his chin. He was lucky he wasn’t more severely injured, and that this wall collision was not season-ending.
Other athletes have not been so fortunate. In June of 1947, another MLB player named Pete Riser collided with a wall and almost died. He was knocked unconscious and even given his last rites in the locker room before being taken to the hospital. Miraculously, he survived. After ten days, the doctors released him from their care. He was back on the baseball field a month later, ready to play again.
Very Real Consequences
Colliding with an unpadded wall is as dangerous as being in a car crash without an airbag. Just like an airbag, commercial wall padding is built to absorb heavy impacts and can help athletes avoid injury or prevent death. Installing custom gym wall padding keep your athletes safe during play, avoiding serious injuries such as:
- Brain Trauma: Hitting an unpadded wall can cause significant injuries to the head. Concussions and skull fractures are at the top of that list.
- Spinal Injuries: Wall impacts can crush the vertebrae and cartilage in the spinal column, resulting in severe trauma. These injuries can take a long time to heal and may even require surgery.
- Whiplash and Organ Damage: Similar to being in a car crash, when your body hits a solid object, the outside stops moving, but muscles and organs on the inside continue moving forward. The force of impact causes severe strain on the muscles and can damage the internal organs.
- Sprains and Broken Bones: Colliding with a wall can cause joints like shoulders, knees, ankles, and fingers to over-extend, resulting in a sprain. These collisions can also cause painful broken bones, with weeks of recovery time.
- Facial Injuries: Since people are top-heavy, faces often take the brunt of the impact during a forward fall. Smashing your face into a wall will most certainly cause injuries like broken noses, dislocated jaws, broken teeth, or damage to the orbital bones. These injuries make eating, breathing, and seeing a lot more complicated and painful, not to mention the bruising and swelling that changes your outward appearance.
Changed For Life
Most times, wall collisions are minor. Any injuries sustained will quickly heal without lasting damage. But for the small percentage of athletes who have serious accidents, their lives are forever changed. The ramifications of these injuries affect a person’s quality of life as they deal with:
- Chronic pain
- Depression
- The inability to compete
- Frustration
- Loss of self
- Paralysis
- Cognitive impairment
Proactive Injury Prevention
The good news is that gym owners can minimize the risk of serious injuries due to wall collisions by adding high-quality wall padding. Strategically placing pads throughout a gym space or along the fence line of a playing field will add an extra layer of protection for competitors. An expert analysis of your space can help you see any overlooked spots, like poles or electrical boxes, that might pose additional dangers. The safety of your players should always be a top priority.
For many athletes, the love of the game includes pushing their bodies to the max. In the heat of the moment, safety can go out the window. Running into an unpadded wall can lead to serious injuries, ranging from minor to severe, depending on the force of impact. Without proper protection, high-speed sports increase the risk of head trauma and joint injuries.
These dangers are the reason wall padding is a must. High quality gym wall padding acts as a crucial safety barrier, absorbing impact and reducing the severity of injuries. Whether in gyms, sports facilities, or on the field, padded walls provide protection. Ensuring the safety of your athletes leads to greater confidence and a higher level of play. Don’t let a hard wall collision be the end of a career or a life. Protect your athletes by padding your walls.
