Shoulder Pad protection

[93mom 0]

Can anyone give me an idea as to what my son would be missing, safety-wise, if he uses cheap shoulder pads?

I've been trying to replace his outgrown equipment with more protective stuff (ProTacks 892 pants and debating between a few new helmets thus far) but his $20 Easton Extreme shoulder pads, with extra belly protection fit him just fine so I have a hard time bringing myself to buy new ones. But he's a first-year Bantam now, playing A/AA and won't be the biggest kid out there anymore.

Am I endangering his safety if I we don't get better pads? What exactly do shoulder pads protect?

Thanks

[JR Boucicaut 3804]

Bigger kids wear bigger pads and hit harder. You might want to upgrade to a better pad just because of that. Find a happy medium between additional protection and mobility. No need for football-style stuff.

[93mom 0]

but no safety issues (internal bleeding,etc?)

[KYHockey3 0]

but no safety issues (internal bleeding,etc?)

that kind o stuff can happen no matter what you wear.

the angle, speed, place you are hit at can all vary.

i would just get him a mid-level pad. have him go to the store with you and try em on. find ones he likes and that are protective enough for him.

[JR Boucicaut 3804]

Well, that can happen with any shoulder pad. But the point I'm trying to make is that he will need better pads because the other kids are wearing better ones as well. A lot of padding can do damage to someone who isn't wearing as much.

[93mom 0]

Shoulder damage?

[KYHockey3 0]

Shoulder damage?

u can get shoulder damage even if you have the best pads.

it just depends on many things. some injuries cant be avioded. if he is at a bantam level, wich is checking, he should be fine as long as he hits correctly and doesnt get cheap shotted. if a 6'0 guy with terrible pads hits a 5'4 kid with top of the line pads, he can still get injured

[JR Boucicaut 3804]

Exactly - nothing's injury-proof but he will need better pads to keep up.

[hockeymom 2]

Consider checking out some used stuff.

Don't forget to take his pants and elbows with you when you try on new shoulder pads because it will all need to fit together properly. I read that great advice here on MSH AFTER I bought my daughter new shoulder pads. That oversight was a titch expensive... led to also getting new pants and elbows because the existing stuff didn't fit right with the new sholders.

[repus 0]

I would suggest picking up a used pair on eBay.

-dave

[Bamzi 0]

Top of the line stick, not important.

Top of the line skates, not important.

Top of the line protection, very important.

Comes down to cutting few bucks off, or my kid’s safety hmmm hard choice,

I will never cut back on my Son or Daughter protection gear, if anything should happen, not saying something will happen, I would not be able to forgive myself for a few bucks.

[KYHockey3 0]

but honeslty i have had 20$ shins and they worked just as good as my 60$ ones.

u can get hurt with no matter what pads you have.

[indaslot 0]

Can anyone give me an idea as to what my son would be missing, safety-wise, if he uses cheap shoulder pads?

I've been trying to replace his outgrown equipment with more protective stuff (ProTacks 892 pants and debating between a few new helmets thus far) but his $20 Easton Extreme shoulder pads, with extra belly protection fit him just fine so I have a hard time bringing myself to buy new ones. But he's a first-year Bantam now, playing A/AA and won't be the biggest kid out there anymore.

Am I endangering his safety if I we don't get better pads? What exactly do shoulder pads protect?

Thanks

My son was a first yr.bantam aa player last year. He was hit from behind and separated his shoulder despite being 5'10 180lbs and wearing top of the line shoulder pads.Still, I would buy the best protection you can afford because you must do everything YOU can to give him the best chance of avoiding an injury. My son could not have avoided the cheap shot from a 6'2 second year player, but perhaps he avoided other injuries. At least you can avoid beating yourself up for not buying good equipement!

[Jbird 0]

Can anyone give me an idea as to what my son would be missing, safety-wise, if he uses cheap shoulder pads?

I've been trying to replace his outgrown equipment with more protective stuff (ProTacks 892 pants and debating between a few new helmets thus far) but his $20 Easton Extreme shoulder pads, with extra belly protection fit him just fine so I have a hard time bringing myself to buy new ones. But he's a first-year Bantam now, playing A/AA and won't be the biggest kid out there anymore.

Am I endangering his safety if I we don't get better pads? What exactly do shoulder pads protect?

Thanks

If I may add...

Shoulder pads are more than just 'shoulder' pads. They are meant to help take impact in the chest (sternum), spine, ribs, upper biceps and shoulders (and clavicle on higher level pads). I believe JR is right when he said "he will need better pads because the other kids are wearing better ones as well."

I'd say go to a retailer who knows hockey. When they are explaining the product, you should also be feeling those key areas when you're looking at the shoulder pads. Feel for layers of foam, plastic and high-density foam. Look especially close at the sternum and spine for a layer of semi-hard plastic or high-density foam.

Please don't buy a size larger than needed just because 'he's still growing'. If he is swimming in the shoulder pad, it's not going to protect him correctly. Look for a shoulder pad with adjustable length biceps perhaps so it can adjust with his growth.

Of course fit, weight and mobility are also important and these will vary depending on the size of your son.

You don't necessarily need to buy the most expensive to get the best protection for him.

[cobrAA 0]

I'm 6'1 190(a big guy..) midget, i've been using those extreme shoulder since 3 years now. Never had a damn problem , excellent mobility,30$ perfect.

By the way, i played contact my last 4 years.

I think the most important thing in equipment protection is : how good you feel with them on.(good mobility)

The only thing i upgrade is my pant. because i have muscular ass problem(sp?) So i had to get the top notch protection pant.

[JR Boucicaut 3804]

Muscular ass problem. That's just hilarious.

[93mom 0]

Thanks for the info. These pads do have foam covered plastic at the spine and the floating sternum thing, also on the extra belly protection piece. Also some "rib wrap" that has no plastic, but feels like it wouldn't be pierced by the butt of a stick.

In the end, I will go into my LHS and get their advice, they always seem straight-up to me and never try to sell me the expensive stuff when something mid-range will work fine.

I'm a little insulted by those implying that I'm trying to skimp on his safety, I still don't see what he's missing, protection-wise with these pads, especially since he likes the feel of them (that all-important PP) and he's not looking for anything new. Of course part of that is that I still don't understand JRs point, but thats probably because I've never experienced a check.

Thanks all :)

[JR Boucicaut 3804]

Let me try to clarify it.

When a kid moves up to peewee, parents freak out. Since they will be checking, parents figure that a bigger, more-protective pad will protect him better. It gets to the point that they look like mini-football players out there, and that the kids can use a bulkier pad to check harder. 6 years ago I sold the hell out of the Christian (Douglas knockoff) football-style shoulder pads. Who bought them all? Peewee/bantams. Did they need that protection? No. But the parents would come up to me and say that they wanted their kids to look imposing on the ice, and fully protected.

Now is the time to upgrade to something with more protection than the Easton X-treme. Find something that will give him adequate protection, yet doesn't hamper mobility.

[DarkStar50 679]

Muscular ass problem. That's just hilarious.

aka "hockey butt."

[cobrAA 0]

Muscular ass problem.  That's just hilarious.

aka "hockey butt."

Okay guys you know i'm french LOL.. :lol:

I mean, the bone where your ass is. anyways the point was, every time i was falling. i don't know why i was always falling on the same side and at the same place. so i had to upgrade my bauer 500!

[jcp2 2]

You mean you don't have a lot of padding down there? Then I think the translation you want is "bony", not "muscular".