What If Athletic Equipment Never Advanced Past The 1960s?

In the year 2014 — still seems weird, right?! — athletic equipment is more advanced than anyone could have ever imagined. Helmets are made from thermoplastic composites, lacrosse sticks are forged from lightweight alloys rather than fiberglass and NBA jerseys all of a sudden have sleeves. It’s certainly a far cry from the leather helmets and mask-less goalies of the 1960s.

Could you imagine what the world of sports would be like if we still used equipment from 50 years ago?

Ice hockey goalies had only just begun to wear masks; with some forgoing facial protection for another decade. The helmet and cage combination for goalies didn’t become popular until the 1970s. Football players were just making the switch from leather pads to foam and plastic. Lacrosse was played with one-piece wooden sticks. Sports, in general, would simply be slower.

With a lack of technology designed to enhance their abilities, athletes would be less skilled. And with a similar lack of technology designed to provide protection, athletes would likely be more injury prone — even compared to today’s standards.

We often mention the physicality of today’s players when we discuss injuries, as athletes are bigger, stronger and faster than their predecessors. But we must remember that sports like football, hockey and lacrosse wouldn’t even exist as we know them today if it wasn’t for the incredible advancements in athletic equipment. And we truly are light-years ahead from where we were 50 years ago.

Which begs the question: why do some athletes, coaches and trainers still use a mouthguard design that was introduced in the 1960s, when all other aspects of sports and equipment as we know it have evolved?

The boil-and-bite mouthguard — the generic block of rubber your players chew up and lose “accidentally” — was first introduced to the public in 1960.

Can you name another piece of equipment your athletes still wear that has the original unchanged design from more than 50 years ago? Cars from the 1960s are considered antiques and most sports gear from that time is behind glass in museums. Even baseball has moved on to equipment from the 21^st century!

Boiling a chunk of rubber in water and biting into it for a “good” fit is an inadequate method for proper mouthguard fitting. Custom mouthguards — produced using a mathematical model and a heat and pressure laminated process — are designed to fit each athlete’s individual mouth structure; thick where more protection is needed and thinner where comfort is more important.

That means your players aren’t just getting the most protective mouthguard available, but the most comfortable mouthguard as well. Plus, with a completely personalized mouthguard — from color and logo to name and number — your athletes don’t just get another piece of sports equipment, but a new item of team gear they value as much as their jersey.

Every Gladiator custom mouthguard with a player’s personalized name, number and team logo instantly becomes a favorite piece of their uniform and an essential component of completing their game face.

And because Gladiators are proven to outlast a boil-and-bite mouthguard 5-to-1 — and all replacement Gladiators are up to 50% off for the life of the model — you get the value you need too. That makes your Gladiator more than just a mouthguard, but an investment in your players’ protection.

It’s the year 2014, after all.

Welcome your team into the 21^st century with custom mouthguards from Gladiator, the industry-leader in custom mouthguards.

Leave The Past Behind

Author Bio

Bobbie Quinn, co-founder of Gladiator Custom Mouthguards, played both lacrosse and field hockey as a youth and went on to play Division 1 women’s lacrosse in college. Bobbie continues to play women’s league field hockey and enjoys watching her son play various sports.