I agree...I have been informed, now let me make the choice.

This will be just like seat belts.When know one wore seat belts,more people died not using them. Take the same studied now.I would bet more people die with seat belts on.

It is easy to sway the numbers in any way you want.

If there was a rule that said you could not use them,I would fight tooth and nail to get that rite for you.Rite now you have that rite.Just as I have the rite not to.

??????

CWB makes a good point. Those wanting to make money off of this can give whatever data or statistics they want. Football and hockey do require mouthpieces, but there is still a huge number of concussions in these sports. We had a kid on Jake's football team get a concussion this year and was out 4 or 5 games. It wasn't a helmet to helmet hit. It was more of a takedown where he could not catch himself and his head got slammed to the turf. He had a helmet on and a mouthpiece in...didn't help a bit.

Background Checks are supposed to keep the kids safe, but every tournament I see some out of control parent berating a child, arguing simple calls, fighting in the stands, and acting a fool. I see drug dealers coaching. Just recently we heard that a child molester slipped through the cracks. People are still using club funds for their own gain. I thought these background checks were supposed to stop this. Just pay your $15 and it looks good to the public.

DARE Programs don't do any good for schools, but communities continue to pump millions of dollars into them to make the public feel better. It has been proven not to work, but it looks like they are trying to fix the problem so everybody is happy and continue to waste money on a program that doesn't work.

There are tons for government mandates that do not work or may help in a few cases. All of these are in place to make money. Whether they work or not.

Mouthpieces are not the fix all...but I'm sure someone will make a ton of money off of them.

wont they need hearing protection from the bubble wrap popping?

we must be bored.

I hope that you never have to pull your kid out of a wrestling season because they have a concussion. I’ve done to with two kids. Has it stopped them from wrestling? One it has, the other is still wrestling. Can a mouth piece help with the prevention of getting another concussion? Yes! Can the Impact Test help prevent a concussion? NO!! Can it help the doctor to evaluate your kids healing process? Yes. How many schools systems are using this test? Not enough. All 5th grade and 6th grade football player in my program are tested and our school system is doing it also. All athletes in our school take the Impact Test. Is it mandatory on the state leave? No!! Should it be? YES!! Do what you can to help your kid out!!

NOTE: The authors would like to stress and emphasize that the above information is theory ONLY and has not yet been proven in the medical/dental literature. We DO NOT support the claims made by mouthguard manufacturers and other dentists that there is a definite relationship between mouthguards and cerebral concussion. Until it is proven in the medical literature, this stand will continue. Athletic mouthguards, until proven different, are primarily for the reduction of orofacial injury.

I have been doing some research and all of the articles, including the one that Will started this thread with, states that Mouthguards DO NOT PREVENT CONCUSSIONS. I have been looking into purchasing Jake a mouthguard because I do think it may be beneficial to his teeth. With that being said, I can not find a USA Wrestling mouthguard.

It definitely should not be mandated. Although I'm sure it will be as soon as USA Wrestling decides they can make some money off of it. They will probably mandate that they need to be replaced or certified every month. Wonder who will make the money off of that? Sell 6 mouth guards a year at $20 a piece for each wrestler...$120 more a year per wrestler. How many wrestlers are just in the state of Kansas...now I'm starting to see why this is so important. $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

I stand corrected on not finding any wrestling mouthguards. Blue Chip seems to have a nice selection. I'm going to see if Jake wants one. No problem getting one because we think its a good idea.

It is difficult to get your kids to wear them even if they have braces and it is mandated. In spite of their disagreement, I too think it is a good idea. I am supportive of it because there is no downside, except the cost. However, after paying some dental bill that $20 is WAY cheap.

Chad, after reading all this, I have changed my mind. I would just like to get a good deal on a mouth piece for my son. Since Blue Chip advertises on this forum, and the owner is the brother of the coach for St. James Academy, maybe Will could get us all a good deal.

I know this is about the mouthpiece and concussion issues.....personally I believe in the freedom of choice option.

Having said that.....if we are going to mandate this then we need to ban those headgear that have the headbutting plate on the front of them....oops meant protection plate. Seems to me those things have the potential to cause just as many head injuries even if they are being used properly (meaning a kids isn't intentionally trying to use it as a battering device).

Those types of headgear drive me crazy.

Shawn