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Why I Wear Protective Gear If you've ever played football like I have, then you know what it's like to be weighed down by a bunch of pads. You kind of get used to it, but they never really are comfortable, especially when you play really hard on a really hot day.  Displaying the helmet that may have saved his life when he hit a pole vaulting standard (similar to the one he is holding) during a bad attempt is vaulter Ryan Carroll. - May 9th, 1998 Star Beacon A less commonly played sport that I did was pole vaulting. In case you don't know, it's a track event where you fling yourself in the air with a pole to try to get over a bar set at a certain height. (My personal record was almost 10 feet.) A lot like any other extreme sport, it requires the same fearlessness and has the same kind of rush. Also like extreme sports, it has its share of dangers, which is why our pole vaulting coach started insisting that we all wear helmets. We thought it was kind of silly, considering that none of our opponents were wearing helmets and that (unlike skating) there is a big huge pad that you land on after falling from your jump. Well, that attitude changed when Ryan Carroll, one of our best vaulters, fell head first onto the corner of a metal support called a standard. Though he was unconscious for nearly 90 minutes, he was lucky he was wearing a helmet. Otherwise, he could have died. He was always one of the first ones to reject the idea of a helmet, but he quickly changed his mind, as did the rest of our team. Ever since then I don't mind putting up with a bit of discomfort when it comes to wearing pads, because I know that it could save my life or maybe a limb. I know it saved my friend's life. Besides, why do you think I feel confident enough to try tricks that other people are scared to try? Peace,
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