METALS IN SPORTS

Introduction

Metals are unique materials in their own right. This is because they posses certain desirable qualities that make them very useful for particular functions. Consequently, these qualities have been able to gain some applications within the sporting industry. Metals are largely used to make sporting equipment and most of them have gained acceptance as they are. However, it should be noted that this application of metals in sport has brought out certain controversies that are related to the injuries created. The paper shall examine some of these issues and a conclusion shall be given on the matter.

Application of metals in sports
Metals have gained one of the most diverse applications in sports today. Their qualities make them useful in the process of creating a range of sporting equipment. For instance, metals are used to make goals. Most goal frames are metallic in nature and the reason behind this is that metals possess a high density thus giving them the ability to resist movements, pushes and shoves during the goal hitting process. Metallic goals are common in games such as hockey, soccer, rugby, handball and many more. (Review Centre, 2008)

These days, metals are being used to make bats, sticks and clubs. Bats are largely associated with games such as baseball. The latter category is a recent introduction to the game and it has generated a lot of heated debate about the limits and applicability of metals in sports. This is largely because bats are subjected to a lot of movement and are likely to make frequent contact with the respective players. The controversies behind the use of metallic bats shall be examined in subsequent portions of the essay.

Certain clubs may be made (in part) of metals. However, most of the time, these clubs are composite items that require the good properties in metal to work hand in hand with other materials. Clubs are usually linked to the game of golf. In close relation to the latter use is the use of sticks in games such as hockey. However, there are minimal chances of finding metal in any of these sticks as they may cause heavy injuries on the part of the players. (USGA, 2008)

Nets are crucial sports equipment too. Most of them gain application in a series of sports such as volleyball, basketball, badminton, tennis and even fishing. In basketball, the rim that holds a net is metallic in nature. This is necessary so as to provide a strong material that can be used as a support for the heavy players making their pointers. In tennis and badminton, metals are also used as frames to support nets. This is largely because metals are easy to form and can therefore provide a firm shape against which players can play the game. The same qualities can be used to explain why metals are used in volleyball and fishing too.
Tackle and rods are also made up of this material known as metal. This is because fishing entails the capture of heavy materials that may only be possible through the utilization of a firm and strong support that can withstand the weight of some of these heavy fish.

Metals are particularly useful in the creation of protective sports equipment. Usually, these protective gears may be for the facial area, thighs, shins and many others. Examples of equipment that may be made up of these metals include
• Cup
• Thigh pads
• Shin pads
• Helmets
• Mouth guards

Interestingly enough, metal can also be found in footwear. This is especially the case in sports that require contact with ice or water. In the process of making boards for surfing, it is common to find this material especially in equipments such as boards for snowboarding and skate boarding equipment. Because the latter materials require a certain level of smoothness and strength that is difficult to achieve with other materials, then the better option to choose in this regard is a metal. Gometals.com (2008)
Metals are also particularly useful in sporting events that involve the use of skates. In ice skating and roller skating, metals are used to create the wheels or the skates that are essential for movement within the sport. This is largely because of the fact that skates or wheels are subjected to a lot of friction in such games. Consequently, a suitable material such a metal is important in providing players with all the necessary support they require during such sporting activities. For the same reason, metals are also used in creating skis as applied in general skiing or water skiing activities.

Metals are a crucial component of sporting vehicles within any part of the world. The utilization of this material is particularly important during specialized vehicle processes. For instance, in motor sport, many types of metals are used to create the desirable effect within this range of equipment. Additionally, metals are also instrumental in aeronautics which require the qualities inherent in metals. In close association with the latter application is the issue of sailing boats. In order to hold some of the heavy weights associated with the sailing, it is essential to use a metal in order to ensure that everything has been protected adequately.
One of the most instrumental and common applications of metals is in the creation of exercise equipment. Most weights are composed of this material because of the fact that metals are very compact or dense and can therefore achieved the desired effect (muscle strengthening) without the use of very spacious materials. On top of these, many equipments within the gym are also made up of this product and they include;
• Pulley devices
• Power lifters
• Weights

Source: Gometals.com (2008)
Qualities of metal that favor its application in sports
Metals are used in the world of sports because there are certain qualities that they possess that make them superior to all other materials. First of all, metals have very good conductivity. This means that they can transmit either heat or electricity at a very high pace. Normally the latter trait is very desirable because it determines the type of jig that may be necessary in order to control expansion or contraction. This quality also affects the kind of joining properties that can be made between different metal pieces. Many sports equipment require pieces that can be easily joined together and also those ones that can withstand a lot of heat. Consequently, this is why metals are a large component of sporting motor vehicles, mountain bikes and other similar products.

Expansion and contraction of any materials are also very important determinants of their applicability.
Metals are largely resistant to expansion and contraction when they are subjected to low levels of temperature variations. Since most sporting equipments are exposed to reasonable levels of temperature variations, then chances are that there is in deed a need to use materials that can retain the same dimensions despite these changes. On the other hand, metals do respond to high temperature variations by contracting or expanding in the right manner. The latter quality is particularly useful in the designing process. Here, there is a need to change the appearance of a metal so that it can fit into a particular sporting description. (Review Centre, 2008)
Strength is another important quality that makes metals common in the sporting arena. When making equipment that will be subject to a lot of movement and weight at the same time, then it is necessary to use equipment that will be strong enough to withstand those weights while at the same time light enough to facilitate movement.

This is the reason why metallic bats are now in use within baseball.
There are a number of limitations that emanate out of a particular kind of material when strength is added without consideration of weight. This is because if a mountain bike were too heavy, then it would not be able to move from point to point or in certain circumstances, if the material; was too heavy, then it may not be able to support more weights from the riders. A combination of strength and weight is therefore of utmost importance in determining whether a particular type of equipment can be useful in sports.

It should be noted that the ratio of strength and weight is an important determinant of why metals have gained an application in the field of sports. For instance, most of these equipments require certain levels of thickness that can only be achieved through the use of metals. Gym equipments are in serious need of such qualities because when they are thick enough, then it can prevent buckling that arises from careless handling of the product. (Structural Aeronautics mechanics, 2008)
Reliability is another important parameter that makes metals very favorable in sports. The latter trait refers to an ability to withstand certain failures. In the field of material science, there are five major stresses that can be used to determine whether a certain form of material is reliable or not and these include;
• Torsion
• Bending
• Shear
• Compression
• Tension

Most sporting equipment are subjected to almost all the latter stresses. Consequently, utilizing other materials that lack the ability to withstand the latter would place one in a particularly dangerous position as a sportsman or woman. In fact, for materials that cannot withstand some of the latter stresses, it is common to find that metals have been used to improve their abilities to do so.
Additionally, the ability to withstand corrosion is another important property for metals in sporting equipment. Corrosion refers to the process of eating away of the internal structure of a material especially due to exposure to water and air. Sporting equipment are particularly susceptible to these kinds of conditions because most of them are used in the outdoors. Metals are known for their susceptibility to corrosion; however, there are certain metals that are not. Consequently, coating one metal with another is a common process of making that material corrosive resistant.

Additionally, metals can be taken through an electro-chemical process that prevents any possible occurrence of injuries. In certain circumstances, metals allow for painting and this is also another preventive measure. Because of these levels of flexibility when working with the material, metals are therefore an important part of the sporting arena. (Structural mechanics, 2008)

Controversies about the use of metals in sports
A number of complaints have arisen in certain sporting fields about the use of metals in such areas; this is because of the kind of injuries that they can cause. The danger associated with the use of metals in sports is largely related to their strength versus weight ratios which are perceived as being too high for sports. Such critics normally assert that other substitutes such as wood should be used because they would cause less dangerous injuries if another player happened to be hit by the metallic object. (USGA, 2008)

One particular game that has been at the centre of this debate is baseball. The latter game accepted the use of both metallic and wooden bats in its field. This acceptance has solicited a lot of criticisms mostly because players are not required to be wearing protective gear at all times.

A case in point occurred in New Jersey where a twelve year old boy known as Steven Domalewski was hit by a metallic composite bat.
The boy was severely injured to the point that his parents decided to sue the bat making company; Hillerich and Bradsby. His parents also sort compensation from the governing body within that area and also bat regulators known as Little League.
It should be noted that the concept of suing others for one’s actions is quite common in the US and in other parts of the developed world. In most cases, the defendants are usually required to pay huge fines by courts of law after it has been proved that their products did indeed cause some sort of harm. Normally, such rulings are passed even when the plaintiff consciously made the choice to use a certain product irrespective of the potential harm to be caused. This has been illustrated by the huge lump sums paid by tobacco companies in such lawsuits.
However, the same thing does not apply in the field of sports. In sports, most participants are assumed to fully understand the dangers that emanate out of the use of certain sports equipment and it is therefore incumbent upon them to deal with the horrors arising from the use of dangerous equipments such as metallic bats.

Consequently, it can be said that irrespective of the obvious danger that a metallic bat presents to the injured party, sportsmen are still expected to go about their injuries in a personal manner. (USGA, 2008)

Additionally, other sports fanatics have asserted that the use of metallic sporting equipment is like a form of cheating since balls are made to move much faster than they were supposed to if the equipment used was not metallic. Consequently, this is reaping off the true meaning of the sport.

Conclusion
Metals have wide application in sports. This is because they posses adequate strength, great reliability and sufficient strength. Additionally, their contractive and expansive properties are favorable for normal outdoor temperatures. On the other hand, the use of metals in sports can be dangerous since the nature of the material makes injuries predominantly dangerous.

References

Gometals.com (2008): Metal Sport and wear, retrieved from http://www.gometal.com/pages.php?gb=10&lang=EN accessed on 16th January 2009
Review Centre (2008): Sports equipment, retrieved from http://www.reviewcentre.com/ accessed on 16th January 2009
Structural mechanics (2008): Properties of metals, retrieved from http://www.tpub.com/content/aviation/14018/css/14018_37.htm accessed on 16th January 2009
USGA (2008): What’s wrong with metallic bats, retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/18/sports/baseball/18bats.html?pagewanted=2&em accessed on 16th January 2009

The author of this article is a holder of Masters in Business Administration (MBA) from Harvard University and currently pursing PhD Program. He is also a professional academic writer. ResearchPapers247.Com>