newbie questions but please help

[bomberman77]

i am a lacrosse player making the move to inline hockey. i just bought a bauer 5000 helmet combo with the cage on it. the cage utilizes a chin strap that secures the helmet on my head as i close the cage. but there's the other chin strap that is connected to the ear loops......my question is....do i need to use that one also or should i just take it off?

2nd question: when buying shin guards....where should the bottom of the shin guard be relative to my skate?

thanks a lot for the help.

[89jettawolfs]

you can leave the chin strap on. or take it off it's up to you. and the sh9in pads is kind of personal preference. i used to wear mine down over the tongue of my skate. but now i flip down my tongue and wear them to just above my skate. it's really up to you but you want as little gap as possible. i have a small gap and got hit a few times and it hurts.

[Brooklynite10]

For the most comfort without sacraficing any protection, remove the second chin strap and shin guards should be slightly tucked underneath the tongue of your skates.

[DannyG]

1. in addition to the above considerations, be also aware that most rec leagues must demand that you have both sets of straps operating for liability reasons. The referee is empowered by the rules to send you to the bench if your chin strap is not properly fastened in these instances...

2. I wear baseball catchers' leg guards, which have the double cap above the knee, and the front plate over the boot laces (ever take a shot right to the laces?)...I highly recommend this, although absolutely nobody in my local league does this except me...and they probably laugh at me behind my back, for all I know...

I also much prefer lacrosse arm guards over most actual hockey arm guards, although my Brine 1988 models have all the elastic in the sleeves sadly drooping...

We note the specialized masks that baseball catchers are now wearing...cross-over equipment from other sports has direct benefits...

Have fun with all this, good luck, glad to have you with us in your new sport...

<font color=purple>DannyG</font color=purple>

[Jorge]

hehehe,
I don't think that anyone laughs at your baseball leg guards Dan (hehehe), but personally I think they will be a little bit uncomfortable, but hey don't believe me, I'm new on this stuff too, so if there is someone who knows what is the deal in hockey is Dan, he has been a mentor to me in hockey, he will move you and give you instructions on the floor that will help you get the idea of how the game is played, and he is a very strategic player too, if he asks for a time out to setup a play, trust me if we follow his instructions 90% of the time we are going to end up with the results that we wanted for the play.