Recently Longstreth Athlete and Grays Ambassador, Maddie Stevens stopped by our retail store. She explained to us that she needed a backup mouthguard to make sure she always had one on hand after a bad accident she experienced back in January. Her story seemed like a great example for all athletes, especially goalkeepers, on the importance of wearing a mouthguard.
“Since middle school, I've been passionate about playing goalie. As I progressed throughout high school, I started playing for Team USA and by my sophomore year, I was committed to Liberty University which I was super excited about.
I am currently gray shirting at Liberty which has helped me get a head start on my collegiate athletic career. It gives me the chance to acclimate to the team dynamics before the official season begins.
During practice my first week at college I was in the cage and someone was about a stroke length from me. When they took the stroke and I went up to play them, the ball came directly at my face. I tried to block the ball, but it hit the front of my helmet. The grill of the helmet broke off from the impact and because I wasn’t wearing a mouthguard, I bit down really hard and ended up breaking off half of my back tooth. From having concussions in the past, I know the importance of wearing a mouthguard.
Ultimately, the broken tooth required extraction, highlighting the exact reason why a mouthguard should be always worn…even at practice. From that moment forward, I made sure to prioritize wearing a mouthguard during every practice and game, recognizing that prevention is key to avoiding unnecessary injuries.
If I could give a piece of advice to young athletes based on my experience, it would be to prioritize safety. Invest in proper safety gear and don’t take shortcuts protecting yourself. I typically wear the SISU 3D Mouthguard because I can easily talk and drink with it in and now will be making sure I wear it at all time during practice. I can’t help but think that if I had just worn a mouthguard, I never would have lost my tooth!”
