Leather In Sports
There are a surprising number of sports that use leather! From cleats to balls to mitts, leather is used in nearly every sport.
Football
We have all heard the term pigskin when talking about a football, however they are not actually made from pigs’ skin, but cowhide. According to the website OneGreenPlanet.org, roughly 3,000 cowhides are used to supply the NFL with footballs for one year.
Currently, there are not a lot of alternatives for the footballs as it is a standard that all the NFL’s footballs are made the same. The only alternatives are rubber and foam, but these are not used for organized sports.
Fun Fact- According to rookueroad.com, football was created using a more modern rugby style in the 1880s.
Cricket
Internationalcricket.com says, “a cricket ball is made from layers of twine wound around a cork core, inside a red leather shell.”. I know that cricket may not be a popular sport here in the States, but cricket balls are also made from cowhide leather. It is another sport that does not offer an alternative for the ball because it is a uniform standard.
Fun Fact- According to Icc-cricket.com, the first “professional” game was played in 1709. They used their county names, and the people who played were known as the experts of their village.
Volleyball
Traditionally volleyballs have 18 rectangular panels made from leather, placed around the ball. The top quality and competition balls are made of leather because of the quality and durability, so they can last for the season.
There are a few different alternatives to leather. These are made for playground volleyballs but not for the top-tier competitions. These are made from synthetic rubber, which is a cheaper option than traditional leather.
Fun Fact- Did you know that volleyball was invited in 1895 by William G. Morgan, according to olyimpics.com?
Many sports use leather in their equipment and have continued to have their respective top leagues use these leather products. Leagues do not want cheap equipment making the playing field unbalanced. Suppose you want the most effective and long-lasting sports equipment. It just makes sense to go with leather.
What else makes sense is to treat this leather as well. Sporting leather is generally overlooked and ignored when it comes to treatment. Just because this leather is used in sports does not mean it does not need protection. It requires the same maintenance you would give a great pair of leather shoes or jacket. The Mad Cow leather cream will add the needed protection to prolong your sporting equipment life span!