Rifle Football Team Reducing Head Impacts With New Helmet Pads
Rifle High School is trying to reduce head impacts with new helmet pads. Concussions continue to be a major danger in football, could this be the solution?
Guardian Caps are now being used by Rifle High School's football team during practices. This cap simply clips on the helmet and is a soft, padded layer which protects your helmet -- and your head. The Guardian Cap reduces impact up to 33% percent, is water resistant, lightweight and doesn't affect the integrity of the helmet, according to the Guardian Cap website.
The great news is, they seem to be working. The head coach of the Rifle football team said:
They're working incredibly well, in regards to limiting the number of impacts on the head on a daily basis in practice. It sure seems like we'll keep them past this year.
There also seems to be fewer team members sitting out for head related injuries. I think that it's extremely important to keep the kids as safe as possible. The Guardian Cap helps by protecting something very important, and still developing for these kids, their heads.
At this point, the football team only plans to use the Guardian Caps for practice. The National Federation of State High School Associated has approved them for games too. Guardian Caps are used by numerous football teams across the country including Clemson, Notre Dame and the University of Nothern Colorado. I think these caps should be used all the time, in little league football, high school, and college football and in the NFL.
Sources: Post Independent and Guardian Cap