I-Team: Rating H.S. Football Helmets (WWLP) – Head injuries are a topic every parent whose kids play sports has to be concerned with. In part one of this series, the I-Team revealed just how common head injuries are in high school sports and it’s not just football. In part 2, The I-Team focuses on football and how safe the helmets are that your kids are using. Helmets are a football players last line of defense from a serious head injury or concussion. Though, not all helmets are made the same. (Is their any helmet out there today that could prevent a concussion?) “Any helmet? No,” said Jennifer Brodeur, Associate head athletic trainer at UMass. Virginia Tech researchers annually test helmets with a drop test. Measuring the amount of impact each helmet absorbed. They rated football helmets from not recommended to five stars based on how those helmets can reduce concussion risk. The 22News I-Team dug deeper and found out which helmets each high school team uses in western Massachusetts. The 38 high school football teams that responded to our request use helmets rated by Virginia Tech (October 2013) to be good, 3 Stars or Better. But that’s not the whole story. “You may not like the idea that the helmet you received is 5, 6 years old,” said Ken Schopp, President of Stadium System. All Schools don’t buy new helmets every year, many of them get reused. Schopp’s company reconditions helmets for several western Mass schools each year. (Are reconditioned helmets as safe as a brand new helmet?) “Well that’s a really good question and I get asked that all the time. We put our name on the back of the helmet, the outside of the helmet, that’s our guarantee to the school when we deliver your helmets they’re safe and ready to be used in football,” said Schopp. All helmets have to be retired after ten years whether they’re used or not. And now there’s protection for helmets. Several High Schools and UMass have started practicing using guardian caps. The caps are designed to reduce impact, not prevent concussions. “They don’t seem to come off the field with the headaches that they would normally come off with,” said Brodeur. (If they work so well, do you foresee them becoming part of the helmet in the future?) “I don’t know that’s an interesting question. I don’t know feasibility wise if you can play in a game with them, due to the size of the helmet. I think the helmet industry has a lot coming for it in the next few years,” said Brodeur. From the experts the 22News I-Team spoke with they suggest all athletes strengthen their neck and trap muscles. Football players need to make sure their helmet fits properly and they learn a proper tackling technique at a young age. SCHOOL HELMET VIRGINIA TECH RATING HELMET VIRGINIA TECH RATING HELMET VIRGINIA TECH RATING HELMET VIRGINIA TECH RATING Agawam Schutt Air XP Pro 5 STARS (BEST AVAILABLE) Schutt DNA Pro + 3 STARS (GOOD) Amherst Schutt Vengeance 4 STARS (VERY GOOD) Schutt Air XP 3 STARS (GOOD) Schutt DNA Pro + 3 STARS (GOOD) Athol Xenith X2 5 STARS (BEST AVAILABLE) Schutt Did not specify brand Belchertown Xenith X1 4 STARS (VERY GOOD) Cathedral Schutt DNA Pro+ 3 STARS (GOOD) Central Riddell Revolution Speed 5 STARS (BEST AVAILABLE) Chicopee Riddell Revolution Speed 5 STARS (BEST AVAILABLE) Riddell 360 5 STARS (BEST AVAILABLE) Schutt DNA Pro + 3 STARS (GOOD) Chicopee Comp Riddell Revolution Speed 5 STARS (BEST AVAILABLE) Riddell 360 5 STARS (BEST AVAILABLE) Schutt DNA Pro + 3 STARS (GOOD) Commerce Riddell Revolution Speed 5 STARS (BEST AVAILABLE) Dean Tech Riddell Revolution 4 STARS (VERY GOOD) Schutt Vengeance 4 STARS (VERY GOOD) Schutt DNA Pro + 3 STARS (GOOD) Drury Schutt Vengenace 4 STARS (VERY GOOD) Schutt DNA Pro + 3 STARS (GOOD) East Longmeadow Riddell Revolution Speed 5 STARS (BEST AVAILABLE) Easthampton DID NOT RESPOND DID NOT RESPOND Franklin Tech DID NOT RESPOND DID NOT RESPOND Frontier Schutt Vengeance DCT 4 STARS (VERY GOOD) Greenfield Xenith X2 5 STARS (BEST AVAILABLE) Schutt Vengeance 4 STARS (VERY GOOD) Schutt DNA Pro + 3 STARS (GOOD) Schutt Air XP 3 STARS (GOOD) Holyoke Riddell Revolution 4 STARS (VERY GOOD) Schutt Vengeance 4 STARS (VERY GOOD) Schutt DNA Pro + 3 STARS (GOOD) Hoosac Valley Schutt Vengeance 4 STARS (VERY GOOD) Schutt DNA Pro + 3 STARS (GOOD) Lee DID NOT RESPOND DID NOT RESPOND Longmeadow Riddell Revolution Speed 5 STARS (BEST AVAILABLE) Riddell Revolution 4 STARS (VERY GOOD) Ludlow Riddell Revolution 4 STARS (VERY GOOD) Schutt Vengeance 4 STARS (VERY GOOD) Schutt DNA Pro + 3 STARS (GOOD) Schutt Air XP 3 STARS (GOOD) Mahar Xenith X2 5 STARS (BEST AVAILABLE) McCann Tech DID NOT RESPOND DID NOT RESPOND Minnechaug Riddell Revolution Speed 5 STARS (BEST AVAILABLE) Schutt DNA Pro + 3 STARS (GOOD) Mohawk Riddell Revolution Speed 5 STARS (BEST AVAILABLE) Riddell 360 5 STARS (BEST AVAILABLE) Monument Mtn. Schutt Did not specify brand Mt. Greylock Schutt DNA Pro + 3 STARS (GOOD) Northampton Xenith X2 5 STARS (BEST AVAILABLE) Palmer Schutt Vengeance 3 STARS (GOOD) Schutt DNA Pro + 3 STARS (GOOD) Pathfinder Schutt DNA Pro + 3 STARS (GOOD) Pioneer Valley Regional Schutt Did not specify brand Pittsfield DID NOT RESPOND DID NOT RESPOND Putnam Riddell Revolution Speed 5 STARS (BEST AVAILABLE) Smith Academy Schutt Vengeance 3 STARS (GOOD) Smith Vocational Schutt Vengeance 3 STARS (GOOD) South Hadley Riddell Revolution Speed 5 STARS (BEST AVAILABLE) St. Joe’s Prep Schutt Vengenace 4 STARS (VERY GOOD) Schutt DNA Pro + 3 STARS (GOOD) Taconic DID NOT RESPOND DID NOT RESPOND Turners Falls Schutt DNA Pro + 3 STARS (GOOD) Schutt Air XP 3 STARS (GOOD) Schutt Vengeance 3 STARS (GOOD) Wahconah Xenith X2 5 STARS (BEST AVAILABLE) Schutt DNA Pro + 3 STARS (GOOD) Schutt Did not specify brand Ware Riddell Revolution Speed 5 STARS (BEST AVAILABLE) Riddell Revolution 4 STARS (VERY GOOD) Schutt Did not specify brand West Springfield Riddell Revolution Speed 5 STARS (BEST AVAILABLE) Westfield Riddell Revolution Speed 5 STARS (BEST AVAILABLE) Westfield Voke Riddell Revolution Speed 5 STARS (BEST AVAILABLE)
Posted on: Thu, 20 Nov 2014 04:10:29 +0000