Supporters of Cougar football may have noticed a recent addition to their team’s uniforms. Topping their familiar gold helmets is the Guardian Cap.
“It’s all about protecting the kids,” said Patrick County High School Athletic Director Terry Harris.
The cap’s manufacturer, Guardian, describes them on their website as “the leading soft shell helmet cover engineered for impact reduction. It brings a padded, soft-shell layer to the outside of the decades-old hard-shell helmet and reduces impact up to 33%.”
The caps fit over the helmets and attach with snaps and Velcro. At less than seven ounces, they are very lightweight, making the change for the players minimal.
NFL players in training camp and practices have used the Guardian Caps, and they are now legal for game use. During use in practices, the NFL has seen significant concussion reductions among players who wear Guardian Caps.
Besides reducing concussions and head injuries, the caps also help pad blows to knees, hands and abdomens of players when being tackled or hit by opponents wearing the caps.
This season, the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) and Virginia High School League (VHSL) approved the caps for games as an option for players and teams.
“We used them the last two years in practice and scrimmages,” said Harris, who believes now that they’re approved for game use, more teams will use them in the future.
Harris said that the Cougars were ahead of the game when it came to the caps. “When they came out, our booster club was so good at helping us. The company (Guardian) allowed us to pay half one year and half the next, which when you combine 75 or 80 of them,” helps.
Harris said he purchased another ten caps recently to make sure the middle school players had enough. The caps are being worn by the middle school, JV and Varsity teams during games.
Said Harris, “if we can do something that helps our kids’ safety wise, we’re going to do it.”
