Guardian Caps on Long Island: See which high school football teams are using the helmet coverings
East Meadow lineman Matt Pevsner shows off his Guardian Cap before a JV football game against Plainview-Old Bethpage JFK on Sept. 21. Credit: Gary Licker
Guardian Caps are a soft-shell layer of protective padding that attaches to the top of the hard-shell helmet. The cap has four straps that attach to the face mask and a Velcro strap that connects around the back of the helmet. The caps used at the high school level weigh about 7 ounces and are made by a Georgia-based company, Guardian Sports, which says the caps last about five years depending on the size, skill and position of the player and the number of hits it absorbs.
The company says the product reduces the impact of helmet-to-helmet hits, which helps protect the player's brain, and is intended to be one part of the safety strategy in football.
Newsday surveyed the 112 Long Island public, private and Catholic high schools that have football programs and found that 31 schools are using the caps for some or all of their players and 81, or about 72%, do not have any Guardian Caps. Even if the school does not provide the caps, players are permitted to purchase their own and wear them in practices and games if they choose to do so.
