FARMINGTON, W.Va. — A partnership between the WVU Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute and football helmet manufacturer Riddell will use the best helmets available and a data tracking system to improve safety for middle and high school tackle football programs in Marion County.
WVU RNI Division of Sports Neurology Director Dr. Javier Cardenas said they are distributing 100 Riddell Axiom helmets with InSite Analytics access, free of charge, to Fairmont Senior High School, East Fairmont Middle and High Schools, West Fairmont Middle School, North Marion High School and the North Marion Husky Pups that serve students in Mannington, Barrackville, Fairview and Monongah.
A ceremony is scheduled for Monday evening at 6 o’clock at the North Marion High School football field.
“These are programs that typically don’t have the funding or finances to buy these types of helmets,” Cardenas said Monday on MetroNews “Talkline.” “So, that’s why it was really important to us that we provide most of these helmets to the middle school students, and yes, the high schools will get some of them.”
The personalized helmets, which cost about $1,000 each, will produce game and practice telemetry about the number and location of hits the players take to the head. Gathering the data over time will allow doctors, trainers and coaches to develop techniques to increase safety and reduce head injuries on the field.
“Our intention specifically with the InSite analytic technology is to do this for several years,” Cardenas said. “Right now we’re looking at a minimum of three years; we’ll hopefully be able to do this for five years, where we can track this information over time.”
The Riddell Axiom helmet uses the TRU-FIT SYSTEM to provide a custom fit and stability for each individual player. The sensors in the helmet provide data for coaches, doctors, and trainers to evaluate and measure the impacts players receive during a game.
“There’s a sensor at the top of the helmet,” Cardenas said. “If we see athletes are hitting with the top of the helmet, that’s a poor technique that’s dangerous for themselves and the person they strike, and we can say, ‘Hey coach, we need to change that technique.'”
The schools will also receive access to the Riddell InSite Analytics platform, along with a Riddell Sideline Device. That system identifies trends and patterns in head impact data to help improve performance and reduce head impacts where possible.
Each school will also receive comprehensive starter kits, including helmet components to support in-season maintenance. RNI physicians and Riddell representatives will visit each school to personally measure and fit student-athletes for their Axiom helmets and address any questions about the new technology platform.
“Yes, we can measure magnitude, but we want to make sure we’re not overlooking those lower-impact hits, especially if there’s an activity or action after that that makes us concerned for concussion.”
Cardenas said compiling the data will allow them to follow trends that could lead to more ways to reduce brain injury. As more data gets into the hands of coaches, he believes they will recognize ways to teach fundamentals to help reduce the possibility of brain injury.
“There are opportunities to coach that component out of the game,” Cardenas said. “There are techniques where you use your arms or your shoulders, and where you can really avoid those head impacts to begin with, but unless we actually see the data, we can’t make those recommendations.”
The year anniversary of the death of Boone County middle school football player Cohen Craddock was this past week. Craddock died after taking a hard het to the head at football practice. His father has advocated for advanced safety options for young players.
Cardenas said the program will work with Cohen and his father in mind.
“We want to make sure that we are working toward providing the best protection available today for these kids,” Cardenas said. “That’s why there’s a big emphasis on the middle schools. These are programs that typically do not have the funding and finances to buy these types of helmets.”