Rawlings Sporting Goods Company, Inc signed on as a supporter of the newly-formed Youth Football Safety and Helmet Replacement Partnership, which will replace 13,000 helmets in 2012 in low income communities.
Supported by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Rawlings joins the unprecedented alliance that includes the National Football League, the NFL Players Association, USA Football, the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the National Athletic Equipment Reconditioners Association (NAERA), the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment (NOCSAE), the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association (SGMA) and other football helmet manufacturers.
The initiative will remove helmets that are more than 10 years old and replace them with new helmets at no cost to the beneficiary leagues. In addition, coaches and administrators will receive educational information from all participating manufacturers to help assist young players with proper equipment fit and to promote playing the game safer.
“Beyond helmet replacement, the opportunity to educate players, parents and coaches to further improve the game is critical to the future of the sport and our business within the game,” said Robert Parish, president and chief executive officer of St. Louis-based Rawlings. “Even the simple demonstration of properly fitting the Rawlings NRG Quantum youth helmet can make a difference, and we plan on continuing to provide any individual tied to youth sports with in-depth information and resources they need to be better informed and prepared.”
USA Football will lead the execution of the program, with an estimated 13,000 helmets available for low-income communities in 2012, starting in July. In addition to the distribution of new helmets, the Partnership will educate thousands of youth football administrators, coaches and parents on a wide array of health, safety and preventative topics, including concussion awareness and response information, helmet fitting guides, better tackling tips and detailed information on football helmet reconditioning and replacement programs.
