Marquette, Mich (WZMQ) – In the past, concussion is almost the forbidden word used in the football industry as these players are consistently conditioning their bodies to push to the next level. Within recent years, soft tissue damage takes another chunk of the injuries as well. “In years past it’s been more soft tissue injuries with hip flexor hamstring and some ankles in there and obviously the big topic here is concussions.”, says Varsity Coach Eric Mason.
With the help of the local booster club, Marquette Area Public Schools has gained assistance from the UP Rehab center to supply the athletic department with what’s called Guardian Helmets. High school football season may be over, but the injuries that these young athletes face have a great probability of sticking around for a while. In the off-season, athletes are most likely playing other sports to keep their muscles and endurance levels consistent. “I mean we all know there’s no ‘concussion-proof’ anything but anytime you can do something to minimize the amount and the level of blows and things of those nature I think is a great thing”.
Another blow to the head from helmet to helmet, shoulder to helmet, or a number of factors on the field and during gameplay can cause those rattles in the brain and promote concussions. “The Michigan high school athletic association not only has us working up to activity with full pads and so at the start of each practice season our student-athletes are starting off with no pads at all”
With football, a common misconception is that the big hit causes concussions, however, the prolonged hits over time to players cause more opportunity for the whiplash factor to come into play. Coaches are saying these helmets are just more tools in the box to use to continue the strength of their athletes.
