As I read the 10/21/10 article by Alan Schwarz in the New York Times about all the problems of unsafe helmets, I was so glad that my son had played varsity football for just a year. I was well aware of all the head and other injuries that could occur in kids" football and was always glad when a game was over and he was O.K. My son was one of the star players on the team, according to the coach, and like many coaches he pushed his players hard to win their games. How terrifying it would have been if my son had been one of the 100,00 kids who sustain concussions each year from football or one of the three or four football-related deaths.
I was unaware, as are most parens and physicians, that there is no government oversight on helmets. The only oversight is voluntary and the NOCSE standard label that can be seen on some helmets just meets the standards of the individual companies. According to Mr.Schwarz' article, only about ten to twenty percent of helmets worn each year are new. The rest are old helmets that may or may not be reconditioned. That is very scary news.
If my son were playing football at this time I would certainly want a brand new helmet and would want it to meet safety standards set by the government Consumer Protection Agency with some input from engineers and sports doctors.
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