Commitment to player safety

As mom to a football player, let’s assume that safety is my number one concern each time those boys take the field.

At least I could breathe a little easier this fall when Maryville High School and Maryville Middle School suited up for the first time with VICIS ZERO1 helmets.

MHS Head Coach Matt Webb pounded the pavement and secured private funding, including donations from booster clubs, Nodaway Valley Bank and alumni, to purchase 70 high school and 40 youth helmets for the 2019 season.

Each helmet cost almost $1,000.

But you definitely get your money’s worth.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars by a national field test study.

Slows impact forces and decreases concussion probability.

Titanium face masks.

Each player was measured, and every helmet customized for individual fit.

When Coach Webb introduced the new helmets at a Board of Education meeting a year ago, he noted, “There’s so much technology inside that helmet”…“Putting our players in the top-ranked helmet on the market is a major commitment that we are very proud of” (www.maryvilleforum.com, 2/7/19).

Gabe brought his new helmet home over the summer, and I admit that his dad and I were more than a little curious what the fancy new helmet was like.

I picked it up and almost dropped the darn thing on my foot. It was heavier than I’d expected.

I asked Gabe, “How in the hell do you wear this thing? My neck would snap just putting it on!”

Gabe snorted and answered, “Why do you think we spend so much time conditioning, Mom? Part of our training is building up our neck and shoulder muscles. That kinda strength helps prevent concussions too.”

Consider me educated. And grateful for a coaching staff and school district dedicated to finding ways to put safety as the number one priority for our student athletes. And grateful for a community for its generosity in providing the financial support to make that goal an attainable one.