In the realm of high school football, long-lasting head trauma is a known concern. To combat these injuries, two brothers invented the Guardian Cap in 2010.

According to Guardian, the cap’s inventor, it is a “Padded, soft-layer shell to the outside of the decades-old hard-shell helmet and reduces the impacts of hits.” The caps also claim to reduce head injuries, which can lead to diseases like CTE. They have been used in high schools since 2012 and were mandated by the NFL in 2022. However, the data surrounding their effectiveness remains inconclusive.

This raises an intriguing question: Should Brophy Football mandate Guardian Caps? 

Safety is imperative concerning the football team. “We do it as well as anyone; every single helmet we provide our athletes is 5-star rated according to the Virginia Tech rating scale — the highest standard set,” said Brophy athletic trainer Mr. Chris White. Helmets put through the Virginia Tech tests are rated out of five stars based on two concepts: How often players have similar impacts in a helmet and how well the helmet reduces linear and rotational head acceleration. 

Football will not mandate the implementation of the Guardian Cap until the National Federation of High Schools – the governor of high school sports – endorses it.  

Pinnacle High School voices strong support for the Guardian Cap. College Football Player and Pinnacle Alumni Krush Sowers reflected on the team’s positive perception of the caps, saying, “We thought they reduced injury 100%.” Pinnacle Football required using the Guardian Cap for all linemen, running backs, and linebackers during practice.