Helmet Safety with James Cramer of Safr Sports
47 min readHelmet Safety with James Cramer of Safr Sports with Coach Schuman and Coach Depascale
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All right ready to go another finishing Up another great week um we're gonna Talk we're gonna talk a little helmet Safety today and and really uh um dive And as everybody's going into camps and Stuff and really Dive Right In and an Coach D intro Our Guest today but it's Um uh very very very Innovative product Um and then some really interesting Things but just you know talking in General Um uh you know all the stuff with always Surrounding as you get into the season With Concussions everything surrounding that Uh how you teach tackling how you teach You know how you teach the game of Football um so we're going to talk a lot Of those things today so I'll let Coach D introduce our guest and then we'll go From there yeah excited uh you know Coach CR Jim Kramer uh longtime High School head coach at Mount Olive an Alumni there uh brought them their first State title ever I believe uh back in 2002 uh with a victory over one of our Previous guests in Jimmy matacus um but He was a head coach for a really long Time uh got into then he got into Administration so he was my VP when I Was teaching at Mount Olive um his son Played for me you know so he's kind of Worn a lot of hats moving forward Ward And now you know kudos to him in
Retirement living the best life stays in The football world and now works for a Company by the name of safer Sports Who's really on The Cutting Edge of Developing um your new age kind of uh Concussion Aid help in terms of you know Just a different product to kind of help Those uh lower the concussions and Whatnot he can talk numbers which are Just unbeliev unbelievable um so we'll Let him get into more of that but you Know like I said I think it's a it's It's very timely to have him on at this Point right for us because with all Camps opening up and guys getting into You know really practices when you know Now we start to add the equipment aspect To it so um excited to talk with him uh To kind of get his perspective and learn A little bit more about about what they Have going on bring coach on coach Welcome to the podcast awesome thanks to Having you guys I appreciate it coach Thanks for taking the time buddy I Really appreciate yeah coach if you can Give a little bit of just your your Overall background Derek did a great job Intro you um but just your overall Coaching background how you got with With safer Sports you know um a little Bit of that so so the audience has a Good understanding yeah absolutely so I Actually attended mov High School class Of 86 don't do the math that makes me 56
Years old but uh I played at Mount Olive Came back after I graduated actually was A mortgage broker uh oh hell it hated it And U my I ran into my high school coach At the supermarket he's like hey I got An opening you know you want to if you Set your hours at work you want to help After about two weeks I like I knew That's what I wanted to do I went back To school became a teacher uh spent some Time as assistant coach there um then Got a great opportunity I went to B Ard Which is a defunct school now but was up In Madison and coached a couple years There and then have a great opportunity To go over to Morris NES and Coach under Billy Regan uh you know we he was on the Midst of a three consecutive Championship run and just I got to be a Couple years Square squat you know right In the middle of that and really just Learned to Veer and I just kind of fell In love with the triple option and the Veer offense and uh just decided you Know I'm that's if I ever get a shot This is what I'm gonna do and uh Opportunity to go M back to Mount ol to Be a social studies teacher I went there A couple years being an assisant coach Uh with Wayne Shey there and he left I Had a great opportunity to come back to Mount Olive coached there for nine years We were very fortunate to uh have a good Run there we got a state championship
Out of it yeah yeah it was really great We you know we did not have a great Window of success historically at Mount Olive like my team in ' 86 was the only Team that ever make the playoffs in the History of the school before we made it Um we were fortunate enough to be the First team to win the state championship Uh great like you know was like a Disney Story um yeah snow storm come in the Night before drop eight inches of snow U Ruckers canceled their state Championship Kane University they you Know you have sectionals in different Areas and R ad and our mayor was like We're playing and they took the plows Off the street and they brought them Over to the swipe the field off it was Wild played a really good Jefferson team Very fortunate Jimmy manzac mat Zack is Great coach great guy as you guys know And uh fortunate to win that night and It was a it was a great run uh then my Son came you know we had my son became An administrator we don't let Administrator's coach my son Kaden Started playing football and I got Involved in a mount of youth program They've grown it to like 300 kids Fantastic on there it's a monster Program monster program Kaden played There and then uh the current coach Brian ' Conor he got to be the head guy He came over some successful years in
Wayne Valley asked me if I volunteer uh To coach so I get some years with Brian While Kaden was there and just a great Experience I retired you know I I just Retired and one of the reasons I retired Maybe a hair earlier than I anticipated Was to be involved with safer um you Know a good a guy good buddy of mine Played for the Giants Lee rousan he has Two rings with with Parcels he was one Of our assistants when I was the head Guy and uh he hooked me up this I gota Meet this guy he's got this product and You guys know you're coaching you're Coaching Sports and you know guys are Like hey you want you know I'm opening a T-shirt company I'm opening this company I was like Right you know cool great good but not For me then I I went to lunch and the Guy Ziggy took his helmet out put it on And I was like that's it that's I gotta Get involved with this this is this Could be the future of football and I've Been with them for about six eight Months now and it's just it's been a Good run fantastic uh more I talk about The product and the more I talk about Football and I talk to the parents about It the more I just know like this this Is something that's really it's really Special yeah I mean helmet safety is Obviously one of the biggest things that Um there is in in in football and
Especially you know many years ago once That concussion movie came out and then Yeah oh that changed everything yeah and And then one of like uh the guys who I Do a podcast with he has his own Podcast and um he had on U Nowitzki the Guy who does all the um uh basically the Guy who's trying to get all you know the Brains from the the former athletes to Analyze them and yes so it's it's it's Still at the Forefront um I think one of The good things About um all the things with that that Happened it it forced uh coaches and and Administrators and players to all try to And and companies to continue to evolve How tackling worked and and and how Helmet you know helmets is like the last Bastion of of of uh Evolution like for Many years it's crazy it's crazy it is Kind of crazy but like the helmets have Evolved but they haven't changed that Much to you know and so you see things Like um the different caps that the the NFL has on top of it what does that Exactly do I don't know you're gonna You're definitely gonna explain this all For me which I look forward to so and Then you know what what you guys are Doing I you know I took a look at the pr I think Derek mentioned it to me a Little while back and um you know Basically it has that that look a little Bit of who is it used to have it like
That um Mark yes yes Mark Kelo we are Little if you do yeah he had the they Used to call it like the kazoo cap right The tackler or gets smashed we turning a It would pop off right if you trace the Lineage of our company it goes back Through iterations to that product and That doctor so it's been sold so if you Go in our office we actually have the Original I have a picture on my phone The original Kelo cap turn it over says Number 38 inside you know um I think the Difference between that product and Where we are now is back then they Didn't it was velcro they put a Velcro On the helmet put it on you know so we Have through the evolution and and of The company we've come up with a Spring-loaded technology that now Attaches it four points onto the shell So now it doesn't pop off and that's Really been um one of the key Differences other than some other data Which we can have about in a minute but That Evolution from velcro to this Patented spring-loaded technology to Keep it on the helmet is really what's Made it Skyrocket and and and what is the um uh W with respect to helmets like explain Can you explain a little bit about like What the helmet does and then like why You know we we start to need Extra Protection right because you get like
There's so many arguments on different Sides with respect to what hel do and Don't do and what can be done and what Can't be done and what is fiction and What's reality can can you explain a Little bit of that you know I've learned A lot about helmets myself getting into Right right sure of course and a lot of Things it's just like the most basic Thing from a parents are like ah he's a Medium or he's a small the reality is That that in a lot of products the shell Is the same size it's just a matter Padding they put inside to thicken it Right then there's a jump like in the r L there's a jump to a different helmet Shell size and then extra large um but Basically you know and I don't not Disparaging or putting anything down but Like sometimes like oh it's built like a Like the hard I think it's called hard's Racing helmet like the more padding in Your helmet you know the tighter it is On your face the more uh support and Safety FS it really it's about dispersing Energy on the force to the hit so the Padding is a cushion and might have a Give but your brain still moves so you Want to be able to be able to take that Energy that you take on a hit and throw It off and keep it from reaching into Your in into your brain and that's Really what our technology does and some
Other technologies that are out there Too um but we we dissipate force and we Remove it so it goes shell helmet Padding then it gets into your head in a Very you know simplified way of Explaining it so basically you know That's it we're protecting your head With his shell which helps dissipate the Force and uh I I'll I'll show you a Little bit about that if you guys want In a minute but uh yeah right yeah yeah Yeah I think that's like you know Obviously with like you know obviously The you know it's more in the Limelight Now right because you concussions and All that kind of stuff right everybody Knows about the Guardians that are out There now that are kind of that was kind Of like the first like hey look at all This stuff you know and now even with The NFL now allowing those to be worn in Game if necessary right I mean that Really just kind of brings because you Know all these parents they see what Goes on on Sundays they don't really Know about all the technology they kind Of leave it up to the coaches to kind of You know it's not like a parent you know Dave you're doing nine you right like You're doing young guys like how many Parents come in and they you know hey my Son's of this size or hey may that this Son my son's this size helmet or hey I Bought him this right they they the the
Ability to understand right or kind of Know equipment stuff when it comes to Football I think it's what separates Football it's because you're wearing Equipment that matters right I mean Basketball what do you I need good Sneakers and I need a pair of shorts and A and a and a shirt right like there's No equipment that is involved with it And now we're talking about a technology That's literally been tested by some of The you know in my eyes smartest Universities across the country and they Immediately looked at it and said all Right this is definitely a product that We need to equip our guys with yeah and And I think just before I came on when I Met Ziggy our Owner they had taken the helmet and they Took uh the top three scoring helmets to The Virginia Tech helmet lab okay so the Virginia Tech helmet lab is like the Gold standard they you know they also do Bicycle helmets and Snowboard helmets so Whenever you get a helmet that has a Star rating Virginia Tech probably is The company Or the uh the lab that tested it so the Top at the time the top three scoring Safety helmets safety scores were ride Del speed rideel speed flex and the shut F7 so we went down there and we had Virginia Tech do a whole Litany of tests On those helmets and they do it in a lab
Where they drop a you probably SE it Almost like a hammer and they drop it They do a front on hit they do a side Hit they do the back hit and they do What they call a boss or like a GL a Glancing blow and they Score on the helmet what the impact is So we had the Baseline for those three Helmets and then we took our shell this Is one of our shells right here we Actually work with NC State uh I who Played there is one of our main Spokesmen he plays for the Carolina Panthers now he's the left tackle so This is a shell that we were so we put Our shell I'll go back and show you more About the technology in the shell in a Minute but we put it on the helmets and Then we did a test score all three and We reduce the risk of concussion on all Three by 77% so if you were to basically the Least uh the lowest score in concussion Is basically the head-on usually I'm Gonna tackle Derek I see Derek we kind Of we figure out we move oure we miss Right the highest scoring concussion is I call the Tua my son's a Dolphin fan Right head to the back back of the head Right and how many times how many times Do you see that yep how many times do You it and people don't understand like That bounce off the turf yes that's like That is the one that quote unquote Rings
Your bell to a whole another level right It's not it's not the hit that most People assume is the hit that gives you The concussion it's not really for the Most part the headon because that's like One of the least hits you make in a game Anyway Right or a glance from the side like When you're not expecting something like Those are the ones that really kind of Jack you and it's like whoa like and Especially youth because they're not Great tacklers or I'm 87 and I'm tacking A kid 115 I I I whip him over my hip you know I do a hip drag or a whip toss right K Goes back and hits his helmet on the Ground so our shell reduced the risk of Concussion on the back hit 80% you're never going to eliminate Concussions they're going to happen you Reduce the risk so the score of Concussion reduced 80% with our shell 65% on the side and 48 on the glancing Blow I'm holding Derek up Schuman comes In on the side you know glances him a Little bit tries to tries to tries to Clean his clock maybe misses them but Glances them um so we've reduced all Those scores so when you Virginia Tech Our boss was down there and he was down There with Carlos Bradley who's one of Our um other co-owners he played for the San Diego Chargers that during the fou
ER right so he was out there playing With Fred Dean and Chuck Muny and those Guys great great guy and uh Virginia Tech did a score and they called and Said hey you know we got to we want we Want to order 140 he said well we Haven't got the scores yet no no no we We got scores we I'm staring at them Right now we know so Virginia Tech Bought 140 for their team they've been a They've been a um they've been a Customer since uh they constantly buy New their director of Sports Science on Our website gives a great video saying It's one of the best if not the best Concussion product he's ever had uh you Know and that kind of like led to like Okay then NC State because trainers talk Trainers like coaches and they start Talking and then we you know we've Really started to explode when I can Walk into talk to a coach or even more Importantly when I can walk in and talk To uh a youth league board directors you Know you guys seven or eight mom and Dads run the league and I can give them The data it's kind of like it's a done Deal you know they just got the numbers The numbers speak for themselves compare It to Guardians so like I've seen the Guardians like like our youth league for Example has Guardians right um and a now Said Um uh they said they always could but
Coaches really didn't know it that you Could wear the soft shell in games Actually if you want to so um which is Great most people don't but like you Know but the option is obviously a good Thing to have right so if a parent if a Parent wants to have their their kid um Wear it they can um and obviously we'll Tell we'll tell our our players that you Know it's up to the parents but um but As far as like what's the you know What's the difference in dissipation o Of those those forces between the two Because one of the like questions I used To have on the guardian I still have That question about it is um is that Like when someone gets hit on it uh hit Does the does the fact that the helmet Like the helmets are designed to slide Off right and when you hit like on a Guardian does it maintain contact Time Longer right so almost like it sticks to It right Dave it's kind of like what You're saying like it rather than like Get the hit and slide off right doesn't Hit the guardian and now just keep going Yeah so the extra time staying on the Helmet does that actually kind of like Either neutralize or maybe even you you Know does it does it counterbalance the Fact of the benefit of the dissipation Of it and and so that that's what my Question is you know first of all on on Those kind of helmets but like with your
Helmet like this because it's designed Differently with your stuff that you Could still looks like it can still Slide too right so you get the Dissipation Plus the fact that it still slides like The helmet does so you don't maintain That contact am I base or is there's Something to no you're 100% right like I Said I'm not disparaging it's awesome Someone you're doing stuffff to your Kids and I'm not going to disparage any Other right right right we have you know In a we we our numbers outscore them at The Virginia Tech helmet lab in a great Majority maybe on a smaller scale where The kids are 60 and they're not bringing Such Force right year we we our growth Percentages grow comparatively to those Because they're more physical right you Know I have Coach with the guardian There is it I have had you know that Friction a little bit maybe a little Stinger from it you know um our helmet Here is they're also heavy they're a Little heavy they are heavy they do move A little bit that the you know the Things break and they can get water Sloggy and move a little bit so this is Made of 14 different chemical polymers Okay and uh it has it's if you touch it It's it's soft in the sense like it can Bend a little bit I've touched the Product it's definitely lighter than you
Would think Dave like you like if you Think it's like grabbing a helmet and You're like oh my God now I'm putting Something on top of it it's not really Like that I mean it is it's pretty much Like like I said it is not really as Heavy as like it kind of looks like You're literally looking like you're Doubling up on the helmet and that's Really not what you're doing I don't Even think it like if I held a guardan And held one of these very comparable in Like weight distribution like 100% like The product itself is it's not like You're adding another helmet on top of a Helmet so this is this is right so if You look inside we Mark what these are This is an extra large this weighs 16 Ounces but a medium and a large will Weigh 14 ounces so less than a pound all Right And we our Focus Dave to your point is This has to be slick ours is slick so That we work very hard on the friction Coefficient to make sure that these are Basically like a helmet uh our paint is Actually U car paint because like I so It has flexion and give so it doesn't Chip like you helmet you know you chip And comes off he's all busted up his Helmet right right this doesn't chip and I say it's like get back into your kids Basketball net in your driveway you Dent Your Fender but it doesn't chip the
Paint it gives that's what this does Also and that also makes it very slick So you're right this is something we you Know we know if this comes out and one Come out if it were to come out tack Ifight it wouldn't go out it's very Slick uh very cool so it can it can Dissipate force and uh like I said this One here this as you can see it has four Spring loaded points in the front so you Go right below the right over the helmet And then it connects and then this is Where like the name of the company of The helmet would show so they can still Get you know Rell or shev still St there On the face mask they still get their Marketing right and then this one this Is a shut this connects in the back and Each one is is uh depending on the Helmet for us for the shut connects on The back so it's right there you pull it You turn it it goes right on there and It connects to the to the Shell the big Difference between the guardian ours is We're game day ready right so you put This on day one you put your decal on This and then you wear it and uh I Always say like why am I buying a Concussion product and then taking it Off on the most violent day right you Know I go Dave and Dereck are going to Practice I go Derek why are you going Against Dave you know you're you're four Inches and 30 pounds he you go against
Jimmy but on Saturday you can't control Jimmy right so Jimmy's right so this stays on at the End of the season you turn yourself your Stuff in for Reconditioning the reconditioner is Going to charge you $10 to peel off your Decals and your stripe and then he's Going to charge you $2 to $30 to pay Your helmet again whatever that price Would be our product does not have to be Reconditioned you take it you wipe it Down with a damp cloth or alcohol rub to Get maybe a mark from someone else's Helmet off of it and then you store it So then when you send your helmet out to Reconditioning it doesn't have to be Repainted right so you're saving you Know whatever your xay on you pay on it You're saving $30 to $40 a year the Average lifespan for high school is Three to four probably four to four to Five you know we don't try to oversell We do have leagues where kids have worn It for six years yet the same shell um So you you actually save on the back end From it Also that that's incredible that's Something that definitely a lot of PE Coaches would love to know like hey you Know in the long run I'm Gonna Save this Because I'm not having to repaint 50 Helmets that have been chipped up all Year because you know my guardian
Because you know the the product right Here does that for itself right we do a We do a custom color match so if you You're going to order and your helmet's Maroon you know we as is it standard Maroon yeah standard like you we get Painted by ryal and we have that color We go you're like oh we're we're Maron But we have like gold flakes so we kind Of look like Minnesota we bring it in Our painters do a custom color match to Your helmet so when you put this on you Can't tell the difference I think that's Cool too that I noticed too right like When we're talking about when this like You know the original where this all Came from right like you could Definitely 100% tell that that player Was wearing something else on top of it Right to be honest Dave like Mount Olive Had these on last season and I couldn't Even I had no idea until like post game When coach was like hey man did you see Mount Olive like they wore the they wore The the safer helmets today and I I was Like are you serious like you can barely Even tell that that extra product Is on there not to mention when you Custom match the paint and then all your Decals are the same which still allows You to to do your decals right like if You're wearing a guardian and I'm not Downplaying any other products by any Means but you can't add your stripe you
Can't put your logo on the side right Like you can't all the like all your Helmet award have stickers on the back You can't have your helmet Awards right Like it's not gonna happen so you know Now you have a product that you know can Do that to your guys point I'll bring it Up that helmet behind me has it On you like people look at they're like Coach do you have it with it on I'm like Yeah the one behind me they like what so If I reach back here well that one right There has it on here has it on you can Barely tell Dave right barely tell if You look here right this is this is the Helmet and this is the shell Y and we do A custom match so like it's helmet this Is a rideel speed Flex we match the Vents so the vents so vents the same way Right it connects underneath here you Can still gets their Shine can my son be your guinea uh Guinea pig for my uh my team you got it Buddy and then and then I'll bring it to You know and Derek knows him too but Because because his son uh play plays With our club but the guy who's the head Of my a organization in Middletown a big One it's a very big one yes a and um Yeah I would say it's comparable Mount Olives yeah yeah I mean like you know we We we're I'm not on the board or Anything like that I just coach but Thank God you know his son plays in our
Our he runs one of our club teams you Know in the off season and and he's Great and he'll listen so um and and Like I said like we're outfitted right Now um I think every single helmet G Guardian so um but it there's no like You know he let you wear whatever you Want but um but we have like for me like That's to me would be a better product And i' I've had my child w a guardian You know and you know I I could tell you The hardest things with the the guardian Right is every practice this is practice Not even talking about game okay every Practice the thing pops off every pra For some kids you know what I mean like For what some some kids it doesn't come Off at all right it fits good with their Helmet right some kids it pops off and And and what happens is I we're all Spending our time putting the guardian As coaches we spend the first five to 10 Minutes of practice adjusting just and Listen when niney olds you're doing Their chin straps too right so that's Five minutes on their chin straps five Minutes on on their Guardians you know What I mean you've been there coach CRA You've been there you know that yeah Yeah so it's it's it's it's frustrating Because Because if you have something that just Pops right on now now it stays on it Stays on and let's say once in a blue
Moon there's an issue right it's way Different than every I'm talking every Single practice plus kids forget them so Yeah that's the other thing like they They forget them and uh when they forget Them like we're always in a obviously You're going to let them practice right But you're in a bind because we're all Supposed to be wearing ing them in Practice at least and then here's four Kids over here and now and if you look Around the organization it's the same Thing like everybody has some kid here Forgot it this kid over here once They're on it's like it's so much easier From a coach's standpoint and I that's Not even talking about the fact that you Know what your scores are as far as Concussion all that stuff is better but But um but I'm just talking about the Ease of use like that's that's what I Look for like I the last thing you want To do is always oh don't take like don't Unstrap the guardian because the kids Want to unstrap it when they're do Practice too because it's heavy right It's a little bit heavier and they when They can take it off they know they're Like oh I'm gonna go faster you know so I'm like it on you know it's so you're You're constantly dealing with that kind Of stuff and then when you play what Your other point about playing in the Game right yours is game ready which is
The other thing that I like is the fact That okay so now all the kids take the Guardians off for the games right for The most part and when you the most get Them that's where they lose them because That's when that's when it goes off you Know I like in the guardian to like in Flag football Derek what's the thing That everybody always forgets in flag Football when they come to the game uh Do you have extra flags flags right Right because the second they take their Flag off when they it's like did you Forget your helmet like what do we right Well saying that's how just how kids are Right you know like far yeah that's just How kids Are with my school guys right my high School guys it's the same thing it's Broke like you have a locker what Like yeah so it's great you put it on it Takes after you you know the first one You know you okay let me how do we give You an attachment it basically looks Like a crochet hook and you go you just Slide it like you put it on you put it Forward you go on the face mask you grab And twist grab and twist it takes about 15 to 20 seconds to put it on yeah after You do it a few times and like I said It's on all year and then you take it Off the last year last after the last Practice you just take it off rub it Down right you can see it's right there
And you can't even you can't even tell And I also think the other coach the Other that's it right there with it on That's it just has it on if you can see I could barely see it like yeah this Little r right here is where this is it And then this is the real helmet if I Turn it this way let me get on the Camera correctly I'm sorry this bottom Piece is the helmet and this line is There's your chin strap right like B There's your bule you can't even see it It's attachment is this little this Little pin right here in the ear hole so You can't even see it a little even Though the the flex doesn't have a vent Here it has a cutout and so we do we Mock the cutout so it looks exactly like The shell underneath it well that was The other point that I was going to Bring up that I love about it is that it Is very much custom IED and Individualized for helmets so every Every model helmet has a shell that's Custom fit for it right so like you said That look it doesn't look awkward or Whatever because it's literally being Custom fit to the exact helmet model That's on your child's Orever we ask you for inventory you know Like you other products you're like oh We need 120 no we you know we get a breakdown we Need we have 50 speed flexes of that we
Need 25 in medium we need 10 in large we Need five XL we need we have shut f7s I Need 23 mediums you know so we are a Make and model match there are some that Do a little crossover right if you have A Vengeance our shut will go on the Vengeance so we can we don't you know Cover that over but it's a make and Model match so like you said it looks it It's a it's a complete rep replication And every year we try to tweak it to Make sure it stays consistent Really really incred incred incredible Product I mean it seems so simple Because I remember the Kelo why didn't we do this like here we Are watching the guy back in like I Don't know what year he played maybe Like 94 I don't know like to me that's a Long time ago but like yeah like through All of this right and we always talk About like look we've seen you know the Game of football itself changed right Like the physicality of it has somewhat Been taken away in a in you know we Teach tackling so much differently than We teach you know than it used to be Taught right so now you see these Products and we're already making the Game safer but now you add another Product that only increases that safety Level you know I really think like Dave We had this discussion like we're Watching Flag Football on ESPN you know
What I mean like so like that's the way It's kind of leaning in terms of hey Everybody should do this stuff now if Anything that can benefit tackle Football right with you know the safety Aspect to continue to keep that Physicality in the game like any product I am all for you know we've just seen The game change so much right I mean Dave you're at the Youth Level like I See some of the these programs right Like like my cousins when they first Start playing they're in full gear but They have flags on and they have Guardians on right they're they out There they look like they literally look Like Michelin men like the state Puff Marshmallow Man from Ghostbusters Running around full gear but they're Pulling Flags right so I just think any Product that can Aid us to keep the Physicality in the game but make it Safer like a positive you know I say This and from coaching too and like in New Jersey you know the two hours of Hitting during the week at high school Level you know we're doing less hitting We're doing more thud we're doing more Technique more tackling drills Fantastic but because we're not hitting As much when we are hitting and you Instinctively your motor runs higher When you know you're GNA get hit so We're
Still like we're getting hit and we're Not prepared because we never really Practice that all the time for good or Bad so when you are taking I'm going 75% Mostes a week and then I take that thing Off to go 100% it never really made Sense to me so when I saw this at game Day ready he hasn't hit much he came From flagin up till sixth grade this is First time in pads he's a little bit More tentative the game moves a hell of A lot faster those first couple weeks Just like a rookie going into the NFL Camp you know to protect that head on Game day is just you know it's Paramount yeah I I think that's the Biggest thing the biggest difference Because the helmets that are being made Aren't aren't everything they're doing None of it is is changing Dramatically the um the concussion Situation uh what's changing it is how We tackle which changing it is products Like yours which changing it is Rule Changes right and so this allows us to Help the the helmet which is a a big Deal um but yeah I think I think you I I Think you nailed on the head with Tackling too so that becomes the um the Crazy cycle that you get into like you Don't tackle and enough people um you Know they don't because they don't want To tackle because they feel the helmets Aren't you know protecting enough and
Then you go into a game and or you're or You're wearing the guardian and then you Got now all of a sudden the first time You get hit with a helmet that does Slide you're like whoa Right it's like Looney Tunes and the Birds are flying around your head and You're kind of like why is everything in Slow mod and why is everybody talking Slow you know and when the helmet Connects to the the shell the shell Connects to the helmet excuse me and it Hooks those Springs there's ever so Slight you know if I were you won't see It but when I pull it there's an Ever So Slight GI just a couple centimeter a Centimeter if that just and that hit is Loud boom it throws that force it Dissipates that Force off and keeps it Out of the shell you know and so those Things are double they keep the tension To keep it on but also there is a ever So slight movement which helps dissipate The force which is exactly like how the Brain itself works right because yeah You know the brain is surrounded by Fluid and it moves like so that's what You're trying to dissipate across is That brain like smashing through that Fluid and hitting your skull that's Where the concussion is caused now if You can dissipate that impact to through The shell it doesn't even get to that Part of this of where the brain is
Bouncing off of anything right so Ultimately that's kind of like where It's at but like you said Dave I think That's like the craziest thing too is Right like like all week you practice With a guardian you do this you like Coach said you're limited in tackling Live right or or Thug like nobody's Going out there and doing Oklahoma drill In practice anymore nobody's going out There and you know just okay guys lay on Your backs helmet to helmet get up and Smash into each other like that doesn't H like coaches that are doing that like We got problems right like you just Can't do that anymore that's not the Game right so the product itself like Can just Aid in that whole now all right You're doing this you have it on all Week you're doing every every facet of The game with it on and now game day Here we go we just transition to what We've been doing it's not I got to take My guardian off or it's not you know did Something all week now I'm not doing it A game like would you just throw plays In there like you know what I mean on on Sunday or Saturday without having Practice them like it seems like common Sense but at the same time you you the Fact that we have to tell people or like Bring this up that like hey this is a Product you could use all the time like I think that's very
Interesting yeah the the the the cost of Not doing it is greater than probably The cost of getting it so Um the the helmet and the ability To wear it on game day as you would in Practice to me is like a a big thing Because that is a question that comes up Currently like why don't we wear these Also on Game Day right and right like I'm sure a parent is asking and you can By the way you can now you can but but The issue is and just having lived it The issue is and this is how coaches Think and this is how player players More even At no it's okay I don't know if the Young kids know about it's slowing them Down but okay but I I think the young Kids think they don't want to have to Come out of play because their Guardian Pops off which is five plays okay oh Yeah if if the clips you get hit you Know off and then you have to go off Okay it could be a couple plays before Right get coach gets it on make sure It's right it's fit perfectly so so Players even at Young ages they don't Want to deal with it I like because They're used to dealing with in practice Right so that's the thing I I do really Like about the product um and and I Think the Um uh listen bottom line is the more Force you can reduce on the hit the
Better it is because it's just it's just A multiplier effect um the number of Hits you get over the course of a Lifetime uh if if you're getting 77% Less force on it you know multiply that Over thousands and thousands of hits and It kind of uh it does the math for you And and maybe we're not talking about The same things that we're talking about In tackle right now you know um because Like I my belief as someone who's play Obviously in Derek and and and you have Coach as well um played football and you Know you hear a lot of the the stories But the stories that come from the top Meaning the NFL like this guy had this Thing with CT or whatever and when you See that um people get scared on the Lower levels but a lot of times they Don't realize and I you know I bring This up all the time like you know Junior s seal did play 20 years in the NFL you know so so I mean my whole Career and I played all the way through College right till I was 23 um my whole Career as a youth athlete all the way Through to college was 14 years he Played 20 years just in the NFL the Highest level you know I I you kind of Have to understand at that point at the NFL level like longer you're playing Especially position like linebacker There are going to be in increased risk Right now the great thing about what you
Have is now maybe someone like a junior S can play the 14 years from youth all The way through to college and then Somehow play 20 years 34 years of Playing football and not have some of The issues that he he had right or or You know any any player and the NFL has Done a great job of I I think of at First it was very hard for me and I'm Sure for for a lot of coaches because it Was getting it was getting pushed down And you want to teach tackling and and You're thinking okay they have to know How to tackle certain way because when You get in the game the running back is Not going to slow down for you the wide Receiver is not going to slow down for You but now you have to tackle slightly Differently um which may not bring as Much force which may be more dangerous To the defensive player right so at First we were always you know I was very Frustrated with all of that right I you Know I always kind of my theory was Always you know if you play a long time In the NFL probably things are going to Happen you know and and and and that's Just kind of the nature of the beast but Scaring the people all the way at the Younger levels of it um for for Something that more than likely is is Not gonna happen but that's what's great About what you're doing now you're Saying Hey listen not only really the
Truth is unless you go play a long time In NFL you're probably gonna be in a Decent sit now we're reducing 80% of the Force so if we do things correctly and We teach tackling correctly we teach the Game correctly you know other than freak Accidents which we none of us can Control there been there yeah you you Can't control those but outside of freak Accidents that can happen um if Everything's done correctly you could Really dissipate so much more of the Force where they they're not having or They're having very very small small Issues if they play all the way in the NFL for many years you know and then no Issues hopefully if their kids that go All the way through college and and and You could go through that whole entire Career without any issues at all Anything that's kind of to me the great Thing about it that's to me the whole Thing and that's I think educationally Like our tackle League at the Youth Level has grown Tremendously I think other youth Programs are growing but then there are Other youth programs that are receding In different in in in different Communities right and the more that Products like what you have you have Come out and get on people's heads and They're comfortable and they're easy to Use that's I think the key Dave like you
Said that except like the the the the Simplicity of it right like that's what I think will you know is what separates You know what I'm saying because look Especially with you now being at the Younger levels and things of that nature Like these things that take away time This is why you know teams are out there Practicing for two and a half hours Dave Because they're spending the first 30 Minutes of practice buckling chin straps Andj Guardians right now if parents Understood this product limits that and Now we can actually get into the the Football part of it like now you won't Have to be home so late mom like you Know like it's all factors In so we we we if if if you go to the Safer you know SF no e safer sports.com On a website we've got some we have a Tremendous Medical Board and you go on There one guy Dr vandermeir Craig Vandermeir he's a neurological surgeon And he's one of our biggest spokesman He's out of the Charlotte area and just You know he has a great video there he Talks about the product and the Reduction and you know how it can help Uh he's his like best friend is the the Doctor from concussion from the movie And he's a His Name Escapes you right Now but he he um he's a big proponent of Our product also you know and just uh Like all the things you talking about
Just reducing the risk that's all you Can do right you can we all know it's a Violent game like it is what it is like It just you're G how many times every Guy in this all three of us said bite The ball we all said you know head to The ball we all we all said all those Death sentence terms as a coach now Right pretty much and I remember learn When it came out I was like I went I Found online I I printed out I watched The videos on Pete Carol's Hawk tackling When he went did the and I made coaches Watch it for like a month and it was we Did it Dave it yeah and this is just the next Evolution when you take the the coaching Aspect and you take the the equipment Aspect you know it's uh football's the Best game everything I ever got out of It how did the Character everything with my career Being a principal everything I ever got Out of my life basically came out of I Learned out of football and every it's The hardest game and it's difficult and Uh but I learned a lot of tremendous Things and I want people to play it Because when you play it you learn a lot About yourself so that's one of the Things this projects products can do Football has halfed itself in the last 10 years I think it was 9.7 million now There's only like five million kids
Playing it's starting to tick up again We got to get back to those numbers and Get kids involved and uh that's what I Like about this a absolutely yeah I mean One of the things that at youth that's a Huge thing you know with the uh the B Everybody we like we all used to teach Bite the ball and it's now head to the Side head up right and so I have to I Have to reiterate it with my guys that They're like well what's what's the Difference you're like who the Difference the difference if you were Look at it the difference is not really That great it's not it's the mindset of Head up and out of away from the ball C Barrier right and so when you bite the Ball or or head on the ball the ball you Know sometimes as a as a kid coming in The ball could be in the middle of the Chest right right so when you teach that Now their head's coming right down the Middle now listen when I played you know You know like my my linebacker coaches One of the great linebacker coaches in College football uh yeah you had a good One yeah Vernon hardres like we listen We were there our head was up we were Right in the middle of the chest this Was back in the 90s you know and and I And I can emphatically tell you it Helped me get guys down right but right Um but it's uh it's a situation where You want the kids to be able you could
Tackle almost as well if you practice it By getting the head to the side and head Up and and the kids are it's very easy Teaching Point too so that's the that's The other thing but but we're I I could Tell you I'm const Like my you know the first day they're Like uh you know uh you know I was Teaching them bite the B like head to The side head up right like they like But it's hard for them who probably were Taught that way obviously I mean you Know you you graduated in the 80s in High school I started in the in the 80s When when I entered high school and it Was a it was a to like totally different World I remember doing what Derek just Said head-to head okay and I remember Remember as and I think I might have Told Derek this once my senior year we Um did head-to-head uh you know laying On your back and I you know I was I was A division one football gonna be a Division one football player and all the Guys on my team had to tackle me and They went they wouldn't end the drill Until someone got me down okay they Wouldn't end drill finally like the um I Honestly I just I just fell down You know what guys I'm not doing end This thing end this right but I was Physically bigger than most of these Kids so it wasn't anything that that They were doing wrong but I think about
How discouraging that had to be like you Know like for kids like it's like I mean Why would a a freshman has to try to Tackle me like come on that's ridiculous You know but that's how it was and and And um you you know like I remember when Everybody cheered when they got me down They were a cheered because he got me Down they were because the drill was Over the drill was over thank God it was Over this the stupid drill you know and And I didn't like it either because I'll Tell you this you know carrying the ball I'm lowering my shoulder someone was Making contact with my helmet over and Over and over again I mean like they Were thinking it was bad because I would Get by them I was thinking I got to go Again because they keep banging my head Against these people over and over and Over again you know and that's the thing That's great about what's coming out That part's changing in football I do Believe just like Derek that you there Has to be like a a um a middle ground in How you teach tackle so there's enough Contact so we're ready for game day yeah Um I think and I think that your that Product safer Sports product those kind Of products are the key to being able to Make that happen because things that Don't pop off things that don't have to Be adjusted all the time that gets Athletes parents and coaches on board
And administrators on board that were Like okay you could do a little more of This I think and and and we could Prepare more because I'm I'm sure that's The number one complaint of coaches we Don't tackle enough then I go on the Game day and you know um Mom and Dad are Mad because my son can't T the son can't Tackle very well or he gets hurt Tack yeah I think that the thing about Football right is you only play one game A week right so that's that's what Separates it you practice way more than You play so the idea of what you need to In my eyes is practices need to be as Close to game situations as possible to Mimic that for the guys that you know What do we always say right like hey who Can play when the lights are on well how Do I create the light how do I turn the Lights on Monday through Thursday so Friday night it's not like this wada oh My goodness what is this situation right The only thing that creates that Comfort Level on game day is mimicking as close To pra uh as close to game day during Practices as I can if all of a sudden The main aspect of football which is Tackling and physicality you don't do For four days during the week and now All of a sudden I'm asking you as a Player to flip a switch on Friday night And go run through his chest or do some Of the like okay like I need to just do
Whatever I can to get this guy down Whereas if we had a little bit more time To tackle in practice now okay I I know What it's like when this happens right Or I I've just done it so much that my Muscle memory creates That bridge to Gain yeah it's uh it's a different world And but you're right we just you know we Drills and drills and drill but there is Something to be said for game speed Right just like they say in basketball Like playoff different level right there Aren't fast breaks there aren't these Everyone's got a grind to half court Football's the same way there's another Level of speed and intensity that Happens it's very hard to Replicate and what what I realized Coaching youth football for the first Time last year and now this is my second J I'm telling you what I realize is the Kids love tackle football they the kids That are playing they absolutely Absolutely love it and you know all These kids that I coach they play Multiple sports but I could tell you Their excitement level when they come to Football practice and we forget as Adults how much we forget as adults you Know like I try to think back to when I Was a kid like you know what when I was A kid I'm not talking about when I was In college or or even as I was getting
Older but what I'm what I'm talking About when I was a youth football player How much fun it was to go out and play Football like it was just it was a Unique thing you didn't do it in any Other time period right that's it right And you did it for this short window of Time very short each year it really was Great because now you play basketball You know my son plays basketball like Year you know like plays you can play Baseball year round you can play any Almost all your sports year round you Could play flag football year round you Could play seven on seven year round Football is a specific type window and And I and I you can't believe how much They love it like I'm always amazed at How excited like you go they'll go work To the Bone and they'll love it they'll Love it because football is so unique Football is unique there's one ball You're able to tackle tackle players There's a million things going on in one Play and they when they actually start Doing it the majority kids are like wow This is unbelievable because there's no Other sport that has all these things Going on middle of game I agree I agree And that's why if we can put a product On kids where Mom and Dad feel they're Safe and the kid has the enthusiasm to Do it let's get him out there let's let Him play that's it that's what it's all
About no doubt about it Jim it's it's It's been awesome having you on Appreciate it it was really cool I Enjoyed it a lot appreciate it coach bud Thanks dere prank buddy changing the Game in the right way you know which is The most important thing and and uh and It's great you got a good good Postretirement gig right Away retir life baby continue to live The dream that's it that's it shorts on The bottom right now we just gota get we Just gotta get him got get him down to We just got to get him to Central Jersey That's it buddy you got it man that's it Drink it a hand relax Enjoy life you know love it awesome no Doubt well coach thanks for coming on Yeah thanks for having me guys I really Enjoyed it any time have a great day Coach have a good one man all right man Bye that was great that was fantastic he Always gets overlooked dude like he was A hell of a coach bro like like we had SJ on that was sj's senior year so saraj Zad who's obviously Mr Mount Olive right Track guy all this that was his senior Year and Dave when I tell you they won That game against Jefferson they were The only game in the entire state that Played their state championship that Night I mean you want to talk it's like You know Mount Olive is out there Morris County you know what I mean like and I'm
Just telling you they played this game It was like the frozen tundra doesn't Even do it justice I mean I'm serious I Remember my old man went to the game With like you know everybody to watch Matt Sis's team and really kind of put Them obviously that's why they wanted to Play them had shut down four wide Receivers with a freaking frozen field Going against the Veer you know like but It was awesome listen he transitioned Into Administration right what a great Administrator in terms of being a vice Principal then he was a middle school Principal like he just a good I love to See it now because he retires and what Is the first gig he gets into is Something right back to football right And I think it's it's I just and I just Look it it whether the product takes off Or does not I just love to see that There is something like people are Looking to improve the game safety wise Like and I know like for for a guy like That to endorse something and work for It like that like I know it's a little It's not just like some gimmicky Whatever let's make money type thing Like I can you can see that the data Backs it up right oh yeah I went on the Website it's it's it's very impressive Um and I can tell you you know what's Interesting I don't know the last time You've been out to mount ol Mount Olive
That whole area they're building up so Much It's a very interesting area right Because you know you have a lot of Dynamics to it there's low income Housing there's High you know there's High-end uh you know cond and all that Building building building and one of The reasons is because of its location To Route 80 which is now like your Pipeline to now that Co you know postco If I'm like now I have to go back into The office right like I just hop on Route 80 and I'm right in the city and You know however long right Plus allows You those amenities of like hey you know Like I said there is low-income housing There's you know high-end housing There's condos there's every kind of Variety you have not to mention I'll I'll go on like put me on record right Here like Mount Olive has the best Facilities in the state as a public School I mean it is campus itself is Unfreaking believable you know what I Mean like a stadium setting you got Turfing lights Jumbotron you know uh They have an indoor right like and I'm Talking like a legit door that's you Know monst does the Jumbotron do um Actually stream the game it does like Insta replays and stuff like really it's On a different level right and I you Know but I also like you know they
Invest back into the school itself right Academically and like they really link Academics with Athletics and they push Athletics right we know some high Schools are you know Athletics are Important and I'm not talking just Football like they're it's across the Board every sport is important majority Of the students play something right Like they do you know who's supporting Who it's just look it's a district that You know they take their uniqueness in Being where they are located Geographically and they use it to kind Of push the school itself because you Know Mount Olive used to lose a lot of Kids to you know Pope John right or you Know some other private school D Barton That's right down the road but you know They all link up it all matches up when It comes to you know academics and Whatnot and you know why would I want to Leave my hometown when you know I could Play use these facilities and then Ultimately play with my with my my my Crew yeah no doubt very cool all right We're off
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