Youth football team gets concussion protective helmets

Tackle football might be a little safer now thanks to new technology. After years of head injuries leading to a decline in kids participating in Pop Warner football, a Monterey Youth Football coach decided he wanted to make safer tackling a priority.

“I’ve had concussions in the past, last year we had a couple and that’s the scary part,” Ray Cordoba said, head coach for Alvarez Titans Jr. Pee Wees.

On Saturday, the six to nine year-old’s got fitted for their helmets. This year the helmets came equipped with brain sentry devices. Technology used to track how many times a player gets hit in the head.

“If somebody were to get an impact over a weeks span maybe 60 impacts and then the rest of the team has an average of about 20. I already know that the we have to watch that guy,” Cordoba said.

The coach said high impact numbers on the device could mean a player isn’t using proper technique when tackling. If a player is hit too hard a red light will pop up on the device warning the coach to take the player out. Cordoba said it isn’t worth further injury, the kids aren’t getting paid to play.

“I want to keep them as safe as possible, I mean the parents are giving me complete trust for four months,” Cordoba said.

Michelle Banks daughter is the only girl on the team.

“I just feel a lot safer, knowing that sometimes the coaches miss something. There’s 44 kids out there sometimes and sometimes they can’t see everything so when the light comes on it tells you, hey we need to take a second look at this kid we need to make sure they’re OK,” Banks said.

It’s player Abby Banks’ first year playing football.

“I’m most excited about being able to play football, when people told me that I’m a girl and I shouldn’t play,” Banks said.

The brain impact sensors cost about $1,700 and were donated by First Class Fumigation.

“If I can have zero concussion all year that’s a win for me I’ve won,” Cordoba said. The Alvarez Titans will use the new helmet devices for the first time this Monday.