SEATTLE — Several Seattle high school football teams are wearing Guardian caps this season to help protect players against concussions.
For the second consecutive year, the Seattle Seahawks donated the protective helmet covers to local athletic programs.
This year, the Seahawks donated 150 Guardian caps to four schools, according to a press release.
Guardian caps are soft-shell covers fitted over traditional football helmets. The units can cost between $60 and $100 each, making school athletic programs often reliant on fundraising and donations to equip players.
Recipient schools for the donated caps for this year include Rainier Beach, Cleveland, Garfield, Lindbergh and Ballard high schools.
Ballard High School football coach Ian Essig leads a program where attitudes toward the protective gear have shifted.
While players initially expressed hesitation, participation has grown.
“We can’t require them; it is optional. There were a few players who brought up the fact that they used to make fun of players for them,” Essig said.
Despite early criticism from some athletes, Essig noted that the team quickly moved past the initial reluctance.
“To us, it’s water off a duck’s back,” Essig said.
Essig envisions head protection becoming a permanent requirement in youth athletics.
“I believe guardian caps will be required in my lifetime with high school sports,” Essig said.
Ballard acquired part of its helmet cap inventory from the Seahawks’ previous stock.
“They just had them in their back stock and they were from a previous season,” Essig said.
The Ballard Beavers now wear Guardian caps during both practice sessions and official games, treating NFL approval as a benchmark for their own safety standards.
“We still feel like it’s very safe, and if it’s Seahawk-approved, it’s Ballard Beaver-approved,” Essig said.
Essig emphasized that safety protocols must remain consistent across all team activities.
“The standard is the standard; if we’re going to wear them in practice, we’re going to wear them in games,” Essig said.
He also stressed that the caps can often help, but won’t prevent head injuries, which is why the team continues to practice safe tackling techniques as well as avoiding head-to-head contact.
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