Westboro Toyota Secures Helmets for Local Youth Football League: Our Message to Young Players—A Helmet Is Like a Seatbelt (Use It Properly and Always)

Recently, Westboro Toyota purchased 80 new Schutt DNA Pro+ football helmets for the Northboro/Southboro Youth Football and Cheer Association, which gives local youth between the ages of five and 15 the chance to play ball. Protecting our youth from potentially serious head injuries is something none of us can put a price on.

Westboro Toyota wants kids to know that a helmet is like the seat belt. It’s imperative that we teach our kids from an early age the importance of playing safe and that we make sure they have secure, well-constructed equipment to protect them against potential injuries.

It’s estimated that about 3 million kids in the United States between the ages of six and 14 play tackle football. Generally, kids don’t hit hard enough to cause injuries, but the rare occasion could arise when a tackle or other move on the field could result in a head injury.

According to the NFL, there is no “concussion proof” helmet, but technological advances in helmet design may significantly reduce the likelihood of concussions. The American Association of Neurological Surgeons reports that using helmets in conjunction with keeping up on head-injury guidelines have had a significant impact on decreasing the severity of head injuries in sports.

To prevent head injuries from occurring, youth league administrators should:

1) educate kids on proper tackling techniques—e.g., don’t hit with your head down;

2) stress the importance of maintaining sportsmanlike conduct at all times; and

3) make sure youth players are outfitted with helmets and other equipment that is worn correctly.

Properly fitted helmets can go a long way toward protecting kids against concussions. According to Schutt, which manufactures the helmets the Northboro/Southboro Youth Football and Cheer Association was able to purchase with our donation:

• a properly fitting helmet should be snug but not overly tight;

• the nose bumper and front edge of the helmet should be a little less than one inch from player’s eyebrow—using the index finger as a guide, you can find the proper distance, which is about one to one-and-and-half fingers;

• for the chin strap, have the player hold the chin cup securely over the chin while the straps are being adjusted;

• attach the bottom straps so all four straps for the chin cup are snug without any slack; and

• make sure the ear holes are centered over the player’s ears.

Once the helmet is fitted, try to turn it. It’s acceptable for the hair and skin to move inside, but the helmet should never rotate or wobble independently. If it does either, the fit isn’t right and you should go back to the drawing board.

Westboro Toyota is committed not only to providing our customers with exceptional value and service with competitive live pricing, maintenance specials and superior customer service but also to making positive contributions to the local community through our support for youth-oriented extracurricular programs, such as the Northboro/Southboro Youth Football and Cheer Association and other local nonprofit organizations.

We’re extremely glad we were able to buy the helmets for the Northboro/Southboro Youth Football and Cheer Association this year, and we wish all of the league’s youth players a fun-filled and safe football season!