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Reducing Concussions: Southeast Guilford High Players Have 5-Star Rated Helmets

Guilford County has 15 football teams in the public school system. All use some five star rated helmets, but Southeast High has the only team with all five star rated helmets

GREENSBORO, N.C. -- Southeast Guilford High is doing its utmost to keep their football players protected this upcoming football season - that is only a day away!

Guilford County has 15 football teams in the public school system. All use some five star rated helmets, but Southeast High has the only team with all five star rated helmets, meaning first string varsity to JV uses them.

Guilford County Schools says they don't go by the Virginia Tech STAR rating system, a nationally recognized system that measures a helmet's ability to reduce the likelihood of a concussion. Guilford County Schools go by the minimum testing requirements set by the National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment.

Nonetheless, the Athletic Director at Southeast, Shawyn Newton, wanted the best of the best for his guys.

"I love the helmets I think anything we can do for our student athletes to keep them safe is going to make the parents feel like hey Southeast is trying to do what’s best for student athletes and their safety," Newton said.

Newton said they lucked out with the helmets. A parent of a former Southeast High football player, who wants to remain anonymous, has been buying & donating them the to high school over the years.

"Every year he’ll come out and purchase 12 new helmets, the 13th one is free so he’s take it upon himself to make sure kids have the best," Newton said.

Head Coach Kennedy Tinsley says everyone is grateful for the donations.

"They’re definitely excited and ready to roll its been nice to see how blessed and fortunate they are and how blessed and fortunate we are to be a part of this community, we have an athletic director and administration that wants the kids to have good stuff."

The 5 star helmets now being used are the Riddell SpeedFlex. Athletic Trainer Mark White says it adds an extra layer of protection for their players to help avoid concussions.

"It has the different design on the front for the helmet holes are cut into it for circulation and then Riddell, what they’ve done is try to redesign the helmet so you have a deflection of forces off the helmet so the head isn’t taking all the trauma," White said.

Parents WFMY News 2 spoke with are excited about the helmets.

"It makes you feel better especially with their head. You know the rest of them is not protected but you can't fix that brain," mother Ann Shreve said.

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