With more and more research being done about the consequences of concussions, the Owatonna Parks and Recreation Department and the OHS Football program were starting to become very concerned. They made the decision to make a big change. Before the season officially started, 225 brand new Schutt Youth Vengeance Pro football helmets were purchased for all kids in third through sixth grade.

Safety was always a priority, but it was taken to a new level this year. OHS Football Liaison Matt Skala said, “One thing we wanted to do was to provide every kid with one of the best youth helmets out there.” Previous to the helmets being bought, the program relied on every player bringing their own helmet. Kids were showing up in helmets that were outdated and/or did not fit. Mr. Skala said, “It was almost like kids were coming with helmets from a garage sale, and that’s when we started initiative to commit to the new helmets.” On top of the helmets being purchased, the OHS football program hosted a youth football night where all the kids were properly fitted into a new helmet.

The Owatonna Parks and Recreation Department and the OHS football program were not the only ones to contribute to the big change. Many local businesses chose to pitch in and sponsor the new helmets.The local businesses include: Federated Insurance, Gopher Sports, Struss CPA’s, the OHS Quarterback Club, Court Sports, Mayo Clinic, Fairway Foods, Prairie Ridge Orthodontics, and Thrivent Financial.

Each helmet will be fitted with two stickers that recognize the sponsors. Individual helmets cost $180 and the total cost for all of them came out to be around $30,000. The community and local businesses came together to pay for the helmets. They were all too concerned about safety to not pitch in. The goal now for Owatonna Parks and Recreation and the OHS Football program is to buy 10-15 new helmets each year and at some point in the future purchase new shoulder pads for every player.

Thanks to the support of the community, Owatonna Parks and Recreation football hopes the concussion numbers will be reduced significantly. One can check out the new helmets and watch the kids play every Thursday night and Saturday morning.