The Wyandotte Bulldogs are looking to secure their first win of the season this Friday at conference rival Atchison. Despite getting off to a slow start on the field, Wyandotte is miles ahead of many area football programs through the team’s use of smart helmet technology.
This fall, Wyandotte is one of five area schools – Basehor-Linwood, Lee’s Summit, Sumner Academy, and Spring Hill – participating in a player health and safety program sponsored by The McCarthy Auto Group and PrepsKC. Specific to this initiative, these schools have access to Riddell’s InSite Impact Response System, which features sensors pads (or player units) placed in select players’ helmets and they alerts the sideline to atypical head impact exposure based on the player’s level of play and position (i.e., high school, linebacker).
While the decision to invest in Riddell InSite and the compatible Riddell helmets (Speed and SpeedFlex models) often sits with the program/school’s administration and coaching staff, there is significant involvement from the athletic training and medical community to oversee use of the system.
Wyandotte athletic trainer Oji Johnson said this program is a must for his school.
“It is important for secondary schools like Wyandotte to participate in programs like Riddell InSite,” Johnson said. “Over the last few years we have seen an increase in concussion cases in athletes of all ages. At the secondary school level, more than any others, there seems to be a culture of not reporting concussions so athletes can continue to play. With the help of programs like Riddell InSite, it's helping coaches and athletic trainers identify athletes that have taken significant hits to the head and maybe suffering from concussion like signs and symptoms.”
The appeal of a system like Riddell InSite may begin with the ability to help reduce the number of undiagnosed concussions, but maybe equally as valuable is how InSite can help football programs shape player technique. Coaches are often comparing alert history with game film to identify players using improper technique, which increases their overall head impact exposure.
About 15 Kansas City area high schools are using InSite this fall. This is a testament to all the decision makers within the football programs in seeing the value of smart helmet technology. A tool like InSite is one that Wyandotte’s athletic trainer and coaching staff, along with their counterparts throughout the area, can really benefit from. At Riddell, it’s the belief that some form of smart technology will be the norm in the not too distant future. Kudos to Kansas City for leading the way!
