BURKE COUNTY, N.C. -- No matter the age of the players on the field, football is a contact sport.

  • Freedom High School now has 25 helmets with sensors
  • The senors measure impact
  • Helmet sends signal to trainers if the impact is strong

One that brings some heavy hitting on the field and steering someone away from the game.

"Nationwide you are seeing a little bit of a drop in participating," Freedom High School athletic director Casey Rogers said.

Not a drop of the ball, but a drop of players after concussions were on the rise.

"There is a lot of times you get a concussion and you might not find out til Monday," Freedom High School head football coach Luke Little said.

 

 

Burke County may have figured out a solution. Helmets new to North Carolina have sensors under the padding.

At Freedom High School, 25 of the helmets are now lining the locker room. The blinking lights inside signal that there are sensors that are activated if a player gets hit or lands on the ground. The helmet sends a signal to the trainer if the impact is strong.

”If a student gets hit on the left hand side then it will show up on the monitor that the student took an impact on the left side," Mike Swan, director of student services said.

The helmets also have an easy release portion in cases there are injuries

"Take a pin and match those and the face mask popes right off same with the chin strap," Little said.

 They say while the helmet can’t protect them from everything, it’s an extra layer of security for players.

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