ProCom CEO on How to Shop for Headsets

Q&A with ProCom Founder Frank Girardi

A quality wireless headset system is like a quality offensive line. When it’s at its best, a coach doesn’t have to spend any time worrying about it. Since 1974, ProCom has been dedicated to providing the highest quality communication products on the market.

BY DAN GUTTENPLAN

Frank Girardi doesn’t have the background you’d expect for a Founder and CEO of a headset communication company. He started his career as a physical education teacher before making the switch to his lifelong pursuit – building quality headsets for coaches.

Girardi recently joined FNF Coaches for a Q&A. f How did you go from a physical education teacher to the founder of ProCom?

“I always had a knack for designing communication equipment. I came up with a wireless headset system patent in 1977. When I was 21 or 22, I was approached to buy the patent. I sold it because of some things going on in my personal life.” f How did you stay in the industry after the sale?

“In 1982, I developed the first All-In-One headset with no belt-pack. I first sold it to my brother, who was a coach.” f How has the technology evolved over the years?

“Frequencies have changed. The type of modulation has gone from analog to digital. Things have gotten smaller because the components have gotten smaller in size. There’s all different types of ways to construct the product. Unfortunately, some coaches are using headset systems that never should be meant for football.” f What makes ProCom headset system different than the competition?

“I designed a product for the mind of a football coach using it. I think that’s important and what sets us apart. We’re not the cheapest headset company. We want to be the best for little dollars difference. It’s satisfying the needs of a football coach. It’s a system that is waterproof. You need a system that has the capability of expanding. A lot of systems have coaches switching back from offense to defense. That’s not practical.

“A lot of coaches think, ‘I have a smaller staff. One headset

is enough to switch back and forth. On the contrary, with a smaller staff, more coaches need to switch back and forth.’” f What are some other things coaches should be looking for in a headset? “Our display is on the top of the headset so you can look down on the field and see it. Our microphone and belt packs have military specs. We offer the most output power. A well-designed belt pack should not require an external antenna. When you add that on, it pokes into the side when a coach bends over and also open up more interference to signals. It’s called spurious communication.” f Do you have any new technology that will help teams after the stoppage in play?

“We sold a coach-to-player system to a school in Florida because they want the coaches to avoid close contact while they coach. They’re using our system to do that. I believe it’s just a matter of time before all states allow it during games.”

Podcast Alert

ProCom CEO Frank Girardi also joined FNF Coaches editor Dan Guttenplan for a podcast. Visit FNFCoaches.com/podcast to search for his interview.

ONLINE: PROCOMHEADSETS.COM EMAIL: SALES@PROCOMHEADSETS.COM PHONE: 724-337-1400

TWITTER/FACEBOOK/INSTAGRAM: @PROCOMHEADSETS

Riddell Can Customize, Personalize Helmet Selection with Smart Helmet Technology Riddell has long been recognized for producing football products with the intention of making player safety the highest priority. With a line of new equipment and technologies that includes Insite, Riddell has helped make the sport of football safer for athletes at all levels.

BY DAN GUTTENPLAN

For over 20 years, the innovators at Riddell have utilized data collected through a sophisticated head impact monitoring system, Riddell’s Sideline Response System, to identify ways in which the helmet-maker can make the game safer for football players. Since its introduction over 10 years ago, Riddell SRS has been used by major research institutions that are collecting data to help better protect players and inform important rule changes. The technology has been validated many times and serves as the basis for the well-publicized Virginia Tech Star Ratings of football helmets. In addition to leveraging the data to improve helmet performance, Riddell set out to produce an impact alert system that is accessible and affordable for high school and youth football teams.

Riddell Insite achieves that goal by providing teams with a helmet-based impact monitoring technology designed

■ Riddell is developing a mobile app that will scan the surface of a player’s head so that the company can customize individual helmets.

to alert coaches and trainers when significant impacts are sustained during football practices and games. InSite helps sideline staff detect atypical head impact exposures for football players based on their level of play and position using sensors in the helmet that send alerts to a handheld monitor. Team staff can also use InSite software to track player alert history and learn more about the impact exposure.

Thad Ide, Riddell’s Senior Vice President of Research and Product Development, recently joined FNF Coaches to discuss Riddell Insite Training Tool. f I know that Riddell Insite has collected data from over 7 million impacts through the Insite Impact Response system. What have you determined?

“It has informed us on how to design protective equipment and will very likely lead to helmets that are position specific and skill level specific.” f How else are helmets personalized for the individual player?

“Riddell is in its third-year of using the tech, Precision-Fit. We scan the surface of a player’s head and create a customized liner that fits the surface. Think of them like finger prints. No two are alike. We use that to create 100-percent custom fitted helmets. It’s an elite technology that more than half of the NFL is using. It will find its way to the high school ranks.” f Do you send out a rep to scan the heads?

“We’re developing a mobile app that will scan the surface of a player’s head and relay the information to Riddell. We’ll then create a suggested fit helmet. Currently, Riddell has to have a rep on site, but it won’t be long before a coach can line up 40 players and scan the surfaces of their heads, upload to Riddell, and we’ll suggest the best fit for them.”

ONLINE: WWW.RIDDELL.COM/INSITE/ PHONE: 1-800-275-5338

RIDDELL INSITE IS DESIGNED TO PROVIDE FOOTBALL’S

stakeholders a quantitative impact and workload analysis to help improve player performance.

5 Tips on Reconditioning Helmets One of the most important things on a coach’s checklist coming out of the work stoppage in the spring should be helmet reconditioning. The sanitizing aspect of the reconditioning process will certainly be paramount, as is the process of testing the helmets for safety and defective parts.

BY DAN GUTTENPLAN

Many manufacturers and recertifiers of football helmets closed their facilities during the pandemic for a numbers of weeks, slowing down the timeline for when schools can expect their equipment to be returned. With the uncertainty surrounding the start of the fall season, we offer five tips to reconditioning in case a school does not have time to go through a professional reconditioning process.

1Get rid of helmets after 10 years. Most helmet suppliers expect a 10-year life on each of its helmets, but not a day more. No helmet over the age of 10 is suitable for action, according to the National Athletic Equipment Reconditioners Association. To comply with this edict, most helmet suppliers remove any helmet over 10 years old from the reconditioning process.

2RRecondition every year – or at the minimum, every two years. Many reconditioning specialists tests each helmet for safety, before disinfecting and sanitizing. If nothing else, it gives coaches and parents peace of mind that the helmets have been checked and certified for a return to play.

3Inspect helmets for damaged parts. Coaches don’t always think of jaw pads or chin straps when they think of helmet safety. But a misfit pad or malfunctioning chin strap can make all the difference between being a helmet that meets safety standards and one that puts the athlete at further risk of injury. Order a new set of jaw pads and chin straps each season so you have them when you need them.

Recondition helmets – at a minimum – every two years.

4Disinfectant and sanitize the inside of the helmets. While there is still much we don’t know about the coronavirus, one thing we seem to know is that the virus doesn’t spread on surfaces. So, no helmet that has been sitting in a closet for the last four months is going to be able to transmit the virus. Still, there are plenty of bacterial infections that can stem from dirty equipment, so a proper disinfecting process is essential.

5Follow the rules. If you haven’t sent out your helmets yet, make sure you’re not putting others in jeopardy by trying to expedite the process. Follow all CDC and local health guidelines. If you’re looking to disinfectant equipment, use a hospital grade disinfectant like a KilZone product. Follow all local guidelines for social distancing while cleaning.

THE RECONDITIONING PROCESS DURING A PANDEMIC

IT’S BEEN A STRANGE

year for coaches in many ways, particularly those waiting on equipment to be sent back after reconditioning efforts. “Ours was grabbed, maybe in March, so I don’t know yet if that’s going to affect our fleet of helmets coming back yet for the season,” Jerald Pierucci, a high school football coach in Shafter, California, said. Pierucci has been a high school football coach for over 20 years. “Right now, we’re kind of in limbo as high school coaches, and I know youth is even worse,” he said. “We’re really worried that he won’t have any equipment to hand out to his kids even if we have a season.”