Safer Sports for Kids

Over the past decade, an emerging body of medical research has shown that playing football can increase the risk of brain injury, and youth football participation has declined significantly. But at least 1.2 million kids under the age of 13 still play tackle football, according to the Sports and Fitness Industry Association. So VICIS, the Seattle-­based startup whose football helmets have topped annual safety ratings published by the NFL and NFL Players Association, is turning its attention to the youth market. “Our birthright,” says VICIS CEO Dave Marver, “was to come out with a better helmet for kids.” The ZERO1 Youth, which launched in May, has thicker force-absorbing support on the front and sides of the helmet, where kids are more likely to incur more jarring hits. Players on 1,500 different youth teams have now worn the helmet. While no helmet can prevent concussions altogether, in Virginia Tech’s inaugural youth-helmet rankings, VICIS finished first once again. —Sean Gregory