Tag: football

True Colors

2014-U.S.-National-Team-AwaNike Soccer has unveiled the 2014 U.S. National Team Away jersey – and it offers a lot of red, white and blue, yet still sort of doesn’t say America. A number of countries – the United Kingdom, France, the Netherlands, Czech Republic and Russia come to mind – as having the same colors. However, it does feature 13 red and white stripes to represent the original 13 colonies that declared independence and formed the first states on the back of the neck in a pennant tab.

Nike Soccer also noted that the “kit aids performance by regulating player’s body temperature during the course of the match. By using a combination of Nike Dri-FIT Technology, ‘burnout’ mesh and laser-cut ventilation holes, designers are able to localize cooling where players need it most.”

The kit also features Nike Dri-FIT technology, which pulls moisture away from the skin to the outside of the garment where it evaporates more quickly, while laser-cut ventilation holes and engineered mesh in key areas where heat is generated allow for increased breathability and airflow across the skin.

Press Release: Nike Soccer Unveils 2014 U.S. National Team Away Kit

HelmetsLast week ESPN addressed that there are many different safety helmets on the market and these protect the head in very different ways. It is true that a military helmet for example needs to stop bullets whereas a ski helmet is meant to protect the wearer from injury in a crash.

However, in this insightful piece ESPN noted, “(motorsport) racing helmets are designed to redistribute the force of an accident, skiing helmets are designed to prevent skull fractures, and have not been designed with potential brain injuries in mind.”

The article also added, “Brain injuries are not restricted to Formula One, yet the FIA is the governing body that has done the most research on how to reduce the impact of high-impact head injuries on its competitors.”

With this in mind, perhaps it is time that the governing bodies for various sports start to consider the research that other bodies are doing. Thus football – which has only in recent years started to take head injuries seriously – could learn something from motorsport as well as winter sport helmets and so on.

These should all do the same thing at the end of the day, and that is to protect the wearer.

[Via ESPN: In the pursuit of safety]

Concussion Avoidance

Football-HelmetOne of the best ways to avoid a concussion is to stay clear of activities where you may hit hour head. That seems to be the opinion of a quarter of parents, who said they will not let their kids play in football due to concerns over concussions, according to a recent Truven Health Analytics and NPR Health Poll. Continue reading Concussion Avoidance

Super Shoe

Nike-Vapor-Carbon-2014-ElitJust in time for the big game – and by that we mean the Super Bowl – Nike has released a special edition of its Nike Vapor Carbon 2014 Eliteb football cleat. It features a low profile and a combination of bladed and conical cleats that mean less weigh but better grip on the field. These offer dynamic Flywire that wraps the foot and provides superior – yet lightweight – support. Super indeed!

Nike Vapor Carbon 2014 Elite Super Bowl Edition Football Cleat Official Website

No Safer Helmet Says Report

Football-HelmetFootball season is in high gear. But there is some sobering news out that suggests that when it comes to younger players there is no such thing as a “safer” helmet. The American Academy of Pediatrics has noted the findings of a study last week that found there are about 40,000 sports-related concussions in high school football each year! This may occur from misdiagnosis in-game, but the study noted that that it is unlikely that the players’ equipment factored in. The study involved 1,332 football players at 36 high schools during the 2012 football season. What the study did find was that the more expensive helmets may not be offering enhanced protection.

In the abstract, “Association of Helmet Brand and Mouth Guard Type with Incidence of Sport Related Concussion in High School Football Players,” researchers tested various mouth guard brands, including custom-fit mouth guards, and new and older football helmets.

“Our preliminary findings suggest that neither any specific brand of football helmet nor custom mouth guards result in fewer concussions in kids who use them,” said lead co-investigator Margaret Alison Brooks, MD, MPH, FAAP. “Despite what manufacturers might claim, newer and more expensive equipment may not reduce concussion risk. So is it worth the significant extra cost to families and schools?”

[Press Release: Can the ‘right’ helmet prevent concussions?]

Safety First

SG-HelmetsBill Simpson is known as the “godfather of safety” within the auto racing industry and he has taken his knowledge with Simpson Performance Products and Impact! Racing to the gridiron. He is looking to transform football the way he did with racing.

The result is SG Helmets, a football helmet manufacturing company that he created with former CART driver Chip Ganassi. Unlike typical football helmets the SG Helmets are unique in the sense that the liner is made from a blend of expanded polypropylene foams, and thus forms one continuous pad throughout the inside of the helmet, leaving no space unpadded. SG Helmets further weigh about half as much as an average football helmet, relieving unnecessary stress on players heads, necks and shoulders.

SG Helmets Official Website

Researchers Look to Develop Concussion-Detection App

footballResearchers at the University of Notre Dame are looking to test an app on approximately 1,000 youth and high school football players. It isn’t to track their performance, but rather could provide a way to recognize concussions. The program reportedly pulls out the vowel segment from a set of predetermined words and then analyzes that sound for changes that may indicate a brain injury.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) now estimates that as many as 3.8 million sports-related concussions occur in the U.S. each year. However, because concussion can go undiagnosed, the true number of such injures could be much higher.

In many cases after taking a hard hit players are simply asked, “are you OK,” and now the researchers have looked to develop a test that could be not be swayed by answers from players look wanted to remain in the game. This builds on previous studies that have found that head injuries can change speech characteristics, with negative effects on vowel production being one factor that stands out.

This app could certainly help younger players stay safe and if necessary stay off the field after taking a hard hit.

[Via MIT Technology Review: Voice-Analyzing App Scans Football Players for Concussion]

Weekend Reading List (09.21.2013): Concussion Crisis, Used Patagonia, Wet Run

Concussion Crisis

Neurotracker

From Sport Techie: The NFL Should Adopt This NeuroTracking Technology Immediately to Help Solve the Concussion Crisis
In the NFL, the risk of concussion is far greater than for almost any other sport. While continued improvements to helmet design and stronger regulations against dangerous play may help limit such risk, one serious issue has yet to be resolved—the return to play. Continue reading Weekend Reading List (09.21.2013): Concussion Crisis, Used Patagonia, Wet Run

Weekend Reading List (09.07.2013): Treasure Chest, Toilet Time, Football to Football

Treasure Chest

BikeCase

From BikeRadar: $50,000 Fairwheel Bikes travel case
Say you’re a wealthy Swiss cycling enthusiast who just bought an incredible custom Crumpton road bike – you would, of course, want to take it with you on business trips. When just such a customer approached Arizona retailer Fairwheel Bikes for a custom travel case, they developed one in carbon fibre. For $50,000. Continue reading Weekend Reading List (09.07.2013): Treasure Chest, Toilet Time, Football to Football

Weekend Reading List (07.20.2013): Head Studies, Board Builder, Kit or Gear?

Head Studies

Helmet

From The Chronicle of Higher Education: A Brain Gone Bad
Researchers clear the fog of chronic head trauma

The first thing Patient 53 saw as he walked in was a red football helmet. A groan rattled through his vending-machine-sized frame. “The last thing I want to see,” he said, “is a football helmet..” Continue reading Weekend Reading List (07.20.2013): Head Studies, Board Builder, Kit or Gear?

Nike Looks to Incyte

Nike-SoccerWhile it might be hard to reinvent the wheel, Nike continues to look to refine the soccer ball. Its new Incyte was designed with Nike RaDaR technology and micro-textured casing to provide for high visibility and consistent touch on the field. This pattern reportedly allows players to see the ball and react faster, while the five-layer construction provides for better control at first touch.

The design also promises faster, farther and more accurate ball flight. Nike might just “incite” a revolution on the soccer pitch with the Incyte.

Nike Incyte Official Website

Nike’s Ultra Toxic Shoes

Nike-HypervenomWith a name like Hypervenom you know this shoe is going to have some bite. Designed for soccer (football to the rest of the world), this new Nike shoe features a soft mesh outer that is coated in a polyurethane film and special weatherproofing technology that can stand up to the rigors of the pitch, yet offers an almost “not there” feel. The Hypervenom can bite into the field thanks to its stud configuration that allows for fast movement that makes for fast kicks.

No one would dare play soccer/football barefoot but this might be the next best thing! Continue reading Nike’s Ultra Toxic Shoes

Adidas Blows It Up With Nitrocharge

adidas-NitrochargeThe soccer pitch won’t know what hit it. Adidas has introduced the new Nitrocharge soccer cleat/football boot, which offers a high-elastic upper element called the ENERGYSling to provide extra agility, while the ENERGYPULSE on the sole provides improved push-off and gives greater energy return to let the wearer go the distance.

The Sprintframe outsole offers TRAXION 2.0 stud placement to provide greater balance traction, stability and all in a lightweight shoe. The Nitrocharge also offers a miCoach speed cell fitness-tracking chip that allows the wearer to monitor speed, distance and even number of sprints. This can connect with an iOS device for a post game recap of the shoe’s explosive moments.

Adidas Nitrocharge Official Website