Tag Archives: GELDEFENDER

Willie Lanier, Kansas City Chiefs linebacker from 1967-77 and Pro Football Hall of Famer since 1986, takes a well-deserved place as the first GelDefender Impact Player. He was renowned for the hard hits he delivered during his rookie season until the game during which he took a knee to his head. He shook off the wooziness from what he knew to be a concussion and continued as normal until the game a week later, when he suddenly collapsed during a break in play. He didn’t regain consciousness for two hours. Eventually, the Mayo Clinic diagnosed him with a subdural hematoma: he was bleeding into his brain.

Once he’d recovered and was back in the game, Lanier decided that in order to protect himself, changes needed to be made. He chose to wear a modified helmet with extra padding on the outside to protect his head, an early approximation of what GelDefender is doing now.

He also resolved to never again lead with his head when tackling, instead wrapping himself around opponents. Between his first and second season, his nickname changed from “Contact” to “Honey Bear.” Looking back, having achieved both a wildly successful career and good health today at age 67, he has no reason to regret the concessions he made to protect himself.

Today, Lanier is a member of the NFL's Player Safety Advisory Committee and works to encourage other players to follow his example to take ownership of their own head’s safety by playing safer and smarter.

*Scientists have no conclusive evidence as to whether or how the reduction of g forces during impacts reduces the number or degree of concussions and head injuries. GelDefender^TM products provide supplemental padding as well as cooling and comfort benefits when used with helmets and caps. Participants in activities in which head impacts can occur should always use tested and approved helmets for protection. However, no helmet or supplemental padding can protect the user from all serious head or neck injuries that can result from impacts.

Today on our tour of American baseball, we are stepping away from a specific region and taking a look at a landmark of Major League Baseball across the nation: the 84th MLB All-Star Game.

Today kicks off the festivities in New York, New York, with FanFest at the Javits Center. Baseball fans have really been getting into the spirit too, having submitted 79.2 million votes (the most in All-Star Game history) toward the All-Star Game Final Vote, the winners of which are Blue Jays right-hander Steve Delabar for the American League and Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman for the National League.

Saturday through Monday will be packed with all manner of All-Star activities, including the Home Run Derby on Monday. It all culminates with the All-Star Game itself at Citi Field on Tuesday at 8 p.m. Given the level of participation of fans and the hype that has surrounded it over recent weeks, it is sure to be an exciting and entertaining event, one you won’t want to miss!

Baseball is and always will be a staple of the American culture, so we want to keep players from little league all the way to the majors outfitted with GelDefender head pads to  extra padding, comfort and cooling while playing the sport that they and the rest of America love.

*Scientists have no conclusive evidence as to whether or how the reduction of g forces during impacts reduces the number or degree of concussions and head injuries. GelDefender^TM products provide supplemental padding as well as cooling and comfort benefits when used with helmets and caps. Participants in activities in which head impacts can occur should always use tested and approved helmets for protection. However, no helmet or supplemental padding can protect the user from all serious head or neck injuries that can result from impacts.

Next on our tour of American baseball we will move westward to a baseball anomaly: Minnesota.

It’s hard to imagine Minnesota as a great baseball state, but we are recognizing it for one particular quirk. Of the seven states without Minor League teams, Minnesota has the distinction of being the only one with a Major League team: the Twins. And just because it is not one of the most noted states in the sport does not mean that there is no talent among its youth.

Take the team from Mounds View High School, for instance. The Mustangs had a very solid 13-4 season, climbing their way to the number one spot in the state and the 34 spot in the country. They finished the year in June by winning the 2013 Class AAA championship for the state in a 8-0 win against Rocori High Spartans.

Baseball is and always will be a staple of the American culture, so we want to keep players from little league all the way to the majors outfitted with  GelDefender head pads to  extra padding, comfort and cooling while  playing the sport that they and the rest of America love.

*Scientists have no conclusive evidence as to whether or how the reduction of g forces during impacts reduces the number or degree of concussions and head injuries. GelDefender^TM products provide supplemental padding as well as cooling and comfort benefits when used with helmets and caps. Participants in activities in which head impacts can occur should always use tested and approved helmets for protection. However, no helmet or supplemental padding can protect the user from all serious head or neck injuries that can result from impacts.

After our brief star on the east coast, on our next stop on our region-by-region tour of American baseball we move inland to Ohio.

Ohio is home to both the Cincinnati Reds and the Cleveland Indians in the Major Leagues and six Minor League teams like the Toledo Mud Hens and the Mahoning Valley Scrappers. But we’re going to take a look at the fresh talent the state contains in the form of the Archbishop Moeller High School baseball team.

Ranked number one in the state and number 52 in the country, the Fighting Crusaders from Cincinnati ended their season with an overall 31-2 record. They finished out their impressive season by winning the Ohio Division I baseball championship title in a 7-1 win against St. Ingatius of Cleveland. Congrats to Archbishop Moeller!

Baseball is and always will be a staple of the American culture, so we want to keep players from little league all the way to the majors outfitted with  GelDefender head pads to  extra padding, comfort and cooling while  playing the sport that they and the rest of America love.

*Scientists have no conclusive evidence as to whether or how the reduction of g forces during impacts reduces the number or degree of concussions and head injuries. GelDefender^TM products provide supplemental padding as well as cooling and comfort benefits when used with helmets and caps. Participants in activities in which head impacts can occur should always use tested and approved helmets for protection. However, no helmet or supplemental padding can protect the user from all serious head or neck injuries that can result from impacts.

Our last stop on the east coast in our region-by-region tour of American baseball is up north in Massachusetts.

Massachusetts is home to only two professional baseball teams: the Boston Red Sox in the Major Leagues and the Lowell Spinners in the Minor Leagues. But we’re going to continue our pattern of looking at a top high school team, in this case Bridgewater-Raynham Regional High School.

The Bridgewater-Raynham Trojans are ESPN Boston’s number one high school team in Massachusetts following their Division 1 championship win, the first championship title in the school’s history. With a 22-5 overall season, the Trojans rose swiftly through the playoffs and ended their years with a 4-0 win over Nashoba Regional. And since Bridgewater-Rayham has a number of key players returning next year, Massachusetts should look out for this high school for the 2014 season as well.

Baseball is and always will be a staple of the American culture, so we want to keep players from little league all the way to the majors outfitted with  GelDefender head pads to  extra padding, comfort and cooling while  playing the sport that they and the rest of America love.

*Scientists have no conclusive evidence as to whether or how the reduction of g forces during impacts reduces the number or degree of concussions and head injuries. GelDefender^TM products provide supplemental padding as well as cooling and comfort benefits when used with helmets and caps. Participants in activities in which head impacts can occur should always use tested and approved helmets for protection. However, no helmet or supplemental padding can protect the user from all serious head or neck injuries that can result from impacts.

While we’re on the east coast, we’re going to hang around for the next couple of stops on our region-by-region tour of American baseball. Today we’re heading south to Florida.

Florida is home to both the Florida Marlins and the Tampa Bay Rays in the Major Leagues and no less than 14 Minor League teams, the most of any state, with creative names like the Blue Wahoos, the Stone Crabs, and the Marauders. But with as much professional talent as the state holds, it also holds plenty of younger talent as well.

Take, for instance, the number one high school team in Florida, ranked nine in the nation, Venice High School. The Venice Indians finished as 2013 7A Florida State Champions for the second year in a row in May. In their final game of the season, they destroyed the Haines City Hornets 14-4 on the 18th for their second consecutive championship win.

Baseball is and always will be a staple of the American culture, so we want to keep players from little league all the way to the majors outfitted with  GelDefender head pads to  extra padding, comfort and cooling while  playing the sport that they and the rest of America love.

*Scientists have no conclusive evidence as to whether or how the reduction of g forces during impacts reduces the number or degree of concussions and head injuries. GelDefender^TM products provide supplemental padding as well as cooling and comfort benefits when used with helmets and caps. Participants in activities in which head impacts can occur should always use tested and approved helmets for protection. However, no helmet or supplemental padding can protect the user from all serious head or neck injuries that can result from impacts.

It was September of 2010, and St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Blake Hawksworth—in only his second season in the majors—was on the mound against the Chicago Cubs. In the fifth inning, moments after a pitch to Cubs’ outfielder Sam Fuld, a stadium full of people cringed to see Hawksworth on the ground, blood dripping from his face.

“I can remember the incident, and I can remember seeing the baseball,” said the young righthander. “I can still even hear it, the sound it makes coming at you.”

Hawksworth was just a split second too slow getting his glove up to prevent Fuld’s line drive from hitting him squarely in the face.

He was taken immediately to the hospital, where he was diagnosed with a split lip and a concussion. A few stitches, some dental work, and a month later, and he was back on the mound.

“If it was higher, lower, who knows how bad it could have been,” he said. “It could’ve been my eye, who knows. It’s just such a blessing to walk out of that okay.”

Now, with the upswing in concussion awareness, he is looking for ways to protect himself and his fellow pitchers for when what happened to him in 2010 happens again. “I’m fearful of it for anyone,” he said, “because I know the effects it has.”

Hawksworth said athletes often don’t consider themselves vulnerable to head injury until they are faced with one themselves. “In any sport, there’s a sense of invincibility,” he said. “You kind of have that thought of, ‘Yeah, that’s scary, but the odds of that happening to me are slim.’ Until it happens to you.”

He said hearing about people that have dealt with head injuries and their side effects for the rest of their lives, let alone their playing careers, has motivated him and major sports organizations to seriously consider greater protection.

“It’s an issue that’s going to be addressed, and Major League Baseball I know for a fact is looking into it, and especially in the NFL – hockey, cycling, you name it,” he said. “Head injuries are the scariest injuries out there.”
After taking a look at the GelDefender head protection pad for caps and working with it off the mound, he said he thinks its subtlety, its comfort, and its cooling make it a good options for pitchers.

However, he said that regulated protection for players may be in the distant future for a very traditional sport like baseball.

“Unfortunately, there’s some vanity in sports, and people are hesitant to wear something that is different,” he said. “But I think at the end of the day people have families, and they have lives to live after they play. And they want to do everything they can to live a healthy life.”

Listen to audio excerpts from our interview with Blake here: https://soundcloud.com/geldefender

*Scientists have no conclusive evidence as to whether or how the reduction of g forces during impacts reduces the number or degree of concussions and head injuries. GelDefender^TM products provide supplemental padding as well as cooling and comfort benefits when used with helmets and caps. Participants in activities in which head impacts can occur should always use tested and approved helmets for protection. However, no helmet or supplemental padding can protect the user from all serious head or neck injuries that can result from impacts.

The next stop on our region-by-region tour of American baseball is GelDefender’s home state, North Carolina.

North Carolina has no Major League teams but boasts a respectable eight Minor League teams (nine if you count the Charlotte Knights, but their stadium is actually in South Carolina). So why would we highlight a state that not only has no Major League teams but also sends one of its Minor League teams across the border to play? In short, because North Carolina is the only state with two teams still in the College World Series.

UNC and N.C. State, along with only five other schools, are still contenders for the 2013 title, and both North Carolina teams are scheduled to play later today. In a huge upset Sunday, the No. 7 N.C. State Wolfpack stomped the UNC Tar Heels 8-1, shuffling the No. 1 team to the losers’ bracket. Despite this setback for the Heels, both are still considered powerful candidates to win the whole series. At 3 p.m. EST today, UNC will be taking on LSU to advance in the tournament, and at 8 p.m., the Wolfpack will be playing the UCLA Bruins for a spot in the semifinals.

Baseball is and always will be a staple of the American culture, so we want to keep players from little league all the way to the majors outfitted with  GelDefender head pads to  extra padding, comfort and cooling while  playing the sport that they and the rest of America love.

*Scientists have no conclusive evidence as to whether or how the reduction of g forces during impacts reduces the number or degree of concussions and head injuries. GelDefender^TM products provide supplemental padding as well as cooling and comfort benefits when used with helmets and caps. Participants in activities in which head impacts can occur should always use tested and approved helmets for protection. However, no helmet or supplemental padding can protect the user from all serious head or neck injuries that can result from impacts.

With the recent release of our new head pads for caps, GelDefender has decided to take a tour of America and check out its favorite pastime region-by-region. For our second stop, we’re taking a look at Texas baseball.

Texas, the second largest state in the US after Alaska, is home to two MLB teams, the Houston Astros and the Texas Rangers, and five Minor League teams. But, as with California, we’re going to focus our attention on some players who you probably don’t know as well and who are much earlier in their baseball careers, the Woodlands High School baseball team.

The Highlanders have just finished their impressive 38-4 season as the 2013 Texas Class 5A champions, putting them in the top five in most national rankings systems. Their year culminated last Saturday when the Highlanders went up against Fort Bend Dulles High School. After giving up two runs in the top of the first inning, Woodlands answered with four in the bottom and continued to press their advantage to a 9-5 championship victory. Woodlands pitcher Carter Hope, who had been drafted by the Kansas City Royals the day before, pitched a two-hitter after the discouraging first inning, finished his high school career on a high note.

Baseball is and always will be a staple of the American culture, so we want to keep players from little league all the way to the majors outfitted with  GelDefender head pads to  extra padding, comfort and cooling while  playing the sport that they and the rest of America love.

*Scientists have no conclusive evidence as to whether or how the reduction of g forces during impacts reduces the number or degree of concussions and head injuries. GelDefender^TM products provide supplemental padding as well as cooling and comfort benefits when used with helmets and caps. Participants in activities in which head impacts can occur should always use tested and approved helmets for protection. However, no helmet or supplemental padding can protect the user from all serious head or neck injuries that can result from impacts.

Some have speculated recently about the future of football, given recent head injury issues. So far, most seem to think that football will not be unseated from America’s sports throne and that, with better equipment and several rules changes, it’ll get through.

But, according to a recent Reuters report, another sport could be in more imminent danger: boxing. In the words of Dr. Calvin Inalsingh, head of the World Boxing Association’s medical advisory committee, “Boxing is the only sport in which the objective is to render blows to the head and body of the opponent so as to cause the opponent to be incapacitated."

It’s easier to alter football’s rules while keeping the goal of the game the same. Score touchdowns. Kick field goals. Keep the other team from scoring.

In boxing, the goal is to hurt the opponent. Hard hits aren’t a means to an end; they are the end. And while violence is somewhat inherent in football, it’s doubly true that violence is the essence of boxing. Not senseless violence, but violence none-the-less.

Boxing, like football, incorporates contact into its practices as well as its matches. Sparring sessions in boxing can lead to much head and body contact, even with pads that have been used for years in such practices.

One boxer taking the next step with his equipment is undefeated heavyweight Amir Mansour. The Wilmington, Del., native recently became the first boxer to supplement traditional sparring head gear with the new GelDefender head pad.

*Scientists have no conclusive evidence as to whether or how the reduction of g forces during impacts reduces the number or degree of concussions and head injuries. GelDefender^TM products provide supplemental padding as well as cooling and comfort benefits when used with helmets and caps. Participants in activities in which head impacts can occur should always use tested and approved helmets for protection. However, no helmet or supplemental padding can protect the user from all serious head or neck injuries that can result from impacts.