LINCOLN -- Lincoln School District's athletic director, Deon Birkes, updated the Board of Education last week on plans to make the school an Under Armour campus and to use new technology to alert coaches to possible head injuries to football players.
Using the school's athletic budget, Birkes has purchased 12 new football helmets that use sensors to notify coaches if a player receives a major hit to the head or several hard hits during a week's time.
The purchases are the result of a scare last year involving a football player, Birkes told board members. The player's girlfriend came to coaches saying the student was experiencing bad headaches but did not want to say anything because he might not be able to play football.
"He took hits and didn't want to tell anyone," Birkes said.
The next day, the boy continued to have a bad headache and he was later airlifted to Little Rock with bleeding on the brain. The student is fine now but it could have been a very tragic situation, Birkes said.
"There are kids out there who will do anything to please us," Birkes said. "This is a chance to protect our kids."
The helmets, produced by Riddell, cost $500 each. The company calls the product the Riddell Insite, impact response system, and the system includes a helmet with installed sensor pads, a hand-held device for coaching staff and computer software.
The sensor pads will evaluate each impact and transmit an alert to a hand-held device when impact thresholds are exceeded.
Players wearing the helmets will be monitored during practices and games. Birkes said his goal is to purchase 12 new helmets each year. The monitoring system is designed to handle 150 helmets.
Changing subjects, Birkes said he wants Lincoln to be known as an Under Armour school for everyone, not just student athletes.
Lincoln High School's athletic teams already use the Under Armour brand for uniforms but Birkes wants to expand that campus-wide to include band and choir members, the student body and other high school organizations.
An Under Armour representative flew in to meet with Birkes about partnering with Lincoln.
"I told him I want what the big schools have," Birkes said. "It's not just about athletics. It's about everyone. This is what I want to do with our campus."
School board members viewed an online video produced by a school in Florida that uses Under Armour clothing for sports and other student organizations. The school's campus is decorated with multiple banners displaying the Under Armour logo alongside the school's logo.
"I want to have everyone embrace it," Birkes said, adding Lincoln would receive several free banners and the school would receive discounts on Under Armour merchandise. "I think it's a cool thing. It's a quality product."
Birkes sees it as part of changing the culture in Lincoln so that students will be proud of the uniforms and shirts they are wearing. It goes along with a new football stadium and a new competitive basketball gym, he said.
"We want the best for everything."
Only three board members attended the Aug. 17 meeting and all indicated they liked Birkes' plans to use smart helmet technology and to pursue the Under Armour idea. Members Dax Moreton, Connie Meyer and Nick Brewer attended the meeting. Absent were president Jim Ayers and Kendra Moore.
Birkes said any purchases would be made within his budget. Any requests for additional funds would have to be approved by Superintendent Mary Ann Spears.
Community on 08/26/2015