One of the first questions that a parent should ask a football coach or commissioner when they sign their child up for a youth program is what type of helmets are supplied. You should also ask how old the helmets are and if they are regularly reconditioned and re-certified, as you want to make sure that helmets are up to standards and safe as can be for your athlete.

If you’re not happy with the helmets that your child’s program is providing, you also should also ask if they’ll allow your child to wear a helmet that you would want to purchase. A parent needs to have peace of mind that their child is going to be as safe as possible on the football field, and that starts with protecting their head.

A few years ago, I was disgusted with the helmets that my son’s league provided for players. A few looked to be fairly new, but most of the helmets were very old and there didn’t appear to be stickers on any of them indicating the program was sending helmets out to be reconditioned. So that season, my son used a brand-new helmet that my wife and I acquired for him and it was probably the smartest decision that we ever made as youth sports parents.

As other parents followed our lead that season, it became clear that there are safe helmets on the market that can fit various family budgets. No child should have to wear a helmet that looks like it’s been through wars even though the program “cleaned it up” during the off-season. A helmet may look like it’s in good shape, but there are things you can’t see with the naked eye and that’s why helmets need to be re-conditioned regularly.

The National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment (NOCSAE) requires that helmets are re-certified every two years but Riddell, the official helmet of USA Football suggests that you re-certify a helmet every year. Regardless, every helmet placed on the head of a football player needs to go through this process.

From my previous experience sending my son’s helmet to Riddell for reconditioning, it’s clear that the helmet goes through a rigid inspection which ultimately results in either a pass or a fail. I’d be willing to guess that most, if not all, of the helmets that my son’s youth football program provided would never have passed a re-certification process, which is scary. 

A parent ultimately must ask the right questions about the helmets given out by youth football programs. If you make the decision to buy your child a helmet, do your homework and don’t be afraid to ask around to other parents and coaches for help. 

Peter is a sports anchor for the CBS Sports Radio Network, FOX News Headlines 24/7 and WCBS 880 Radio in New York. His son Bradley plays middle school football on Long Island and is a participant in the U.S. National Team program while his younger son Jared plays flag football. Peter, his wife Sheryl and the boys are busy cheering on the New York Jets when they’re not at a youth football field.