SPECIAL PIECE OF EQUIPMENT. YOU MAY HAVE SPOTTED NFL ATHLETES SPORTING. AS DANGEROUS AS FOOTBALL HAS BEEN DEEMED TO BE OVER THE YEARS, SOME HIGH SCHOOLS IN THE COUNTRY ARE OFFERING A NEW PIECE OF EQUIPMENT THAT CAN LESSEN HEAD INJURIES. >>EYEWITNESS NEWS REPORTER LESLIE VALLE BRINGS US THE DETAILS >>HEY, IT'S JUST A NEW HELMET, >>IS THIS A NEW HELMET DESIGN WITH BUBBLES? BECAUSE FAR AWAY, IT JUST LOOKS LIKE IT'S PART OF THE HELMET. >>AS WE'RE JUST HOURS AWAY FROM THE HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL SEASON COMMENCING, YOU MAY NOTICE SOME PLAYERS ROCKING A NEW ISH HELMET. THE BUBBLISH LOOK. WASCO HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL COACH CHAD MARTINEZ IS REFERRING TO IS CALLED A GUARDIAN CAP. THEY'RE SOFT PADDING THE KID. >>THEY'RE SUPER EASY TO PUT ON AND CLEAN, SO THE KIDS PUT THEM ON. IT JUST MINIMIZES COLLISIONS JUST TO KEEP KIDS SAFER. SO IN THAT, IN THAT ASPECT THEY'VE BEEN REALLY GOOD TO US. SO WE REALLY LIKE THEM. >>MARTINEZ SAYS WASCO HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL PLAYERS HAVE BEEN USING THEM FOR SOME TIME NOW, BUT THEY MAY BE MORE NOTICEABLE NOW BECAUSE NFL PLAYERS LIKE THOSE ON THE COLTS TEAM WORE THEM RECENTLY ON THE FIELD, WHICH MARTINEZ SAYS IS GREAT FOR THE KIDS TO SEE. >>KIDS SEE IT. >>THEY'LL START TO TO TO IMITATE, AND I THINK THAT'S A GOOD THING. IT'S DEFINITELY A POSITIVE STEP FORWARD, YOU KNOW, THE KIDS WANT TO BE COOL AND LOOK COOL. THEY WANT TO HAVE THEIR THEIR FLASHY HELMETS. >>ALONG WITH WASCO, TAFT AND A HANDFUL OF KERN COUNTY HIGH SCHOOLS HAVE BEEN IMPLEMENTING THEM DURING PRACTICES. >>THEY'RE A MANDATORY PIECE OF EQUIPMENT. ANYTIME WE'RE IN HELMETS, YOU KNOW, WE'RE IN PADS DURING THE GAMES. WE WE HAVE NOT USED THEM. IF THE SITUATION EVER CAME UP WHERE A KID WAS LIKE, HEY, I WANT TO WEAR MY GUARDIAN CAP IN THE GAME, YOU KNOW, I WOULD HAPPILY LET THEM DO SO, JUST SO THEY FEEL SAFE AND PROTECTED AT THE END OF THE DAY. >>HOWEVER, NOT ALL HIGH SCHOOL TEAMS IN KERN COUNTY HAVE THEM. A SPOKESPERSON TELLS EYEWITNESS NEWS APP IT IS NOT A MANDATED PIECE OF EQUIPMENT LIKE IT IS FOR WASCO. MARTINEZ SAYS THE CAPS ARE A BIT COSTLY, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY THEY ARE WORTH IT. AT TIMES, THEY'RE GOING TO BE TIMES WHERE HELMETS ARE GOING TO COLLIDE >>SO, WE'RE DEFINITELY FEEL REALLY GOOD ABOUT HAVING THAT EXTRA LAYER OF PROTECTION. >>ALONG WITH THAT EXTRA PROTECTION. ACCORDING TO THE GUARDIAN CAP WEBSITE,