GUARDIAN CAP IS GROWING IN POPULARITY AT PROGRAMS IN MAINE. "YOU HAVE YOUR HEAD AND YOU DON'T FEEL ANYTHING. I MEAN, IT'S IT'S A LOT SAFER, A LOT SAFER. YOU CAN TELL.' MASSABESIC HIGH SCHOOL IS ONE OF THE SCHOOLS WHO HAVE IMPLEMENTED THE USE OF GUARDIAN CAPS THIS PRESEASON. THEY EVEN WORE THEM DURING THEIR SCRIMMAGE THIS PAST WEEKEND. AFTER SEEING CONCUSSIONS IMPACT THEIR PLAYERS OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS THEY DECIDED TO TAKE ACTION. "AS SOON AS, YOU KNOW, WE STARTED KIND OF SEEING THE BENEFITS AND OTHER PROGRAMS ARE HAVING IN TERMS OF LIMITING THOSE CONCUSSIONS AND THOSE MINOR INJURIES. WE HAD FULL SUPPORT OF THE BOOSTERS, AND THEY ACTUALLY WENT IN AND PURCHASED THEM FOR US." FALMOUTH IS ANOTHER PROGRAM WEARING THE CAPS. AND WHILE THERE IS CONFLICTING SCIENTIFIC DATA REGARDING IMPROVED SAFETY OF PADDED HELMETS, THOSE INVOLVED IN THE SPORT SAY IT'S A MOVE IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. "IT'S ABOUT KEEPING THEM SAFE. RIGHT. HOW DO WE TACKLE NOT USING YOUR HEAD AS A WEAPON? AND THE BEST THING YOU CAN DO TO HELP THAT IS, YOU KNOW, I DON'T WANT TO SOUND LIKE AN AD, BUT THE GUARDIAN CAPS, MAN, YOU SEE HIM IN THE NFL DURING PRESEASON. EVERYWHERE I'VE WORKED AT THE COLLEGE LEVEL, WE'VE HAD THEM TO REDUCE HEAD COLLISIONS." THE GUARDIAN CAPS HAVE BEEN APPROVED TO BE USED IN GAMES THIS SEASON.