RIDDELL ANNOUNCES 2016 SMARTER FOOTBALL GRANT RECIPIENTS

Total of Ten Youth and High School Teams Spanning the U.S. and Canada

Rewarded with New Product Donation from Football Equipment Innovator

Rosemont, Ill. – October 3, 2016 – Today Riddell announced the winners of its 2016 Smarter Football program, a grassroots campaign that recognizes and rewards teams for their safer, smarter approach to the game of football. This year’s winners include four youth and six high school organizations from across the U.S. and Canada that will receive a collective $100,000 in new equipment grants from the leading innovator in football protection.

“We are excited to recognize a new class of Smarter Football grant recipients,” said Riddell President and Chief Executive Officer Dan Arment. “We believe in all that football has to offer and we applaud the coaches, players, parents and fans for their passion to advance their programs and the sport we all love. We are honored to shine a light on these ten teams – and everyone who applied for a grant – as great examples illustrating the power of football.”

As part of the 2016 campaign, Riddell pledged a total of $100,000 in new equipment to teams that best articulated how an equipment grant would strengthen their commitment to a smarter game. Riddell received nearly a thousand submissions from the U.S. and Canada that spotlighted unique situations ranging from budget constraints to existing equipment concerns to interest in player alert and monitoring technology.

While all entrants were compelling, the winning entries each uncovered impressive efforts in coaching leadership and training, unwavering commitments not only to player safety, but to personal development and dedication to the broader community at large.

The recipients of the 2016 Riddell Smarter Football equipment grants are:

High School Football

• Brimley High School – Brimley, MI

• Mar Vista High School – Imperial Beach, CA

• Nicholas Senn High School – Chicago, IL

• St. Benedict High School – Cambridge, Ontario (Canada)

• Tenino High School – Tenino, WA

• Waggener High School – Louisville, KY

 

Youth Football

• Bay Saints – Bay Saint Louis, MS

• Gum Springs Youth Athletic Association – Alexandria, VA

• Hobe Sound Ravens – Hobe Sound, FL

• Who Dat Warriors – Indianapolis, IN

Now in its second year, Riddell created the Smarter Football program to bring together the broader football community in an effort to promote smarter tactics on and off the field. For Riddell, smarter football translates to leadership in innovation, ranging from breakthrough wearable head impact monitoring technology to advanced helmet design to new areas of research that will inform the next wave of product development.

For more information about the Smarter Football program, please visit Riddell.com/SmarterFootball. You can also join the conversation on social media using #SmarterFootball.

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About Riddell

Riddell is a premier designer and developer of football helmets, protective sports equipment, head impact monitoring technologies, apparel and related accessories. A recognized leader in helmet technology and innovation, Riddell is the leading manufacturer of football helmets and shoulder pads, and a top provider of reconditioning services (cleaning, repairing, repainting and recertifying existing equipment). For more information, visit our website at http://www.riddell.com, like the Riddell Facebook page, or follow Riddell on Instagram and Twitter @RiddellSports.