A common question we receive is how to budget for Guardian Caps.  One misconception is that the Guardian Caps are expensive.  Guardian Caps retail for $69.99 but with team bulk pricing that unit price can be much lower; as much as a branded athletic shirt.  Our mission is to have all players wearing Guardian Caps and so we make them affordable for teams to implement.  We have heard from multiple customers that they have received grants from their county, have had their district athletic department purchase for multiple schools, have had local hospitals, doctors and companies donate money, and have seen their Booster clubs step in and donate Guardian Caps.  We have pulled together four common ways teams are able to add Guardian Caps to their practice equipment and better protect their players.

District

Jefferson County (Jeffco) was the first district in the nation to implement and provide Guardian Caps as a district wide purchase.  Jeffco has been purchasing Guardian Caps for its 17 schools since 2015 and just placed an order for 600 Caps for 2023. Here is what Jeffco executive athletic director Jim Thyfault had to say:

“Our top concern in our athletic programs is the safety of our kids,” Jeffco district athletic director Jim Thyfault said in a release. “One of our schools has tried this in the past with great success, as have other schools, and if we can help reduce the impact to our players, it’s a positive move.”

For Jeffco, better protection is their main priority when it comes to sports. Columbine Coach Andy Lowry was a part of the initial trial, see what he had to say:

“As a coach, it is our responsibility to protect our players the best that we can. Anything we can do to proactively help decrease the impact of hits to our players is a good thing. My eighth-grade son [2015] wears one of these to play and I want to care for Jeffco Schools’ kids the way I would care for my own.”

Jeffco has continued to implement Guardian Caps on their players since making the decision in 2015, and has also influenced many other schools and counties to do the same.

Community Donations

Guardian Caps were gifted to River Ridge High Schools football program in 2022, through private donations to a popular Facebook group in the Tampa Bay Area called The Hub. The Facebook group is run by alum Regan Weiss, who has pushed for years to get Guardian Caps to his alma mater. Weiss played football at River Ridge before going on to his collegiate career and has experienced the affects football has on the body, which is why he has advocated for Guardian Caps for such a long time.

“He’s an advocate for the game and will continue to be, but said the damage that can be created by it can also be prevented.

For close to 10 years, he has pushed to provide Guardian Cap helmet covers for high school football players. The covers garnered attention after the NFL used them in their preseason practices.”

Read more on Regan Weiss and the Tampa Bay Area coming together to gift River Ridge Guardian Caps:

Fundraising

Fundraising events are popular ways to help raise money for your sports teams. Popular event ideas include:

• Car wash
• Cook off
• Have players sell products or coupon cards for businesses in the community
• Raffle
• Host a clinic
• Partner with a local restaurant for a fundraising night

Another option would be to work with a fundraising agency. Fundraising agencies are able to take on the tasks of organizing and putting together the event for you.

Parents

Guardian has an account with Order My Gear and can set up a custom team page that can help pass the responsibilities of purchasing the Caps to the parents.  Order My Gear is a platform where the parents can directly purchase Caps and have the team’s order bulk delivered to the coach for distribution.  Remember that a Guardian Cap at $69.99 is about the same price as a lot of athletic shirts and can be added to your equipment list.