Mike Holloway Football Shoulder Pads

Project Overview

American high school football accounts for nearly 480,000 shoulder injuries per year. Rotator cuff tears, AC (Acromioclavicular) joint injuries and collar bone fractures are some of the more common injuries in football. Mike Holloway has partnered up with our team to develop a product that will help lessen the number of injuries caused by lack of shoulder pad innovation. Hundreds of millions of dollars are invested into helmet technology, while significantly less are spent on advances in shoulder protection. The target consumer of our product will be youth football players. Protecting young players will further their football playing careers and preserve their overall health. From our market research and interviews with high school athletic trainers, we determined improper fit of football shoulder pads is a major issue. Improper fit is especially an issue for football programs that do not have the budget to purchase pads made to fit the individual player. When there are gaps of space between the shoulder pads and the player?s shoulders, the pads will shift in position as the player is moving. This shift out of the proper position exposes vulnerable sections of the shoulder. Creating an undershirt to improve the fit of the shoulder pads was decided to be the best option for improving the fit while still allowing for maximum comfort. The undershirt will include padding in the shoulder and chest area. It will also have a foam composite collar around the neck to keep the shoulder pads from pinching the neck. This will help spread incoming energy from hits and prevent pinching on the neck. The undershirt will fill the gap between the player and loose shoulder pads. Properly fitted shoulder pads gives the player more confidence and protection during the football game.