This lawmaker played college football. Now, he wants safer helmets for California kids

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FORMER FOOTBALL PLAYER WANTS MORE GUARDIAN CAPS FOR YOUTH

You might’ve seen them on NFL players: an extra layer of cushioning around the helmet, called a ‘”Guardian Cap,” meant to reduce the likelihood of head injury.

A new bill being heard today in the Assembly would make sure all children signed up for youth tackle football are allowed to wear soft helmet add-ons, which can retail for more than $70 apiece.

Assembly Bill 708 was introduced by Assemblymember Avelino Valencia, D-Anaheim. Valencia played tight end for San Jose State University.

“As a former player, I know the excitement and risks of the game, especially during the critical developmental years of childhood. It is our responsibility to ensure that parents have access to the best safety equipment available,” Valencia said.

Luiz Torres, a staffperson for the assemblymember, said the idea came from a constituent in Orange County who notified Valencia’s office that their local Pop Warner conference didn’t allow the use of the soft helmet add-ons.

Torres said the conference has been opposed because the helmets they use don’t explicitly recommend the use of guardian caps. There is no registered opposition to the bill currently.

Supporters of the bill include the California Neurology Society, California Youth Football Alliance and the Concussion Legacy Foundation.

The debate is the latest chapter in a decade-long conversation about head injuries in football. Research shows football players are more likely to develop chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE.

Before he was Sacramento’s mayor, then-assemblymember Kevin McCarty in 2018 led the charge to ban youth tackle football for children younger than 12. His second effort, in 2024, was preemptively vetoed by Gov. Gavin Newsom.

Despite support for McCarty’s bill last year in committee hearings, it seems no other lawmaker is ready to take up the mantle of banning tackle football for youth.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“If we want to combat misinformation, then we need the facts.” – Heath Flora, R-Ripon, vice chair of the Assembly Budget Committee, speaking about the continued lack of details from the State Department of Finance about last week’s $3.4 billion loan to shore up Medi-Cal

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This story was originally published March 18, 2025 at 4:55 AM.