Eighth-grader and father ask Sioux Falls School District to allow Guardian caps in football practices

Grant Hone, an eighth-grader at Edison Middle School, and his father, Dave Hone, asked the Sioux Falls School District 49-5 school board on Aug. 26 to allow the use of Guardian caps during football practices to reduce head injuries.

The request focused on safety and a district prohibition that the Hones said rests on concerns about voiding helmet warranties. Grant told the board his parents purchased a Guardian cap and that coaches initially said it was allowed; later the athletic department told him Guardian caps would not be approved because they “may affect the warranty of the helmets.”

Grant spoke directly to the board: “All I’m asking is the ability to wear a guardian cap during practice so I can be safer during, I am playing the sport I love.” He said his parents bought him a Guardian cap for practices and that he would be willing to show the board his helmet as evidence.

Dave Hone said he provided the board with documents showing national adoption and vendor endorsements. “According to Guardian, the creator of the Guardian cap, there has never been a single incident in The United States where a helmet manufacturer has invalidated a warranty because of the use of a Guardian cap,” he said. He also noted that Schutt (transcribed as “Shook”) helmets recently entered a partnership with Guardian Caps and that the product is used widely: “Guardian caps are currently mandatory for all NFL teams during practice, and a recent study showed that since the NFL has implemented the mandatory use of Guardian caps, there's been a 50 percent reduction in concussions compared to the 3 years prior,” he said.

Dave asked the board to direct the athletic department to allow Guardian caps at all junior and high school levels or, alternatively, to permit parents to provide them. He also offered to organize a fundraiser with his wife to purchase caps for junior and high school teams.

Board President (unnamed in the record) thanked the Hones and said someone would follow up: “Somebody will get back to you. We don't have all the information collected for tonight since this was a non‑agenda item. But I can give you a commitment that the district will be responsive and get back to you soon.”

The board did not take a formal vote on the request during the meeting.

The record includes references to an athletic director’s prior statement that additional equipment could affect warranty coverage and to the National High School Referee Association guidance cited by the Hones; the athletic director did not speak during public comment and the district response was limited to a commitment to follow up.

Board members and staff did not make a formal ruling at the meeting; the Hones were told the district would review the materials and respond.

No formal action was taken during the meeting on Guardian caps.