EvoShield Launches "Protective Parent" Campaign Supporting Youth In Sports

ATHENS, Ga., Oct. 1, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Could today's fears about safety in football sideline tomorrow's gridiron stars?

With so many headlines lately about the risks of contact sports, parents seemingly have good reason to hold their children back from the playing field.  But other mothers and fathers feel quite strongly about nurturing their kids' sports dreams, as long as the players are properly protected.

Three of these "Gridiron Guardians" – Jacqueline Griffin, mother of Washington Redskin Robert Griffin III, and Florida's Kathy and Brian Haugen, parents of the late Taylor Haugen – have teamed with EvoShield in a "Protective Parent" campaign (#protectiveparent) to engage other parents about sports protection and to equip children so they may chase their sports dreams safely.

Taylor Haugen, a JV football receiver at Niceville (Fla.) High School, died in 2008 – at age 15 – from an internal injury sustained in a game.  Today, the Taylor Haugen Foundation provides education and equipment to scholastic athletes, to better protect them from internal injuries.

"The Protective Parent campaign creates a dialogue with parents, coaches and others about protecting children as they pursue their athletic dreams," said Bob Pinckney, CEO of EvoShield, maker of innovative protective gear for a variety of popular sports.  "Our Gridiron Guardians are making a statement about the positive impact parents have when they support their children's interest in sports.  We feel the campaign connects with families and can add more context and clarity to the debate about safety in sports.  It underscores safety education and the right protective equipment as the keys to safe play."

In an exclusive online video for #protectiveparent, Jacqueline Griffin and son RGIII discuss how parents can balance their concerns for safety with encouragement of their children to live out their dreams.

In another segment, the Haugens advocate safety education for football and passionately share their conviction that being a protective parent doesn't mean removing youths from every risk – but preparing them for it.

"The message is you can't let fear prevent your children from enjoying one of the best experiences of being a kid," Pinckney explained.

EvoShield has been providing unsurpassed on-field protection to some of the biggest names in sports, including RGIII, who's been wearing EvoShield products since his sophomore year at Baylor University.

SOURCE EvoShield