Sunday, April 28, 2013
By Brandon Judeh
Warren
Nearly 15 years ago. Dr. Steven D. Novicky and his wife Kim had an idea that they thought could one day revolutionize safety for football players.
Last year, the Canfield residents they saw the idea utilized at the high school level.
On, Saturday afternoon they saw it take the next step during a semi-pro football matchup.
The New York Police Department Finest proudly displayed the Shockstrips as they took on the Cleveland Warriors in a matchup of first responders at Mollenkopf Stadium.
“This is incredible that we get to see the Shockstrips utilized on an upper level team who has extreme impact on the field,” Novicky said. “What we’re most thrilled about is that the players, coaches and parents that are here get to see it in action and see that if it’s working on an upper level team, then we need to get it at the high school level immediately.”
Novicky saw his invention in use this past fall as the Western Reserve Blue Devils football team used the strips for every one of their games. Novicky is the team physician.
“The Western Reserve players noticed a big difference while using the Shockstrips,” Novicky said. “They noticed a lot of the symptoms and complaints they were having after games were gone, they felt less fatigued and overall felt good the following day.”
Western Reserve football led directly to the NYPD Finest discovering Shockstrips. After doing research online and hearing about Shockstrips via Twitter, general manager Tony Hernandez made the nearly seven-hour drive to Wellsville to see the Blue Devils take on the Tigers last fall.
“I decided to drive down because I wanted to see the product in use and make the decision on whether or not it was something we could use,” Hernandez said.
The product instantly impressed Hernandez, especially after he spoke to several Blue Devils players.
“Their coach (Andy Hake) let me talk to his players at random and they loved the product and sold me on it,” he said.
Hernandez went back to New York, presented Shockstrips to the team’s board, which took a vote on whether to use the product. It passed.
Shockstrips, which cost $50 per helmet and last for two years, are on the verge of going national.
“Our players love it,” Hernandez said. “I’m getting 100-percent positive feedback and there are no complaints of headaches or anything like that.”
Also roaming the sidelines and checking out the action was Youngstown State head football coach Eric Wolford.
Wolford says he could see his players using the strips down the road.
“This is something of interest,” he said. “I’m here today to make my own observation. I was telling Dr. Novicky that I want to strap one of these helmets on and go against a guy so that I can feel the difference.”
Novicky estimates the Shockstrips absorb about 41 percent of the helmet-to-helmet force. In what may have been one of the quietest games of football anyone ever saw or heard, New York easily defeated Cleveland, 28-9, in an exhibition game.