The National Athletic Equipment Reconditioning Association (NAERA) has implemented a new policy regarding the reconditioning/recertification of football helmets that are 10 years old or older. As the official helmet and reconditioner of Pop Warner Football, we want to outline exactly how this new policy will affect your Pop Warner organization.

The new NAERA policy will prohibit any helmet and equipment reconditioner, like Schutt Reconditioning, that are members of NAERA, from reconditioning or recertifying football helmets that are 10 years old or older. This includes ALL helmets, including Schutt helmets. The new policy will go into effect on September 1, 2011.

In the past, this type of policy has been mandated at the manufacturers’ level; two other helmet manufacturers have imposed this same type of policy for years, but Schutt has not.
 
“We have always believed that a helmet that has been reconditioned properly and in a timely manner will pass recertification and that the decision to replace a helmet should be made by the team,” Robert Erb, CEO of Schutt Sports said. “But as a member of NAERA we have the obligation to comply with this new policy. And as long as we are a member of NAERA, we’ll continue to comply with it.”
 
Starting September 1, 2011, Schutt Reconditioning will no longer recertify or recondition any football helmet from any manufacturer that is 10 years old or older, as required by the policy.
 
“We believe NAERA is mandating the policy with athletes’ best interests at heart, so we can appreciate the organization’s intentions.” Erb said. “We may have differing views on the most effective and realistic ways to keep athletes protected, but we will continue moving forward in our research and development – so that when players come looking for their next helmet, in one year or in 10 years, we’ve got something technologically superior to what they had before.”