Thomas Cogdell
ASU Student Journalist

Chandler Prep’s new Schutt F7 helmet is sleek and safe

November 10, 2022 by Thomas Cogdell, Arizona State University


Chandler Prep players crowd around head coach Frank Peake in their new Schutt F7 helmets. (ThomasCogdell/AZpreps365)

Thomas Cogdell is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Chandler Preparatory Academy for AZpreps365.com.

Anyone can see Chandler Prep’s Titans taking the field on any given fall Friday with their brand-new Schutt F7 gleaming under the lights. While players might prefer the F7 because of its sleek look, parents and coaches praise the helmet for its safety and performance.   

“They're one of the safer ones,” Chandler Prep athletic director Anthony Jones said. “When you think about safety for kids, I mean, buying, you can’t really put a price on that. So you don’t want to buy the cheaper ones. You want to buy upper echelon.” 

While safety is always of the utmost importance, especially in a contact sport like football, the equipment used has to come with a price, and an “upper echelon” helmet will come with an “upper echelon” tag. 

“Purchasing helmets, the more you buy, the cheaper it gets, but roughly you're looking between $350 and $425 per helmet,” Jones said.   

Multiply this by a roster of 18 players, and you get a cost of $7,650 on helmets alone. 

Picking up this tab is not reserved for every couple of seasons or whenever the academy feels like it. Instead, it comes as an annual cost that the school has to budget for.  

“Towards the end of the year, we budget usually every year for about five to 15 new helmets based on reconditioning and safety standards,” Jones said. “You lose about four to 10 helmets a year.”   

This leaves the school with, at most, a $4,250 hole in its pocket per season and someone responsible for paying it.

“We usually get our helmets through just our tax credits and athletic fees,” Jones said. “ So we charge all of our kids a fee to play sports. Then we rely on tax credits as well to get money.” 

Although the school does get a discount on the Schutt F7 that retails for $500 at stores like Sports Unlimited, a price of $425 per helmet can still make a dent in the budget.

 Luckily for Jones, both players and coaches support the switch from the Riddell Speedflex worn last season and are satisfied with their new headwear. 

“All of last season, I wore the Speedflex," said junior wide receiver Creon Fulgham. "I liked the Speedflex. It definitely provided a lot of protection, but it did feel clunky or heavy. I loved the Schutt F7 this past season. It was light and had the same amount of protection. Both look good, but I like how the F7 looked.” 

While looks matter to players, for coaches and parents, safety is king. So when asked if he would buy one for his son if he were still playing, head coach Frank Peak responded with the same appreciation of the new F7 that Fulgham showed. 

“I would have him wear one,” Peake said. “I would feel comfortable with him wearing that.”  

As the Titans wrap up the season with a 5-5 record Jones is once again left with a budget to fill out and helmets to purchase. With players and coaches showing appreciation for the Schutt F7 this offseason, he will be looking to make another bulk order as players strive to look good and parents seek safety in a violent sport.