Football Helmet Shortage Could Sideline Some North Texas Kids

DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - The practices are just beginning, but football season is already causing headaches for parents like Rachel Goldberger.

"I've spent the last several days trying to find a helmet. I've gone from store to store. I called tons of stores. I simply cannot get a helmet," she said.

That's because football helmets for kids not in high school yet are practically impossible to find in DFW.

The few left at Team Sports in North Dallas are all size small.

"It's a frustrating time for us as a business trying to sell things, and the customers, they're frantic trying to get a helmet, and nobody has any inventory," said Chad Vickers, manager of Team Sports.

The issue is a shortage of resin and other parts that comprise a football helmet and it's affecting every brand all over the country.

Other equipment - including shoulder pads and football cleats - are in short supply as well, but the helmets might not appear until September or October.

"Our order that we placed a year ago we're still waiting on from the manufacturer. They just keep pushing it back and pushing it back and pushing it back," Vickers said.

Coach Charles Haley Jr. said the shortage forces him to make adjustments to practices, focusing on fundamentals and tackle-free drills. But, he said, it also robs players of valuable time to acclimate.

"They have to actually physically do it," he said. "You have to be comfortable wearing a helmet. Just throwing a helmet on is not really an answer."

And Goldberger said, come game day, no helmet would mean no playing for her 7th grader.

"I want him to be completely safe. You need a helmet in football to be safe."