PORON® Performance Cushioning

Stylish Product Design Helps Kids Stay in the Game

 

The National Youth Sports Safety Foundation estimates over 5 million kids are treated in hospital emergency rooms yearly due to sports-related injuries.

Manufactures of protective sports gear are doing their part to help young athletes by designing products kids want to wear.

 

“The trick to helping kids stay protected on the field is to provide them with gear that looks so cool they want to wear it,” said Claudio Storelli, Co-Founder, Storelli Sports, manufacturer of protective soccer apparel.

 

According to Dave Sherman, New Business Development Manager, PORON® Cushioning Materials, found in leading sports apparel, “Protective gear often goes unworn if the player thinks it fits or looks funny.”

 

While impact protection is crucial, athletes don’t want to sacrifice mobility and comfort required for these activities. The latest gear is made with thinner and lighter-weight, contouring materials such as PORON® XRD™ extreme impact technology, which is seamlessly used in a variety of products without hindering design or style.

 

“Customization is also a trend with kids right now,” said Lindsey Naber, Marketing Manager, Key Accounts, Rawlings Sporting Goods. “They want to create their own individuality while still being part of the team.”

 

To appeal to players, Rawlings offers a custom batter’s helmet and glove program. Its CoolFlo® helmet is available in a variety of colors to match team gear, and kids can customize their gloves to look like one of the pros by selecting different leathers, shell color, web design, padding, and more.

 

“The better we protect these fearless little warriors with gear they want to wear, the more their parents can sleep at night,” added Storelli.

 

About PORON® Performance Cushioning

 

For over 40 years PORON® Cushioning, a division of Rogers Corporation, has provided footwear, apparel, and protective equipment brands with materials that cushion, support and protect today’s athletes. Rogers Corporation (NYSE:ROG) is a global technology leader in specialty materials and components that enable high performance and reliability of consumer and power electronics, mass transit and clean technology. Headquartered in Connecticut, Rogers operates manufacturing facilities in the United States, Belgium, China, Germany, and South Korea, with joint ventures and sales offices worldwide. For more information, visit www.rogerscorp.com, www.poroncushioning.com.