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XO Athletic Unveils XO HEARTSHIELD to Protect Young Athletes from Critical Heart Injuries
Sporting Good Manufacturer Provides Heart Protection with Comfort of Unrestricted Movement
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January 16, 2008 (FPRC) -- XO Athletic, the leader in the sports protection industry, today announced the introduction of the XO HeartShield, an innovative heart/chest protector designed to prevent incidences of Commotio Cordis, a potentially fatal “heart concussion” resulting from sudden blunt impact from batted balls and other objects.
XO HeartShield’s Energy Deflector System (EDS) features an innovative “raised tripod” device that deflects impact energy away from the heart when a projectile, such as a baseball, traveling faster than 30 mph hits a young athlete in the chest. The foundation of the XO HeartShield is its high-impact protective shield encased with a soft elastomer molded directly to a premium poly/lycra sleeveless shirt. There is no stitching, gluing or riveting involved, rather the protective shield is infused directly to the vest, a first in the Sporting Goods category.
“XO HeartShield’s unique tripod shape is designed to channel energy away from the heart while allowing for complete arm motion with no restriction,” said Mike Landi, CEO of XO Athletic. “Unfortunately, most heart protectors on the market today are not very effective; most employ traditional foam padding that rest directly against the chest. If an impact occurs over the heart center, the energy goes through the pad at the point of contact – similar to a cue ball striking another billiard ball. That’s not protection.”
Commotio Cordis is a leading cause of death in youth athletics. It occurs most frequently in boys and girls between the ages of seven and 16 who play baseball, hockey and lacrosse. The problem persists. In 2007, a young boy in Tampa, FL, died after having been struck by a pitched ball. In 2006, Steven Domalewski, a 13-year-old pitcher from of Wayne, NJ, was stuck by a batted ball that hit him just above his heart, which stopped beating long enough to send him into a coma. XO is donating $1 from every XO HeartShield sale to the Steven Domalewski Family Fund (www.benefitforsteven.com), which helps fund his mounting medical bills.
“XO HeartShield’s design provides comfort, unrestricted motion and protection that boys and girls will actually want to wear,” Mike Landi said. “The product will help prevent devastating injuries such as the ones that Steven Domalewski has suffered. XO HeartShield is an important product for the market, from the organized leagues to the playground. We offer a solution to this very real injury; now it is up to league and school officials, as well as parents and community members, to ensure this product is used.”
About XO Athletic
Founded in 1986, XO Athletic (www.xoathletic.com) now supplies more than 50 percent of the US athletic cup market through its signature ProCup line, now the #1 selling athletic cup in America. Over the past five years, XO’s innovation has been recognized on a national level, with its products overtaking rivals such as Russell Athletic, McDavid, and Under Armour. XO Athletic is a proud supplier to Major League Baseball teams and athletes on all levels. XO Athletic’s products can be found at such leading sports retailers as Dick’s Sporting Goods, Sports Authority, Academy Sports, and more than 600 other quality retailers nationwide. In 2006, XO’s PeeWee ProCup was named “Best New Product of the Year” for the Sporting Goods category by iParenting Media, the award-winning network of 40+ Web sites focused on parents and parents-to-be.
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About XO Athletic
Company History
Based in Hillside, New Jersey, XO Athletic (www.xoathletic.com), formerly KRD Athletic, has more than 20 years experience in the sports protection industry, supplying more than 80 percent of the U.S. athletic cup market since 1986. Founded by company president, Jim Landi, a man with a relentless passion for innovation, XO invented the “flexible” cup in early 2000. Soon to be called, “ProCup,” the flex-sided athletic cup offers hard cup protection with unsurpassed comfort. The cup has been used by many professional athletes, including several major league baseball teams, who want to maximize their movement.
Over the past five years, XO’s innovation has been recognized on a national level, with its products overtaking rivals such as Russell Athletic (BIKE), McDavid, and Under Armour. ProCup is now the #1 selling athletic cup in America. To greatly expand market share, XO introduced “color coded” cups, coupled with its innovative XO Sizing System which helps sports participants identify which size cup & garment is the best fit, in relation to the cup wearer’s height and weight. The company was the first in its industry to incorporate this helpful chart on its packaging of its cups and supporters.
According to SportScanINFO research firm, the leader in sales tracking for the sporting goods industry, XO manufactures seven of the top 10 protective cups/supporters on the market:
1 XO ATHLETIC YOUTH PROCUP w/ BRIEF
2 XO ATHLETIC ADULT PROCS-2
3 XO ATHLETIC YOUTH PROCS-2
4 XO ATHLETIC TEEN PROCS-2
5 XO ATHLETIC TEEN PROCUP w/ SUPPORTER
6 XO ATHLETIC ADULT PROCUP w/ SUPPORTER
7 Russell/BIKE YOUTH PROFLEX 2 CUP W/BOXER
8 XO ATHLETIC PEEWEE PROCUP w/ BRIEF
9 Russell/Bike ADULT PROFLEX 2 CUP W/BOXER
10 Under Armour YOUTH COMPRESSION SHORT w/ CUP
XO Athletic products are sold at leading sports retailers, including Dick’s Sporting Goods, Sports Authority, Academy Sports, MC Sports, and over 600 other quality retailers nationwide.
Awards
In 2006, XO’s PeeWee ProCup was named “Best New Product of the Year” for the Sporting Goods category by iParenting Media, the award-winning network of 40+ Web sites focused on parents and parents-to-be. The Annual iParenting Media’s Award Program provides a credible and objective method of determining the best products for America’s children.
Coming Soon
This year, XO will unveil its latest innovation in athletic protective equipment: the XO HeartShield heart protector vest. Following a number of serious and sometimes deadly injuries due to commotio cordis – sudden cardiac arrest when young athletes are struck in the chest by batted balls – XO has revolutionized chest protection equipment. The XO HeartShield is comfortable, attractive to wear and does not hinder movement. It is expected that the XO HeartShield will become standard equipment on baseball fields across the country because of its reliable, yet simple, protection that will be a direct blow to dramatic and life-long heart injuries.
Send an email to John Mooney of XO Athletic
908-789-0700
Keywords:
Heartshield
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