When the Stanislaus State women's soccer team arrives for pre-season practices on August 16 one item they can count on seeing as part of their training gear is a head band. 
 
These are not just any head band.  The Unequal HALO 3 is light weight headgear designed to reduce the risk of concussions. 
 
"A few years ago I was having a conversation with my athletic director Terry Donovan lamenting that we need to do more to protect the women on the team from concussions," said head women's soccer coach Gabriel Bolton.  "I proposed we partner with Unequal and get head bands for every player on the team.  He was in total agreement.  We found a donor to support the project and purchased the head gear for the players as part of their distributed equipment."
 
According to research done by Virginia Tech University, the HALO 3 reduces the risk of concussion by 56%.  At less than two ounces, these head bands provide substantial protection without being overly burdensome on the players. 
 
"I think we are only a few years away from players being required to wear head gear as a rule in youth soccer and hopefully at the collegiate level," said Bolton.  "It makes no sense to me that our players are required to wear shin guards to protect that part of their body but not something to protect their head."
 
More information about the HALO 3 and the technology driving this innovation can be found at Unequal.com