Material Science Meets Game-Changing Innovation: The Story Behind The Hanson Group x Guardian Sports

After spending decades in the material science industry, Lee Hanson, along with his wife Erin, became aware of a critical issue – traditional hard-shell football helmets were outdated, and athletes were suffering the consequences.

So, in response, Erin and Lee combined their expertise and, in 2011, founded Guardian Innovations, LLC, also known as Guardian Sports.

“Guardian Sports was born out of The Hanson Group’s drive to solve real-world problems through advanced materials. From day one, we’ve used our expertise in material science to support Guardian’s mission of making sports safer. It’s incredibly rewarding to see innovation move from the lab to the field – and to know it’s protecting athletes at every level.” -Lee Hanson, CEO of The Hanson Group

The Hanson’s mission was clear: football players needed and deserved a safer helmet solution. The first step? Engineer, patent and manufacture a soft-shell helmet cover called the Guardian Cap.

When a properly engineered outer layer made of soft material absorbs the initial impact, it reduces the force transferred to the hard shell of the helmet. This, in turn, lessens the energy transmitted to the internal padding and ultimately to the athlete’s head.

The Guardian Cap follows the same principle as the soft wall technology used on NASCAR tracks – designed to absorb and reduce impact. For football players, it provides a crucial barrier between their heads and collisions.

Since Guardian Caps first hit fields in 2012, the success of the product has spread across the nation. Today, Guardian Caps are worn by 500+ colleges, 5000+ high schools, 1000+ youth programs and are mandated by all 32 NFL Teams and all 9 CFL Teams.

Guardian Sports has gone on to re-engineer multiple sporting goods that were lacking in safety:

• PEARL Lacrosse Balls – Guardian is the only US manufacturer of lacrosse balls. The PEARL lacrosse ball is the official ball of the PLL, NCAA, and WLL. Guardian re-engineered the chemistry of the lacrosse ball, ensuring that it never greases and never hardens, unlike standard rubber lacrosse balls, to maintain safety standards. Learn More

• LOOP Headbands – the highest-rated, lowest-cost soft-shell headband, with a 5-STAR Virginia Tech Helmet Ratings for multi-sport athletes. Commonly used amongst flag football and 7v7 athletes. Learn More

• Guardian Infill and AstroPad – a corn and soy-based TPE turf infill, made in the USA, that reduces field temperature by up to 28 degrees, lasts the lifetime of the field and creates a safer surface for athletes to play on and the AstroPad sold exclusively by AstroTurf. Learn More