just the right fit

Chris Williams loves to watch football.

Unlike many folks, though, he’s not watching the offense or defense, the pageantry or the crowd.

He’s watching the equipment.

The equipment?

Yep, goes with the territory when you spend many of your waking hours as the uniform and equipment coordinator for Collegiate’s 82 teams representing 23 sports.

“I’m a little bit different,” he explained. “Even on TV, I’m watching which guy has this shoulder pad and which guy has this facemask.

“It’s funny. The kids notice too. They’ll come to me wanting to change facemasks because (Seattle Seahawks’ quarterback) Russell (Wilson) wears this mask. 

“They’ll ask, ‘Can I get a mask like Russell?’  The kids are starting to watch the equipment as well.” 

Distributing football equipment is much different now than it was in the old days when guys pretty much lined up and took whatever was next in the pile.

With ever-increasing awareness about concussions and a focus on player safety, Williams and his associates – Mark Chambers and Andrew Slater – are careful to fit each player as well as possible.

“We use four different styles of Riddell helmet,” Williams continued. We have four different styles of shoulder pads.

“When I fit a kid, I treat him like he’s my son. I make sure that when he gets on the field, he’s properly protected.”

Williams, who also serves as Collegiate’s varsity golf coach, has been in the equipment business for most of his working life.

He spent 17 years at the University of Memphis, the last eight as head of the department.

When his wife Lindy became associate head of Collegiate in 2000, he moved to Richmond and became a regional salesman for Riddell.

He joined the staff on North Mooreland Road in 2007.

“In college, you have 100 players,” he said. “Here, you have about 150 from seventh through twelfth grade.

“Outfitting them is tougher. You have different head sizes. Our goal is to always outfit everybody properly.”

The process of procuring, organizing, distributing, and collecting uniforms and other equipment is a seemingly never-ending process.

At the end of each athletic season, Williams and his staff take a thorough inventory and place their orders for the following year.

The goal is to have everything for the fall in hand in July so there’s no delay when practices begin in earnest in mid-August.

Football helmets are, of course, a top priority.

In early December, Williams and his colleagues collect every helmet and return them to the Riddell headquarters in Elyria, Ohio, for reconditioning and recertification.

“It’s a safety check,” he explained. “They inspect the shell for cracks and leaks and replace the parts that are needed to get the helmet up to NOCSAE (National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment) standards. 

“When the helmet comes back, it’s in the same shape as when we purchased it.”

Fitting helmets, which have a life-span of 10 years, is a meticulous process.

“I personally fit each football and (boys) lacrosse helmet myself,” Williams continued.

“We try to get everything as tight as we can the first time.

“Then, I go out on the field the first week to watch practices and make sure their helmets fit properly.

“We’re really fortunate here. We have some really nice equipment. 

“As long as everyone is safe, I know I’ve done my job.”

Though the intricacies of equipment often go unnoticed by the casual observer, having Collegiate’s athletes properly and safely outfitted is a matter of pride for Williams.

“I want to make sure it’s done right,” he said. “I want to make sure everybody is safe.

“If the equipment guy is relaxing on the sideline and just watching a Friday afternoon football game, you know he’s done his job.”