For both an athlete’s and dad’s perspective, listen to the audio interview.
We first met Alex when he was 10 years old and he was starting off in tackle football. Seven years later, we have circled back to get his take on Unequal, especially now that he is playing baseball in the catcher position. His dad, Thomas Castellano, M.D., spent 20 years as an ER trauma doctor and has seen it all when it comes to sports injuries.
ALEX SAYS…
“I have never stepped on an athletic field in football or baseball without Unequal.”
“In the 7 years I have been playing those sports, I have never been concussed and never been injured where Unequal padding was protecting my body. My dad first discovered what you guys were doing with military grade protection when Michael Vick was signed by the Eagles a few years ago.”
“My dad was intrigued that NFL equipment managers were protecting franchise players with Unequal.”
“That was right when I was starting to play football. Unequal worked so well in football, when I started into baseball, my dad shifted gears and did his thing for me as a catcher. My dad will freely admit he is over-protective. But that’s OK. Along the way he has bought various versions of the pads, whether sheets of it, or the “off-the-shelf” pre-made gear. I never objected to what he was doing as I simply trusted my dad, who is a doctor, to put me in the best protection possible.”
“The Hart® Catcher chest protector is incredible.”
“When I have to block a wild pitch and it strikes me bouncing off the plate or when I have to deal with a foul tip, it just doesn’t hurt. Before it would hurt and I would be skittish or a bit afraid of the ball. Now I feel it, but it is just a soft thud… part of the job. And the pitchers are throwing 80-85 mph. The ball doesn’t bounce off my chest and run away from me, it just drops in the dirt. The rebound is deadened.”
“Knowing the hits don’t hurt and I can control the ball so much, I have more confidence.”
“I don’t think about ‘how much is this going to hurt’ in that brief moment before it hits me. I know that I will stay on top of any situation and have a better chance of shutting down any base advancement by the opponent.”
“I think I play at a higher level than other catchers my age.”
“For my helmet, I use a regular catchers helmet (and a face mask over it). My dad put some extra Unequal pad on the top of the helmet and riveted a Halo 3 into it so that the padding is soft and creates a buffer between the hard shell and my head. Works perfectly! I am sure the Solo in my helmet or Uncap in a soft ball cap would perform similarly, but my dad loves to experiment in his workshop and this is what he came up with. The company says their protection matters, and for me it really makes a difference.”
“The insoles are really comfortable and I have had no issues with my feet.”
“In football I got turf toe and that’s when dad first had me try the Cushioning Insoles. Turf toe went away! Have worn them ever since.”
“Unequal really helps me have an edge in both my confidence and how well I play my position. And I think my coach has noticed.”
TOM, ALEX’S DAD SAYS…
“For Alex, Unequal came along at just the right time.”
“He’s right. I am over-protective. When my kids hurt I hurt. When they cry I cry. So it was never a question if i would make sure they were protected when they played sports. I just wasn’t sure how I would do it, until I found Unequal. I called Unequal HQ and asked a bunch of questions, I liked what I heard and I tried various products. I have a workshop and was able to do some custom work for Alex for football and then did the same in baseball. Alex has gotten hurt but not by any kind of impact where Unequal pads were located. He through his arm out, he’s broken his wrist, but no concussions, no chest injuries, no nothing.”
“I want my kids to pursue whatever they want in sports, in life.”
“If they stop playing a sport, I don’t want residual problems to affect them years from now with me thinking ‘did I do enough?’ With Unequal I am relieved knowing I’ve taken protection to the max and allowed them to excel at a sport or pastime they love… with there whole life still in front of them.”
ALEX’S FACTS & FIGURES
| HOMETOWN: | Thornton, CO |
| BIRTHYEAR: | 2000 |
| HEIGHT: | 70” |
| WEIGHT: | 195 lbs |
| GRADE: | Senior, 2017/18 |
| POSITION: | Baseball Catcher |
| HIGH SCHOOL: | Horizon High School (Hawks) |
| SUMMER LEAGUE: | Colorado Rough Riders, Superior, CO |
| PRODUCT: | Hart Catchers Chest Protector, Supplemental head padding, Cushioning Insoles |
| CONCUSSIONS: | 0 |
