VIRGINIA – Soccer communities across the country and in Southwest Virginia are mourning the loss of two teenage soccer players who died from head injuries sustained on the field.

Caden Tellier, a 16-year-old high school student from Alabama, died as a result of a brain injury he sustained during a high school game on Friday night.

A 13-year-old eighth-grader from West Virginia, Cohen Craddock, was injured after a tackle during practice on Friday. He died in the hospital from complications of a brain hemorrhage and swelling.

Craddock’s father Ryan is still in shock.

“You wish it was a bad dream that you could wake up from. There is an agony inside me that I just can’t put into words. It’s horrible,” Craddock said.

After the death of his son, he is now determined to get Guardian Caps for other players, equipment that provides additional head protection.

“I’m willing to accept the loss of my boy to maybe try to protect these other boys,” Craddock said.

In July, the Pulaski County High School football team received 80 Guardian Caps from former Pulaski County Cougars, Virginia Tech Hokies and current New Orleans Saints coach Todd Grantham. The donation was valued at $10,000.

“We want to protect our kids, so it’s been a blessing to have this opportunity,” said Cam Akers, head football coach at Pulaski County High School. “It gives our players an extra layer of protection.”

“It’s tragic,” said Kevin Clifford, head football coach at Glenvar High School. “It’s just sad. You know, you definitely feel it and the families feel for you.”

Clifford said the rules of the game have changed over the years. Coaches try to limit contact between players during practice and reduce helmet-to-helmet tackles. He said there are also different types of safety equipment and helmets with different levels of concussion protection. But the problem is that there are no helmets that are concussion-proof.

Glenvar High School recently upgraded the team’s helmets. Each helmet costs $400. The team’s roster typically includes 55 to 65 players, so school districts with tighter budgets may not be able to afford similar specialized equipment.

Clifford also said that as with any contact sport, there are inherent risks.

“I think the most important thing is to educate yourself, know the signs and symptoms (of head injuries) and teach the game,” Clifford said. “It’s scary. It really is. And it’s sad, you know. We don’t want anyone to get hurt playing. So we’re definitely going to do what we need to do to protect our kids.”