For Demian Brown, head coach of Cal State Fullerton’s women’s soccer team, it’s personal when it comes to raising awareness about the importance of wearing helmets when riding electric scooters and bikes.
The initiative follows an e-scooter traffic accident last fall off campus involving two players from the women’s soccer team.
So far, Brown has collected over 50 helmets to give to students, donated by local sports retailers, including Fullerton Bicycle Co. and Dick’s Sporting Goods in Tustin.
Brown’s message promoting students’ health and safety and establishing a helmet policy for students has spread to other Titans Athletics teams and to 36 Division I programs across the country. University of Hawaii women’s soccer head coach Michele Nagamine required her players to wear helmets to remain on the team after they played the Titans in October.
“We want to lead by example by promoting safety and well-being,” said Brown, a CSUF alumnus who is in his 19th year of coaching at the university.
According to a 2024 study by the American College of Surgeons, the prevalence and severity of scooter-related injuries, as well as associated health care costs, are on the rise in the U.S. Scooter riders can protect themselves by wearing protective gear, such as helmets and knee pads, and by obeying traffic laws.
The CSUF Police Department has observed an increase in e-scooter use in recent years, accompanied by concerns of collisions, improper riding behavior and pedestrian safety. In April, the department held a Titan E-Scooter Safety Lab on campus to reinforce helmet and riding safety.
Jim Donovan, vice president for intercollegiate athletics, said he’s grateful for Brown’s efforts to raise awareness of helmet safety.
“Being the true leader he is, Demian is actually stepping up and doing something about it,” Donovan said.
Brown was also recognized at the 2026 University Awards Program with a Spotlight Award for his leadership during his team’s challenging time.
Ashlyn Gwynn, one of the players involved in the e-scooter accident, reunited with her teammates at a surprise visit to a late-afternoon practice on April 10.
Gwynn then attended the April 11 Titans women’s soccer match against USC and watched the game from the sidelines. A helmet giveaway took place at the exhibition game.
Her parents, Matthew and Shelly Gwynn of Farr West, Utah, called their daughter’s recovery “a miracle.” They shared that the outpouring of support from the team and the university community has brought their daughter and family a huge amount of comfort.
“For us, it’s been about the support. Everyone is always checking in on Ashlyn,” Matthew Gwynn said.
Gwynn was also honored at the recent 2026 Titan Awards night ceremony, which highlighted the academic and athletic achievements of students. Gwynn received a standing ovation and was among students named to the Big West All-Academic Team.
Brown is continuing to collect helmet donations to give to students.
“If a student doesn’t have the financial resources to buy a helmet or doesn’t want to wear one for their own reasons, I want to give them one and stress why it’s important,” Brown said.