Young Patrick Ponko faced serious problems dealing with the Pow! Splat! Wham! of high-school football and found a solution with Zoombang.

Patrick, 15, of Swisshelm Park, was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in October 2000 and two years later began wearing an insulin pump to improve control of his blood-sugar levels.

Last year, at Central Catholic High School, he joined the freshman football team.

But, as it turned out, football and insulin pumps didn't mix. Football involves collisions, from which insulin pumps must be protected. The pump, an electronic medical device smaller than a pack of playing cards, is made of breakable plastic.

The pump, often kept in a pocket, sends a steady drip of insulin through a tube into the stomach. It is used to help control type 1 diabetes -- an autoimmune disease that destroys beta cells in the pancreas that produce insulin, which is the hormone that allows blood glucose to enter cells for use as energy.

Without sufficient insulin, glucose builds up in the blood, leading to weight loss, excessive urination and other effects that, if left untreated, can lead to coma and death. For many people with diabetes, an insulin pump is necessary to control the disease.

But when Patrick was wearing his insulin pump, he could not play football. So last year he decided against wearing it, and did not reveal that detail to his mother, Karen Ponko.

Hemaglobin A1c, or hbA1c, is a blood test that measures blood-sugar control over a period of months. Normal levels range from 4 to 6, with recommendations that people with diabetes strive to keep levels under 7 and as close as possible to 6. But Patrick's numbers during football season last year ballooned to 13.

As a result, he began vomiting, falling asleep during classes and feeling sluggish from glucose levels that had turned his blood to syrup. His performance as a football player also diminished due to lack of energy and the loss of 30 pounds. His mother realized her son was having serious problems controlling his blood sugar.

The only solution was to figure out a way to wear an insulin pump while playing a roughhouse sport.

It was Andy Macurak, a University of Pittsburgh Medical Center certified athletic trainer and trainer for the Central Catholic football team, who came up with a plan. He knew about a company in North Huntingdon that made protective gear for athletes, stunt performers, people with transplants and those in industrial settings.

So he contacted Zoombang, a subsidiary of Impact Innovative Products LLC, which uses a visco-elastic polymer with the consistency of Silly Putty that stiffens at the instant of impact to create lightweight armor-like protection.

National Football League stars including quarterbacks Mark Bulger and Donovan McNabb and Baltimore Ravens bully Ray Lewis, along with athletes in other sports, use the product.

Pittsburgh Steelers also use Zoombang to protect shoulders, ribs, sternums, hips, knees and hands, and even Pittsburgh Penguins hockey star Sidney Crosby has used Zoombang products, said Jeff Hartung, a professional sports development specialist for Zoombang.

Mr. Hartung said Mr. McNabb ordered a custom-made Zoombang shirt to protect his sternum after the Philadelphia Eagles played the Steelers on Sept. 21. In fact, every Tuesday, teams throughout the NFL call the company to order products to help protect injured players.

That's because tests have shown that the polymer absorbs 80 percent of the impact -- a significantly higher rate of energy absorption than other brands, said Mary Withrow, spokeswoman for Zoombang.

"This is the best product available today, and it has changed the world of protection," she said. "Sales have been going up every year" since Zoombang opened in 2001.

At company headquarters, Patrick was fitted with compression underwear with Zoombang protection placed over pockets sewn into the lower thigh area to hold his insulin pump.

He can put the pump in either pocket while playing football. The gear is worn underneath his football pants.

All agreed that the pump would best be protected along the inner thigh, where fewer direct jolts occur. But when there is impact, Zoombang protects the pump and Patrick.

Equipped with Zoombang, Patrick is starting as defensive lineman on the junior varsity team and also dresses for varsity. His hbA1c reading had dropped from 13 to 8, which ideally should be lower, but reveals vast improvement. He's expecting even better numbers during his next visit to the doctor.

With his diabetes under better control, he has gained 40 pounds and added muscle. He's able to benchpress 60 more pounds this year.

"With Patrick, I've seen more maturity the last six to the seven months, and he has taken responsibility for his diabetes," Mr. Macurak said.

While his mother has caught criticism for allowing Patrick to play football, she said denying him the opportunity would be devastating for Patrick.

"Diabetes is here, and there's no cure, and in the meantime you can't stop your kid from living," Ms. Ponko said. "But you can do anything if you have the right equipment, and if you put your mind to it."

For Patrick, the proof is in: Zoombang prevents gloom and pain.

"I see a big difference in Patrick, the way he is enjoying life," Ms. Ponko said.

For more information, see www.zoombang.com.