Dear Erin Clarke,
I am a women’s lacrosse official. A colleague forwarded your story about helmets and women's lacrosse. I was disappointed with the story for several reasons. First, beyond the statements you quoted from US Lacrosse you did not present the perspective of experts in women's lacrosse. I know that time on such stories is limited but that you did not include the perspective of a single player or coach of the game is baffling. I was struck by the fact that the one player you did interview played boys' lacrosse. Second, the doctor you interviewed incorrectly referred to the area around the players' heads as the "halo" (the term is actually "sphere"). His misidentification of this very basic rule in the sport betrayed an ignorance of the rules and a general lack of familiarity with the game. I'm surprised his comment made it on air without being fact-checked against the rules. There are head injuries in the sport but they are extremely rare. Head injuries resulting from getting hit by the ball are rarer still. Someone with a basic understanding of the rules of the game would understand why. For reference please see the 2011 US Lacrosse rulebook and refer to Rule 6, particularly the sections on “Obstruction of Free Space to Goal” and “Dangerous Propelling.” –Better yet, consult with an expert in the game such as a girls’ lacrosse coach.
Third, contrary to your report, it’s hardly fair to characterize boys’ and girls’ lacrosse as “the same sport” the two games are about as dissimilar as hockey and basketball. The different equipment in boys’ and girls’ lacrosse reflects the different levels of permissible contact, just as is the case in hockey and basketball.
Fourth, Cascade has an obvious conflict of interest when it comes to determining whether or not helmets should be introduced to the girls’ game. There are far better sources which you could have contacted, such as the US Lacrosse Safety Committee, to get information about equipment in the game.
Those not familiar with the evolution of the game don’t seem to understand that protective equipment tends to make the sport more dangerous, not less so. Since the introduction of goggles I have, as an official, seen players become increasingly more aggressive and I am absolutely sure that helmets would make it even worse.
I think we should be cautious about our motivations surrounding this issue. I suspect that part of this misguided attempt at an overabundance of caution stems from the fact that girls are playing the sport. If boys were playing women’s lacrosse and girls were playing the men’s game do you suppose everyone would be trying to get boys into helmets? I think not.
The push to get helmets in girls' lacrosse is perpetuated by stories like yours which, regrettably, propagate misguided views about the sport. For those of use who grew up with the sport and want to maintain the spirit of the game, helmets would be a devastating development. I love this game but the day they mandate helmets is the day I’ll quit the sport.
