BackOfTheCage Forums NORTHEAST LACROSSE BOTC MAIN FORUM New York Vote : Girls Helmets?

Come December, there will be an important vote here in New York to require helmets for all girls matches. One of the key arguments in favor of this move is to better protect the defensive players. What is your view? Good move?

The full story is available at this web site.

November 9, 2010

Dear friend of women’s lacrosse in New York:

On behalf of the women’s game leadership and Sports Science and Safety committee of US Lacrosse, we are writing to inform you of a very serious threat to the safety of women’s lacrosse players in New York.

In late October, the state’s public high school athletic association’s (NYSPHSAA) safety committee made a motion stating that starting in the 2012 girls lacrosse season, all players will be required to wear a hard shell men’s lacrosse helmet with face mask that meets all NOCSAE standards for the sport of men’s lacrosse. The safety committee is made up of members from all 11 sections in the state, and when they vote on December 2nd, the members should be representing the vote of their section (high school coaches and athletic director’s). If the Safety Committee votes in favor of the motion then it would go to the Executive Committee on December 5th and 6th for either a final vote or dismissal.

If you are opposed to this measure, it is critical that you send a personal email and/or call your area section chair, Athletic Directors and Safety Committee members directly today, and ask them to VOTE NO on the December 2nd question to mandate men’s lacrosse helmets for women’s lacrosse and support the official rules for girls and women’s lacrosse that have been approved by US Lacrosse and endorsed by the National Federation for High School Association.

Please find your NYSPHSAA section chair contact below and use the letter drafted at the link below, and modify depending on the position you serve in the sport, to communicate your opposition to the mandate and cc: Ann Carpenetti, Women’s Director, US Lacrosse acarpenetti@uslacrosse.org and Jacquie Gow, NYS women’s lacrosse chair jgow@glencove.k12.ny.us on all correspondence.

Download the letter draft as a Word document or a PDF.

NYSPHSAA Section Chair Contacts:
Name
Section
Phone
Email

Jennifer Simmons
1
(914) 592-2526
jsimmonsbutt.org

Doug Kenyon
2
(518) 742-2033
dkenyonbutt.org

Fred Gula
2
(518) 355-8783
fgula@mycap.rr.com

John Rathbun
3
(215) 451-4588
jrathbunbutt.com

Ben Nelson
4
(607) 561-2347
bnsectionIVbutt.rr.com

Ed Stores
5
(585) 786-2132
estoresbutt.org

Timm Slade
6
(716) 821-7352
cszczesny@e1b.org

Karen Lopez
7
(518) 834-5276
klopez5276@charter.net

Todd Heimer
8
(516) 396-2488
theimer@mail.nasboces.org

Robert Thabet
9
(845) 294-5799
rthabetbutt.org

Jim Osborne
9
(845) 294-5799
josborne@ouboces.org

Carl Normandin
10
(315) 386-2226 X15103
cnormandinbutt.org

Edward Cinelli
11
(631) 366-4900
ecinellibutt.org


Yours in lacrosse,
The US Lacrosse Women's Division

Ann Kitt-Carpenetti
Women's Division Director

Liz Piper
Women's Divison Associate

Come December, there will be an important vote here in New York to require helmets for all girls matches. One of the key arguments in favor of this move is to better protect the defensive players. What is your view? Good move?

Whether girls’ lacrosse players should wear helmets continues to be a hot issue. The New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHAA) Safety Committee discussed the issue during an October 13th conference call.

This was the decision that came about: “Starting with the 2012 Girls’ Lacrosse season all players will be mandated to wear a hard shell helmet with a facemask that meets all of the NOCSAE (National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment) requirements for the sport of lacrosse.”

All the seection representatives will vote on whether to allow helmets on December 2nd.

Personally, many of the lacrosse players and coaches I’ve talked to say that they do not want to wear helmets. Maybe it could be a good thing for safety longer term since it seems to get more physical with each passing season.

On the sidelines of my daughter's lacrosse game we all discussed this issue. It was unanimous: everyone thinks helmets are the way to go.

no way!!! why stop their let them put on shoulder pads and glove,let them play like the boys....

no way!!! why stop their let them put on shoulder pads and glove,let them play like the boys....

Why are we worried about girls' concussions and not boys? And the answer, "Because they're girls," does not count.

Maybe we should consider taking boys' helmets away and changing their game to be less physical.

I have watched the girls game evolve (or devolve based on your opinion) over the last decade. The size, speed and strength of the girls has increased dramatically. The girls game is FAR more physical and violent today than it was just a couple of years ago. There's no turning back. It's only going to continue to get more physical and violent. We have to look forward and protect the players and helmets are a must in my opinion.
Let's face it, I hate to admit it, but lacrosse is the new soccer with all the bad stuff that goes with soccer. Crazy sideline parents,crazy coaches, trainers everywhere you turn, money, money, money, pressure on the kids. Our cottage sport has grown up and it's a little sad to see.

"Once you put a helmet on the game of girls lacrosse will be forever changed"? Have you seen a recent game of girls lacrosse? The game has changed as well as the competitive nature, strength and drive of these young women. Increased protection is a must. There really is no good argument against it- why would you NOT choose to minimize risk?

How do you respond to the concussions discussed in the Newsday article? Do we just accept the "couple" of concussions as a cost of playing without helmets? Explain why the girls should NOT wear helmets.

Completely agreed. Wished it were mandatory. Girls are under so much peer pressure to not wear them.

Girls don’t need helmets. This is a non contact sport. They need officials that call all the rules as written. Cross checks, illegal checks, body checks, over the head checks and dangerous shots. Call the fouls and issue the yellow card and after getting 2 of those in a game when little Sally has to sit out maybe she’ll get the message. Same for her coaches, they can get cards and after 2 forced to leave the field so when they argue the calls issue them a card as well.

They really need youth coaching from people that understand the rule book not over zealous parents who think jamming the butt end in a girls rib cage is ok, cross checking everyone instead of moving your feet or shooting from where ever with whoever is in front of you is ok hitting girls with your shot or follow through. Pushing a girl to the ground is a foul that never gets called but a defensive slide with no contact generates a free position shot? Or empty stick checks?

Adding a helmet will only lead to adding gloves and arm pads & shoulder pads and then you’ve ruined the game and only added increased injuries.

Girls don’t need helmets. This is a non contact sport. They need officials that call all the rules as written. Cross checks, illegal checks, body checks, over the head checks and dangerous shots. Call the fouls and issue the yellow card and after getting 2 of those in a game when little Sally has to sit out maybe she’ll get the message. Same for her coaches, they can get cards and after 2 forced to leave the field so when they argue the calls issue them a card as well.

They really need youth coaching from people that understand the rule book not over zealous parents who think jamming the butt end in a girls rib cage is ok, cross checking everyone instead of moving your feet or shooting from where ever with whoever is in front of you is ok hitting girls with your shot or follow through. Pushing a girl to the ground is a foul that never gets called but a defensive slide with no contact generates a free position shot? Or empty stick checks?

Adding a helmet will only lead to adding gloves and arm pads & shoulder pads and then you’ve ruined the game and only added increased injuries.

How about the girls who pretend to get hit in the head and those who trip on purpose when they’re about to lose the ball?? They should get yellow cards too for delay of game.

There is currently no proposal for women to be required to wear helmets in NY. IMHO the girls that do wear them are overly aggressive and put themselves and others at risk.

Safety is absolutely the number 1 concern! I have only been involved in girls lacrosse for the last 8 years from youth through division 1. IMHO the girls that wear helmets are clearly more reckless with their sticks. I don't think it's intentional, but just wearing a helmet removes a sense of vulnerability that pushes girls to obey the rules. The rules need to be enforced and quicker yellow and red cards are not being called Most of the issues come from just a few girls and they have to change their ways or be removed from the games to protect the other girls and the betterment of the game.

FACTS!

FACTS? I can understand how one can call the first sentence as FACT. For the second part, that is at best an opinion and not fact. I can't believe how many people now have a bias against girls that wear a helmet as if they are all reckless and aggressive. How many girls with helmets have you watched?