The Case For Helmets

A recent article in the Maryland Montgomery Gazette shows St. Louis and other areas across the nation can show good common sense to support the use of helmets during girl’s Lacrosse.

Over the years, our country has been improving safety with car seats, seat belts and wearing helmets when biking/skate boarding.

We have always supported wearing helmets,  and now with the recent experience of our daughter’s concussion, we feel the need to communicate our concern and ask for the public’s help.

There is a buzz going around Clayton High School regarding wearing helmets in girl’s Lacrosse games:

• One side of the fence, there is concern that using helmets will encourage girls to be more aggressive on the field.

• The other ground swell from concerned parents is supporting the use of helmets since the game is already aggressive.

We believe that the girls who play Lacrosse should wear helmets during their games in the same way that boy's Lacrosse teams wear helmets. 

The ball flies at speeds of 40 to 60 miles per hour and yellow flags are thrown regularly for wild stick swings during games. Teen frontal lobes are still developing and there are many studies documenting the damage that occurs with teens that play sports where concussions are common. These types of injuries might have potential long term impact.

As the American Society for Testing and Materials Sports Equipment and Facilities Headgear Committee begins meeting on a headgear standard this month, we are on a mission of awareness. If you have children in Clayton or surrounding school districts, ask them to contact their athletic director about the need for girl lacrosse players to wear helmets.

Support safe sporting equipment for all sports!

If you are a parent, contact your school's athletic director. 

Thank you,

Concerned Parents,

Nancy and Eliot Planells

Sample of parents comments:

It is getting school districts and Missouri Chapter of US Lacrosse to make a change in policy.

Bob – given the number of concussions our girls lacrosse team experienced this year, I would definitely support some kind of helmet or protective head gear for the girls to wear. You probably recall when the helmet was first introduced in professional ice hockey it quickly became the standard for head injury prevention.  I feel strongly that now is the time to advocate for the use of helmets to try to protect our girls from any more head trauma.  I hope Clayton will not only support our concern but take the lead on this issue. After all, safety should be our #1 priority. Thank you - Ken

Thank you for taking the opportunity to express what is certainly a growing concern that I have had this year.  We have seen far too many concussions this year within our team.  Every injury is of concern but a blow to the head that results in a concussion has near and long-term consequences.

I have attended 90% of the girls lax games this year.  LAX by nature, whether male or female, involves some level of contact.  The fact that the player is using a stick heightens the opportunity for injury.  Frankly, I am surprised after viewing  many games over the past two years that we have not seen more injuries. We have been lucky.

Also there is an inconsistency in the refereeing.  One night we see a tightly called game and then the next night it is far more physical.  The inconsistency is another cause for concern and potential injury.  We saw one of our young woman hit severely in the head resulting in a concussion yet a card was not even rendered.  The rules were changed this year to promote a cleaner game however the implementation was severely lacking.  And finally, we should be committed to protecting our athletes to the best of our ability.  
Again, thank you for your initiative.
Michael

It is understand that These types of injuries might have potential long term impact, as evidenced by the recent suicide of a pro football player. There is speculation that this may have resulted from the concussions incurred during his years of football.  

Wendy