Dighton-Rehoboth Schools Athletics looking at safety changes following field hockey incident
DIGHTON, Mass (WLNE) — An incident at a Massachusetts field hockey game sent one student to the hospital with severe damage to her face.
Now the district is looking to the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association for how to improve safety for its students.
During a playoff game for the Dighton-Rehoboth field hockey team Thursday night, one female player was hit in the face by a shot from a male player on the opposing team.
“We want to be a part of the solution,” Dighton Rehoboth Superintendent Bill Runey said. “And so, I think it is incumbent upon the MIAA to start facilitating conversations, and I think they need to hear from our players. Specifically, our players who were traumatized last night.”
The MIAA has rules in place allowing co-ed sports, lining up with Title IX requirements and the Equal Rights Amendment.
They explain if a school offers a single team for a particular sport, it can’t restrict the team based on gender unless a restriction is needed to comply with Title IX.
Following Thursday’s incident, Runey reached out to the MIAA.
“To their credit, they got back to me first thing this morning, and I think there need to be conversations that take place about increasing player safety if the law is going to allow males to participate in female athletics,” Runey said.
The player was released from the hospital Friday morning.
As for what’s next, Superintendent Runey said student safety is the number one priority, including requiring better protective gear.
“I think girls lacrosse and girls field hockey needs to move to that right away,” Runey said. “Because, let’s face it, gone are the days of the wooden sticks and playing on dirt or grass that slows that ball down. Now they’re playing with synthetic sticks, they’re playing on artificial turf. And it’s a recipe for problems.”
Runey said resources were available for students dealing with this incident Friday and will be available moving forward.
