Should girls wear lacrosse helmets?

Whether girls playing lacrosse should wear helmets is hotly debated. We believe girls should wear helmets, because they could prevent head injuries. Imagine having a hard rubber ball hit you at a fast speed. Concussions and head injuries can keep you out of the game and school for a while.

We talked to Amy Agnesini, Rocky Point's director of health, physical education, athletics and intramurals. We wanted her opinion on this very important issue. She said: "My understanding is that people say that it will change the game. But my feeling is that if every girl has a stick and the ball is very hard, injuries could be prevented by wearing a helmet. We know what a concussion can do to the brain and anything that we can do to protect it, should be done."

Ms. Agnesini also said that there have been concussions, both during games and at practice in Rocky Point girls lacrosse.

Helmets are required in boy's lacrosse because checking and physical contact are legal parts of the game. On the other hand, girls are not allowed to wear hard helmets. Girls have limited physical contact and aren't legally allowed to check above the shoulder. Some believe if girls are allowed to wear helmets, it will change the game and make it more aggressive. However, we strongly believe that girls should wear helmets for lacrosse. If the number of head injuries goes down, that would be a good thing.