Protective Eyewear Mandated for Field Hockey
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Elliot Hopkins
INDIANAPOLIS, IN (April 15, 2011) — High school field hockey players will be required to wear protective eyewear, effective with the 2011-12 season.
The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Board of Directors, in its April 13 meeting in Indianapolis, voted to mandate the use of protective eyewear that meets the current American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standard for field hockey.
Acting on a recommendation from the NFHS Sports Medicine Advisory Committee, the Board agreed that the potential risk of injury warranted the requirement of protective eyewear for the 64,000 student-athletes participating in high school field hockey.
“While serious eye injuries in field hockey are rare, the NFHS Board of Directors has concluded that an eyewear requirement is the right step,” said Elliot Hopkins, NFHS director of educational services and field hockey rules editor.
NFHS field hockey rules previously allowed – but did not require – the wearing of eyewear that meets the current ASTM standard. Six NFHS-member state associations had previously passed more stringent rules and already mandate the use of protective eyewear.
The revised language to mandate protective eyewear will appear in the 2011-12 NFHS Field Hockey Rules Book.
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About the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS)
The NFHS, based in Indianapolis, Indiana, is the national leadership organization for high school sports and fine arts activities. Since 1920, the NFHS has led the development of education-based interscholastic sports and fine arts activities that help students succeed in their lives. The NFHS sets direction for the future by building awareness and support, improving the participation experience, establishing consistent standards and Rules for competition, and helping those who oversee high school sports and activities. The NFHS writes playing Rules for 17 sports for boys and girls at the high school level. Through its 50 member state associations and the District of Columbia, the NFHS reaches more than 19,000 high schools and 11 million participants in high school activity programs, including more than 7.6 million in high school sports. As the recognized national authority on interscholastic activity programs, the NFHS conducts national meetings; sanctions interstate events; produces publications for high school coaches, officials and athletic directors; sponsors professional organizations for high school coaches, officials, spirit coaches, speech and debate coaches and music adjudicators; serves as the national source for interscholastic coach training; and serves as a national information resource of interscholastic athletics and activities. For more information, visit the NFHS Web site at www.nfhs.org.
MEDIA CONTACTS: Bruce Howard or John Gillis, 317-972-6900
National Federation of State High School Associations
PO Box 690, Indianapolis, Indiana 46206
bhoward@nfhs.org or jgillis@nfhs.org