A hockey team captain whose teammate had her teeth knocked out by a male player has condemned a Massachusetts sports policy that allows boys to play on girls’ teams.
Kelsey Bain, the team co-captain from Dighton-Rehoboth Regional High School, wrote a statement calling for men to be banned from playing against women following the horrific injuries her friend suffered.
The female victim, who wears team number 24, was seen on the ground in pain after the blow to the face on November 2. She was rushed to hospital.
The male athlete, who played in jersey number 2 for the opposing Swampscott High School team, was the one who hit the ball that struck her.
Footage of the horror crash saw the woman collapse and scream in pain after the ball hit her face, with the male player’s participation causing a kickback despite being allowed under Massachusetts law.
Captain Kelsey Bain wrote to the association on Sunday, arguing that “by trying to create equality, you only create inequality.”
In footage of the match, the Swampscott player controlled the ball before firing a vicious shot during a corner.
The ball immediately hit his opponent in the face, leaving her with horrific facial injuries, including the loss of two teeth. She was sent to the hospital and is now recovering, her mother said.
Shocked teammates were seen resting their hands on their knees and comforting each other after witnessing the shocking injury.
The law that allows men and women to participate in sports of the opposite sex if they are not made available in their own sports
Captain Kelsey Bain wrote to the association on Sunday, arguing that “by trying to create equality, you only create inequality.”
Bain also wondered whether it would take the death of a girl at the hands of the opposite sex during a sporting event for the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association to change their rules.
The statement read: ‘The screams and screams of fear and pain that emanated from her after she was hit filled the stadium. The looks of horror and shock on the faces of the girls around her were also horrifying.
“After the injury, my teammates cried not only out of fear for their teammate, but also out of fear that they would have to get back on the field and continue a match while playing against a male athlete who had hospitalized one of our own athletes .
“The traumatic event sheds light on the rules and regulations of male athletes participating in women’s sports.”
She added: “We have all witnessed the significant damage a male can do against a female during play.
“I’m sure school districts can create co-op teams to create more opportunities for men to play in their own division, which I assume you already know because according to rule 34 of the MIAA handbook, there is a division for boys’ hockey listed under the Fall Sports category.
“You have an opportunity to change the negative publicity the MIAA has received from the incident that occurred Thursday night by moving forward with the proposal for a seven-on-seven boys league.”
Bain added, “How long does the MIAA plan to use girls as statistical data points before they realize that boys don’t belong in girls’ sports? Twenty injuries? Hundred? Dead?’
‘Changing the rules and equipment to adapt them to the gameplay involving boys is not only an inconvenience, but also comes with a physical and emotional cost to players who are forced to change the game they love .
‘By trying to create equality you only create inequality. Please use this as an opportunity to turn a negative incident into positive change.”
Dighton-Rehoboth Superintendent Bill Runey demands change in MIAA law
The victim’s mother shared a photo of the high school hockey team, along with the statement: “To all of you who have reached out and expressed concern for our family, I cannot thank you enough.
“Your kind words, positive thoughts and prayers helped us this weekend. We are blessed to have such a large circle around us.
‘A special thank you goes to Dr. Gabriel Wassouf of Rehoboth and Dr. Alisha Sahu of Mass General, and all associated staff at this facility for their expertise.
“You saved our girl, we are forever grateful.”
Viewers online have reacted with enormous anger, criticizing the law that allows men and women to participate in opposite-sex sports if they are not made available to their own.
In this case, the male player can play hockey on the women’s team, as it is traditionally a women’s sport and there are fewer facilities for male teams.
After the incident, Superintendent Bill Runey of Dighton-Rehoboth – the school where the injured player came from – sent an email to alarmed parents advising that the event “dramatically increases the concerns of many about player safety.”
He called for a change to the rule that has been in place since the 1970s.
Runey said in a statement: “Last night, a female hockey player on the Dighton Rehoboboth Regional High School girls hockey team suffered significant facial and dental injuries when she was struck in the face by a shot in the third quarter against Swampscott in an MIAA playoff game ( Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association).
“The recording was made by a male member of the Swampscott girls hockey team. This injury required hospitalization.
“The player, her family, teammates and coaches remain in my prayers.
“While I understand that the MIAA has established guidelines for co-ed participation under section 43 of their handbook, this incident dramatically increases the concerns of many about player safety.”
The MIAA has hit back at Runey, stating that the 1976 Massachusetts Equal Rights Amendment prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex. The amendment was extended to scholastic sports in 1979.
They said: ‘The court found that a general rule prohibiting boys from playing on girls’ teams, when no equivalent boys’ team exists, violated the ERA.
‘We respect and understand the complexities and concerns that exist regarding student safety. However, student safety has not been a successful defense against excluding students of one gender from participating on teams of the opposite gender.
‘The arguments generally fail due to the lack of correlation between injuries and mixed teams.’
But the MIAA’s statement wasn’t enough to convince Runey. He said that while changing the Massachusetts ERA would be difficult, action must be taken to ensure player safety.
“Seeing the look of horror in the eyes of our players and coaches as they greeted their bus last night is proof to me that a renewed approach by the MIAA is needed to protect the safety of our athletes,” he said.
Despite the harrowing scenes, the male player’s place on the team was defended by Swampscott Public Schools Athletic Director Kelly Wolff, who said he has “the exact same right to participate as any player on the team.”