Watching ESPNs 360 this evening I was astounded by the ignorant and downright buffoonish words coming out of the mouth of US Lacrosse President and CEO Steve Stenersen. The show focused on the disturbingly more frequent head injuries to female lacrosse players. When asked by the interviewer if the association would consider having female lacrosse players wear helmets like the men do, Stenerson scoffed and vehemently argued against the use of helmets, claiming that they did not protect against concussions and other head injuries. I asked myself, what is this guy smoking? According to Stenersen, having the women wear the helmets would allow them to become more aggressive and physical, like the men. Apparently, to this guy he is more interested in the aesthetics of the game than the safety of its players. I would argue that he is more interested in the market value of having spectators and television audiences view the visages of the female athletes unencumbered by the burden of a helmet. This would not be the first time marketers stressed the athletes' femininity over their athletic prowess: in 1999 marketers asked the US Women's National Soccer team to remove their wedding rings to convey the illusion of their accessibility to the male audience.
A 2010 study by the Centre for NeuroSkills revealed that more female lacrosse players suffered head injuries (30%) than their male counterparts (18%). It is time for them to wear helmets.I wanted to get a quote from Mr. Stenersen, but I was told he was unavailable. He was arguing that you don't need a parachute to go skydiving.
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