A Helmet of Her Own?: A Qualitative Study of Key Stakeholder Perspectives on Headgear in Girls’ Lacrosse

Iyer, Shivani; Bachynski, Kathleen

doi:10.1016/j.focus.2023.100078

Cited by 3 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…Though members of the lacrosse community expressed an understanding of possible short and long-term consequences of concussion, most were not concerned about the incidence of concussion in girls’ lacrosse. This differs from recent findings from a 2023 study by Iyer and Bachynski ( 20 ) which found participants were concerned about concussion incidence, regardless of their stance on mandating headgear. Notably, the majority of the players included in the Iyer and Bachynski ( 20 ) study had experienced a concussion/TBI whereas only one of the nine players in the present study reported sustaining a concussion while playing lacrosse.…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 99%

“…This differs from recent findings from a 2023 study by Iyer and Bachynski ( 20 ) which found participants were concerned about concussion incidence, regardless of their stance on mandating headgear. Notably, the majority of the players included in the Iyer and Bachynski ( 20 ) study had experienced a concussion/TBI whereas only one of the nine players in the present study reported sustaining a concussion while playing lacrosse. Therefore, it is likely that prior experiences greatly contribute to concerns and awareness regarding concussion incidence and may not be generalizable across study samples.…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 99%

“…Overall, focus group participants indicated headgear for girls’ lacrosse should be either mandated or banned, suggesting that the current optional policy may not be the optimal policy approach. This finding is in line with previous work which found that members of the lacrosse community were concerned that inconsistencies in rule implementation would pose a threat to player safety ( 20 ). Currently, USA Lacrosse states that the flexible headgear designed for girls’ lacrosse is allowable, but not mandatory for field players ( 4 , 6 ).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

“…Similar to previous qualitative studies, another major argument for opposing mandated headgear use for girls was the differences between boys’ and girls’ lacrosse ( 20 , 21 ). All stakeholder groups (i.e., players, parents, coaches, and officials) voiced concerns that the addition of headgear to the girls’ game would make it more similar to the boys’ game.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 65%

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Headgear use in girls’ lacrosse—stakeholders not ready for change

Recker,

Myers,

Desai

et al. 2024

Front. Sports Act. Living

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PurposeMandating headgear for field players in girls’ lacrosse to reduce head injuries, including concussion, has been heavily debated. However, research regarding the need and effectiveness of mandated headgear use in girls’ lacrosse is still developing. Therefore, this qualitative study aimed to identify the need for and barriers to the development of mandated headgear use policies in girls’ lacrosse in Ohio.MethodsWe conducted six virtual focus groups, three with concussion experts (clinicians and researchers) and three with girls’ lacrosse stakeholders (high school players, parents, coaches, and officials). A focus group guide was developed to explore study participants’ perceptions and opinions on concussion in girls’ lacrosse, headgear use among players, and policies and policy development related to headgear use or a headgear mandate. We developed the codebook using an inductive and iterative approach based on focus group transcripts and used ATLAS.TI to code and analyze the transcript data.ResultsConcussion experts and stakeholders understood the potential consequences of concussion but did not perceive concussion as a pervasive problem in girls’ lacrosse. The prevention of head and facial injuries was regarded as a potential benefit of headgear use. However, stakeholders expressed that the myriad of arguments discussed opposing mandated headgear use including increased aggressive play and/or targeting, concerns over changes in the game, and cost strongly outweighed the benefits. Finally, both concussion experts and stakeholders identified multiple organizations, including USA Lacrosse, who could act as facilitators and/or barriers to developing, enacting, and implementing headgear policies.ConclusionsConcussion experts and stakeholders identified possible reasons for headgear use related to injury prevention but also identified several important barriers to the development of a headgear mandate for girls’ lacrosse in Ohio.

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Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 65%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Headgear use in girls’ lacrosse—stakeholders not ready for change

Recker,

Myers,

Desai

et al. 2024

Front. Sports Act. Living

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…In support of these findings, two recent epidemiological studies suggest that headgear mandates may be associated with lower rates of concussion [ 23 , 24 ]. However, other studies have demonstrated that some stakeholders in lacrosse perceive headgear as being responsible for negative effects on game play and player safety [ 25–27 ]. According to the Peltzman Effect, mandating headgear in girls’ lacrosse may encourage players to engage in riskier or more aggressive game behaviors because they feel protected, which could explain these perceived negative effects [ 28 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%