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Despite not having a national reporting mechanism for its member state associations to use, the NFHS claims that there haven't been any goggle related injuries
(increased number of concussions from an increase in the number of collisions due to lowered heads, visual impairment, and/or false sense of security, lacerations
from goggles, broken noses from goggles forced across the face, etc.) in states that began requiring goggles years ago, shortly after the NFHS Medical Advisory
Committee first started recommending mandating goggles over the objections of the NFHS's own field hockey rules committee. It should be noted that the NFHS Medical Advisory Committee, which is reportedly headed by a medical professional, also includes former gym teachers. Oddly, the NFHS permits its member state associations to allow high schools to violate the NFHS rule governing the mandate (Rule 1, Section 6 Article 5) and another (Rule 1, Section 6 Article 7) that would otherwise require that goggles be worn as intended by the manufacturers. The NFHS allows Rule 1, Section 6 Article 7 to be violated by permitting its member state associations to allow goggles to be worn over face masks, which also violates the goggle mandate (Rule 1, Section 6 Article 5) because no goggles have been tested to meet the NFHS required safety standard when worn in combination with a face mask. Further exacerbating the problem is that at least two NFHS member state associations, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, have directed field hockey umpires to look the other way when they see athletes goggles that they know do not meet the eyewear safety standard required by the NFHS. Worse, nationwide athletes are allowed by the NFHS to wear goggles in high school games that are BANNED by both USA Field Hockey and the world's field hockey authority, the International Hockey Federation, because they are considered too dangerous to be worn during field hockey games. GoggleInjury.com is the first and only nationally available, standard reporting mechanism that is open to the public for reporting goggle related injuries. Without releasing personal information, data will be reported to the NFHS and researchers studying the impact that mandating goggles has actually had on the sport of field hockey. |