Field Hockey Captain Slams Massachusetts Law Allowing Boys On Girls Teams After Brutal Injury To Her Teammate
Men competing against women in sports spawned another tragic story on Thursday when a female field hockey player suffered significant injuries to her face after taking a shot from a male opponent.
The female high schooler played on Dighton-Rehoboth High School's team, and now the co-captain / teammate of her squad is speaking up and calling for policy change to prohibit men from competing against women to avoid further incidents.
Kelsey Bain, who plays on Dighton-Rehoboth and is the co-captain of the field hockey team, posted a letter on X, directed at the MIAA to change the association's policy that allows men to compete against women.
"This is a letter I sent to the MIAA in response to the recent Swampscott vs. Dighton-Rehoboth field hockey incident," Kelsey Bain posted on X, including the three-page notice.
Women's rights activist and OutKick host Riley Gaines shared Bain's statement on social media.
She posted, "I'm so thankful and proud of you & your whole team. Brave warriors fighting for what's right, fair, & just!! I'm y'alls biggest fan!!! Everyone show some support/encouragement for these girls."
The man played for Swampscott High School, who played Dighton-Rehoboth in a playoff field hockey contest on Thursday. Under the MIAA's ruling — the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association — men can compete against women if a sport does not offer their gender's league.
READ: MALE FIELD HOCKEY PLAYER SEVERELY INJURES HIGH SCHOOL FEMALE PLAYER: ‘LISTEN TO THE SCREAMS’
Since women typically play field hockey, the school did not offer a men's field hockey league.
The man's shot knocked several of the girl's teeth out and caused serious facial injuries. Video of the hit shows the girl writhing in pain and screaming.
To prevent these incidents from continuing, Kelsey Bain is stepping into the discourse, understanding that the association will not budge on the issue unless they are challenged.
"There is likely more interest, but the stigma of boys playing on a girl’s team is probably a deterrent," Bain noted in her statement. "I am sure school districts can institute co-op teams to create further opportunities for males to play in their own division, which I assume you are already aware of because, under rule 34 of the MIAA handbook, there is a division for boys’ field hockey listed under the Fall Sports category.
"You have a chance to change the negative publicity the MIAA has been receiving due to the incident that happened on Thursday night by moving forward with the proposal for a seven versus seven boys league."
Dighton-Rehoboth Superintendent Bill Runey put out a statement, identifying that the opponent was indeed a man and relaying the horror of the team personnel after one of their own suffered a brutal injury.
Runey said,
"Last night, a female field hockey player for the Dighton-Rehoboth Regional High School girls’ field hockey team sustained significant facial and dental injuries when she was struck in the face by a shot in the third quarter versus Swampscott in an MIAA state playoff contest.
"The shot was taken by a male member of the Swampscott girls field hockey team. This injury required hospitalization. The player, her family, teammates, and coaches remain in my prayers."