Dear Lacrosse Families,
Because we play in the Rhode Island Youth Lacrosse League we are concerned with boys lacrosse being classified as "high risk" in that state. We are hoping to lobby the governor to change that classification. To that end I just signed the petition "Re-classification of boys lacrosse from high risk to moderate risk" and wanted to ask you to sign as well.
We are working with US Lacrosse(USL) to lobby for NFHS and/or RI State to modify the current classification for Boys Lacrosse from the "High" risk category to the "Moderate" risk category that hockey and basketball have been able to achieve and are playing under. RIDOH is relying on NFHS generated risk categories so Rhode Island Interscholastic League (RIIL) advocacy is critical. The NCAA has recognized Mens lacrosse as "Moderate Risk" and we feel strongly that they are correct in doing so as this sport is:
- Played outdoors (Spring);
- Games are fast moving in space;
- Players don't have shared equipment and don't touch the ball with their hands;
- Contact is intermittent and movement is constant.
Our intention is to show the RI Governor, RILL and RIDOH the tremendous support behind this issue and to educate them on our sport, which we believe is being unfairly classified as "High". Player and community safety are incredibly important during these challenging times, however in comparison to hockey and basketball our sport would not appear to reflect a higher level associated risk. US Lacrosse, like many other national organizations, has established guidance for safely returning to sports. The “Return to Play (RTP) Recommendations for Lacrosse” https://www.uslacrosse.org/return-to-play provide sport-specific guidance to mitigate infection risks. While boys and girls lacrosse allow varying degrees of contact, US Lacrosse has concluded that these differences do not place boys at a greater risk of COVID-19 exposure than girls (classed as “moderate” and allowed to play).
It is in that spirit of informed decision making, that the lacrosse community and US Lacrosse requests that the Rhode Island Interscholastic League share our request with the RI Department of Health and the NFHS, to modify its classification for lacrosse by removing “boys lacrosse from the high-risk category list and adding boys’ lacrosse to the moderate risk section. This adaptation acknowledges the sport-specific risk classifications made by US Lacrosse medical experts and creates consistency with how the NCAA has classified men's lacrosse.
You can read more and sign the petition here:
