WHEN EYEWEAR DOES PLAY A ROLE IN FIELD HOCKEY

By Al Mattei
Founder, TopOfTheCircle.com

For all that the Right To Right Is Right program espouses, which is to prolote safe play to the point where eyewear is not mandated, there are situations where eyewear could be necessary in the game.

One situation is for protection of a previous injury to the nose, eye, or cheek, where, in the judgment of the coach, player, and physician, an impact on the eyewear would not risk further injury.

Second, eyewear is not a bad idea for players whose roles on the team constitutes risk: namely, the four field players on a corner defense unit. Corner flyers, those daring risk-takers who sprint off the line as a human defensive wall, take more abuse than just about any other player on the field, even the well-armored goalkeeper.

But the other athletes on the corner defense brigades -- trailer and poster -- are likely to see their share of chip shots or tipped balls from the corner battery. And as more and more American females start experimenting with the unstoppable drag flick, flying hockey balls into the top corner will become an even greater hazard.

For these reasons, the advent of hockey eyewear may be a good thing, but only to a limited extent.

NOTE: The Right To Right Is Right program is designed to help players, coaches, and administrators in maintaining a safe and injury-free environment for all field hockey participants. However, participants in any sport should be aware of the inherent risk of injury.