VIRGINIA BEACH
The superintendent of Virginia Beach’s public schools wants all of the city’s interscholastic soccer players to wear mouth guards this spring.
But Dr. James Merrill said this week if there’s enough opposition from parents, he’ll reconsider his stance.
“It’s a little short of a mandate right now,” Merrill said. “I’m very, very firm and interested, but I’m still listening to opinions and getting feedback.”
With less than a month until practice officially begins, a number of Beach District coaches have expressed opposition to Merrill’s decision, but they’ve declined comment and said repeatedly they’ve been advised not to speak out about the issue.
Numerous parents and players also disagree with Merrill’s position on mouth guards. No other district or city in the Eastern Region requires soccer players to wear mouth guards.
Carly Jones, a girls soccer player at Bayside High School, started an online petition after hearing about the possibility of being forced to wear a mouth guard. More than 500 entries, some anonymous, are attached to the online petition.
“I’m against it because it’s not in the laws of the game,” Jones said. “We can’t really talk with (mouth guards) in. It’s harder to breathe. It puts us at a disadvantage against other schools that don’t have to wear them.
“It should be a parent’s decision.”
Merrill said he gave verbal notification of his wishes to the Office of School Activities.
Bruce Phelps, the school system’s coordinator of student activities, said he was notified by the superintendent’s office of Merrill’s stance and passed the information on to Virginia Beach high school principals in a November meeting.
Phelps then sent a draft of the soccer mouth guard rule via e-mail to principals and athletic directors. Included in the correspondence was a reminder “that though the mouth guard rule is not mandatory for basketball, it is highly recommended.”
Kathleen O’Hara, assistant superintendent for media and communications for Virginia Beach Public Schools, said in an e-mail, according to Phelps, an order of 4,800 mouth guards has been placed for use by soccer players this spring.
Merrill said protecting student-athletes is at the forefront of his stance on mouth guards. He pointed to a specific incident involving a soccer player that he described as a “really disfiguring accident.”
“On that one, I started thinking, could that have been preventable?’’ Merrill said.
Merrill said he also is looking at mandating the use of mouth guards in other sports. However, soccer would be the only sport subjected to the rule this spring.
“Basketball is already in progress — soccer is the next season coming up,” he said. “Baseball’s a possibility, but right now we’re just looking at soccer.”
Merrill said he based the decision to use soccer as a “starting point” due to the classification of the sport as a contact or collision sport by the American Academy of Pediatrics.
The AAP also lists basketball and diving as contact or collision sports, as well as football and field hockey. The use of mouth guards in football and field hockey is mandated nationally by the National Federation of State High School Associations, as well as in lacrosse and ice hockey, two sports not played by Beach District schools.
Baseball, gymnastics, softball and volleyball are listed as limited-contact sports, as well as some track and field events.
Two states — Massachusetts and Vermont — recently have mandated the use of mouth guards in soccer.
According to Joyce Sisson of the Virginia High School League, there has been no discussion about making the use of mouth guards mandatory in Virginia for soccer. She added it was not on the agenda for discussion at the NFHS Soccer Rules Committee, which met recently in Indianapolis.
U.S. Youth Soccer, the U.S. Soccer Federation, the NCAA and FIFA, the international governing body for soccer, do not require the use of mouth guards.
Merrill said he plans to contact parents soon about the issue.
“I’m going to get a direct communication with parents soon and get direct feedback from those parents,” he said.
“We’ve got a good debate going. I think that’s healthy.”
Darrell Cuenca, (757) 446-2366, darrell.cuenca@pilotonline.com
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Mouth guards protect against brain injury/concussions
Mouth guards and helmets are good ideas for soccer players. There are specially designed helmets for soccer that are very free moving and do not restrict play. Mouth guards not only protect teeth, but also decrease the trauma sustained from a concussion. They help cushion the blow to the brain and absorb some of the shock. If players are worried about breathing and talking with a mouth piece, there are custom mouth pieces. They can be fitted and molded to an individual athlete's mouth. They are commonly used for quarterbacks, so they can talk during games. Ask your family dentist and athletic trainer about these. If players are worried about the fashion of the mouth piece and don't like the way they look, then get over yourselves.
this is really stupid
Of all my years playing soccer, which is at least 12, I have never seen a mouth injury, except one. That was my sophomore year when a girl from my high school girls varsity team went in recklessly to get a ball and collided with another player. That was it. Had she went in without being reckless then yes it would never have happened. I do not know why Dr. Merril is putting this rule into effect, he has no idea what goes on during a game. There are more things to worry about then the mouth, what about a head injury. Is he going to make it in to a football game now. What about the testicles, how about the wrists, are we going to have to wear wrist guards. Its stupid, he is ruining the game of soccer, if this was such a major problem then FIFA would have made it mandatory for soccer players to wear mouth guards.
Grow up???!
Grow up???! Number one, he said he was "FIRM" on it and is only now asking for input only AFTER it has been made public about him implementing the rule. You really think he will change his mind? He is just going through the formality of "hearing" the parents and players views. Number two, it was a board member whose child had the incident with her teeth being knocked out. Nothing would have even been done if it was a "regular" person's child. Number 3, nothing was ever stated about this particular individual. That when it happened she was yellow carded because she was being reckless in the game, during this very incident. Now should the players also wear helmets as not to cause concussions for when they head the ball... NO!! Why don't we just put them in a bubble..? If you play a sport there is always a chance you might get injured.. isnt that what we sign waivers for? If this is to be implemented.. then let the opposing players and parents sign a waiver saying they will not hold anyone responsible for any injury that not wearing a mouthguard may cause.
LET ME SEE MERRILL RUN WITH A MOUTHGUARD IN HIS MOUTH!
I cannot believe that Merrill wants to make these mouthguards mandatory for soccer. I'll tell ya what, you make this ruling official and I guarentee your gonna have a lot of kids quit soccer. Then what will the kids do? Oh wait...I can tell ya, they're gonna be hanging out after school in places they probably shouldn't be and getting into trouble. Instead they could have stuck with High School soccer, played the game they love so much and stayed out of trouble. But **NO** you'd rather make a bunch of kids angry as well as parents and sit back in your leather chair and make a ruling regarding a sport you probably don't know anything about. Go back to pushing papers and stick with what you know which according to soccer doesn't seem like a lot!!!
Give him a break
You all missed the point. He didn't demand it happen as he said he was open to input. But how about remembering he was thinking about protecting the players. You all do not have to be so negative when the guy was just looking out for the kids... Grow up!
Mouthguards? Superintendent....find something else to do!
Mouthguards are an OPTION and as with any sport...you play at your own risk. Has anyone ever tried to RUN with a mouthguard in their mouth? Very difficult to breathe.
Sounds like Dr. Merrill needs to find something else to do to occupy his time....like REVIEW the Bus Driver's LOW/Pathetic wages for the garbage they have to put up with.
more "correctness" nonsense
whats next? making basketball players and wrestlers wear mittens so they won't poke out an opponents eye??
Has this Merril ever playd? If he did this would not be an issue
Dad was a pro in the UK, I played in the 70s, my sons play. Merrill could not have played. He knows not the real hazards of the game. Which are Head butts as players are going up for inbound corner kicks. Then there is just the simple good swift kick in the cashews. We wear jocks to keep tight our jewels from crackin the diamonds. But we do not need helmets or mouthguards. We do need some common sense legislatures around here. Or did this Merrill guy get a free lunch and a vacation from a big insurance company. Next it will be road guard orange vests if your kid walks to school. Unbelievable the way beaurecrats think these days.
Well meaning?
I think the superintendent should have discussed his idea first with the parents of soccer players. He could have met with the Hampton Roads Soccer Council which is made up of parents of youth soccer players and repesents some 18,000 kids that play soccer in this region. I'm sure he would have been able to vet this idea, and most likely parents would have advised that a mandatory requirement to use a mouth guard was unnecessary but for those children who had a special need they could certainly choose to use one.
Idiots
How do we manage to get a bunch of idiots in positions that they can come up with stuff like this? Good grief these people are paranoid. What we need to do is clean house on them as soon as they identify themselves. That's the time to get rid of idiots in power. Heck why not just ban soccer outright. That way no one could ever be injured.
What about butt pads?
I'm not going to sugar-coat it....I think the idea, while well-meaning, is just plain dumb. This is the typical "chicken little" thinking that tries to make victims of those that spread their wings and attempt to excel in some endeavor. No risk...no reward. One of the best things that schools can teach kids is that while there are always consequences for students' actions, they can be trusted to make the right decisions, without interference from "on high". They play...they can get hurt. It seems from what I've read, the players understand the risks much better than some of the administration. Listen to your athletes, Mr. Phelps. They don't want them....they don't need them...and the mouth guards may even be counterproductive to the conduct of the game. Such use is against the rules of soccer...and common sense. What's next...football helmets...shoulder, shin and butt pads?