WTOL - Sylvania Northview Girls Lacrosse First High School Team in Ohio to Require Helmets

'We can make a change': Northview girls is first team in Ohio to require use of headgear. The Lady Kats revealed their newest piece of equipment last week during the season opener. Staff told WTOL 11 the program suffered six concussions in 2024. "I've stopped flinching away when I see a stick coming at me," senior Kristina Smithers said. "This year, with these helmets, I know I have that layer of protection and can just drive to the goal." Headgear for every player on the team is now a reality. A new look serving a new purpose. "We just have so many injuries every year, last season we had six concussions and one of them put the girl out for the whole season," assistant coach Miranda Price said. "So, we've been looking for ways to have this game be more safe." The idea of headgear had been discussed in previous seasons, with some student-athletes verbally agreeing to wear it and others sticking with the mandated goggles. "We wanted to be the first ones, we were excited about it," Price said. "If we were going to get them to wear helmets, it would have to be everyone. It's expensive, the helmets are almost $200 each so we knew we'd have to get a sponsor." A paralegal for Charles Boyk Law Offices in Holland, Price asked her employer if they could help and, without hesitation, they chose to fund a piece of history. “We are happy to provide these helmets to help protect these young women from potential injury,” attorney Chuck Boyk said. “We hope this will inspire other teams to take similar steps to enhance player safety.” Need an Ohio personal injury lawyer? Reach out to our team for a FREE consultation today! https://www.charlesboyk-law.com Under the OHSAA, which uses National Federation (NFHS) regulations, girls are only required to wear a mouthguard and goggles for face/head protection. Goalies are the only players who can sport a helmet. Although rules in high school girls lacrosse are aimed at protecting athletes, given the lack of equipment, Northview feels: why not just help in that regard? "When you bring the stick close to anyone's head, it's immediately the other team's ball," Smithers said. "Maybe if these helmets become mandatory, we can get rid of that rule and play more freely." Two games into the season, there are mixed reviews about whether these pieces of equipment are necessary. With more schools learning of Northview's change, they are hopeful others will understand why it's making a difference. "It's really special, feels like we can make a change," Smithers said. "I haven't gotten a concussion, but I have gotten hit in the head a lot with just the goggles. It's really painful, but with this helmet I got hit and didn't feel it at all." Teammate Gionna Greiner agrees and understands not everyone will be on board right now, if at all. Yet the Lady Kat program believes this headgear will make a difference and also allow its players to compete at a higher level. "You look at the Boys who get to play more physical and aggressive, you want to try and do those things but it's hard because we don't have any protection," Greiner said. "I think the helmets will help us be more competitive."