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Crasche helmet hat lacrosse womens
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Are Women’s Lacrosse Helmet Hats Coming Soon?

The debate over whether or not women should wear helmets when playing lacrosse is intense!!!!!  There are calls for the addition of helmets to reduce concussions, and that has people up in arms, but the majority of the long-standing women’s lacrosse community seems stridently opposed to the idea.

Crasche helmet hat lacrosse womens
The Crasche helmet hat. The first step to women’s lax helmets?

The arguments for and against the helmet are myriad, and I have heard impassioned arguments on both sides.  I’m not sure where I stand right now, but can say that I’ve flip-flopped on the issue quite a bit.  Sometimes I just want to see the women put on helmets and light gloves and go at it a little more physically.  But other times I really enjoy the restraint, tactics and finesse of the current game.  It’s a tough call.

So this post isn’t really “pro” or “con”… it’s just asking the question, “are women’s lacrosse helmets coming soon?”

A recent article on Newsday.com has me thinking that yes, in some form, helmets are coming to women’s lax.

Although certain states (Massachusetts for one) have toyed with making helmets mandatory in girl’s lacrosse, the move rarely lasts very long.  And right now, helmets are actually illegal in the sport, apart from the goalie.  However, a new padded hat made by Crasche, a Long Island-based company, has been approved for play, and could be seen as the first “exemption” case.

The hat has padding inside of it, including neoprene rubber and polycarbonate plastic, and while it isn’t a helmet in a real sense, it does conceivably provide some level of protection to the head.  The Crasche site says, “The Crasche hat is ideal for people who should wear a helmet, but don’t. It is not designed to replace a helmet, but it is certainly a whole lot better than nothing on your head.

So now that this intentionally protective hat is allowed, where is the line drawn?

Again, I’m not saying the hat shouldn’t be legal.  I’m not so sure about either side of the argument still.  But I am saying that if this hat is allowed, what will be allowed next?  Perhaps a padded rugby hat for a girl who suffered a severe concussion, and then a hockey helmet for a girl recovering from a skull fracture.  AGAIN, I’m not saying any of those things should or shouldn’t be allowed, because I simply don’t know, or understand women’s lacrosse that well.

But I do know that when one exemption is granted, others are sure to follow.  And in this case, it looks like women’s lacrosse might be getting helmets someday soon.

What do YOU think?  Should women’s lacrosse players pad up a bit?

Hit us up in the comments!