10 year old ds nearly blinded by hockey stick - what to say to the school

[maverick1]

I've changed my name for this because I will be easily identifiable by anyone who is an Mnetter at my school - so would rather use a new name with no posting history attached to it.

Ds (Y6) was hit very near the eye by a hockey stick yesterday at school. He has a swollen black eye today and he had a cut which needed attention at A&E right next to his eye. The A&E doctor remarked upon how fortunate my son was that the hockey stick didn't actually get in his eye - the consequences would have been grave.

All is well that ends well you may think - except it isn't is it. This was a dangerous near miss. Ds tells me that his hockey game was being supervised by a teaching assistant (the games teacher was coaching another group in netball) and there had already by some high spirits and messing about during the game. The actual incident occurred when one boy took a swing at the ball and missed it, the hockey stick then travelling through to hit my ds who was defending at the time. I feel for the other boy - he was in floods of tears when I went to collect ds, and I really am not interested in a ' witch hunt' or blaming the other child....

I never really played much hockey at school so I am looking to all of you for advice about what safety precautions and preparation schools should put in when coaching and supervising hockey. I can't help but feel that perhaps they haven't drilled into the 10/ 11 year olds how potentially dangerous hockey sticks are and that the children aren't taking the matter of safety around hockey sticks sufficiently gravely? Also shouldn't there be a policy of 'one strike and your out'? - i.e. if there is any silliness on the hockey field rather than being warned the offending child should have to sit out the rest of the hockey practice / game?

I don't want to leave the matter here - I want to write to the school and ask them to carry out an investigation and produce a report making recommendations to prevent any future occurrences. What should I ask? How should I put it - your thoughts would be appreciated

[Shootthemoon]

Mausmaus but that's the point - it sounds like an accident; in normal hockey the stick wouldn't go high, but if you miss the ball then everything will be off balance and you may end up swinging high.

Plus, as pp have said, there are rules about the stick going high, but 'head height' doesn't necessarily mean the stick has gone above 5 feet - when I tackle I am very low and my head is about waist height on a standing player.

I appreciate that any parent would want to minimise future risk, but with all the training in the world, you can't prevent accidents and you won't stop a bunch of school kids barrelling round the pitch and forgetting the niceties of what they have been drilled with!

[Pooka]

Dd played hockey in yrs 5 & 6. They had to have mouth guards and shin pads. I don't believe anyone was injured. They were all told very firmly the rules beforehand I.e. No sticks above a certain height.

Saying that, accidents do happen and it sounds like the injury happened as a consequence of normal play rather than as a result of lack of supervision.

[Wantsunshine]

You can have as many safety briefings before a hockey game and their is still a high risk of an accident. My Dh has played for 30 years and lost count of broken bones and stitches. My 6yo has started playing and has to wear mouth guard and shin pads. I don't see how anything except not playing would have stopped this accident

[bronya]

I lost a tooth to a similar incident at primary school. Have automatically ducked when anything comes near my head ever since! Hockey really isn't safe, especially beginners hockey!

[Inselaffe]

I haven't read the whole thread but used to play hockey a LOT as a girl, from the age of 9, both for a club and at school. Both places had a very strict rule about no sticks above shoulder height - you got one warning per session and the second time were sent off the pitch. This could be something they enforce easily.

However hockey - like rugby or football - has the potential to cause some pretty serious injuries. It's just part and parcel of playing it.

[nonicknameseemsavailable]

I agree it would probably have happened whether the teacher or TA were supervising but I don't think it would be a bad or unreasonable thing to do to send in a letter stating what the hospital had said and to ask them to reiterate to the children quite how dangerous it can be and why it is so important that they play it carefully, listen to any instuctions and guidance etc.

I was under the impression (although I haven't played hockey) that sticks were supposed to be kept down in hockey, mouthguards ought to be worn in school I expect. certainly they are for lacrosse (which is lethal, that is what I had to play and I was absolutely rubbish).

netball seems much more sedate...

[DayLillie]

Sticks not above waist height in my day. It is not golf. First thing we learned and it was rigorously enforced.

We didn't play until secondary, though. Definitely should use safer sticks at primary.

[hiccupgirl]

Hockey is a dangerous game so I would probably take the angle of asking what safety measure where in place but also accept that accidents do just happen sometimes however well supervised the game is.

I got a black eye playing hockey as a teenager - I stopped a fast ball with the wrong side of the stick and the ball shot up it into my face. Put me off hockey for a long time.

[Shootthemoon]

The actual rule provided by England Hockey is that the players must not use their sticks in a dangerous way and must not lift the stick over the head of another player. here

In practice it is wise for schools to guide play by putting in place rules about not lifting the highest point of the stick above shoulder or even height. But if a player goes low that is easily high enough to make contact with the face.

[mrz]

I'm sure the school does have rules in place but sometimes excited children forget and accidents do happen. I'm sorry your son got hurt but apart from banning everything and wrapping every child in cotton wool it will never be possible to total exclude risks.

[Mrsfrumble]

I'm another who agrees that hockey is just quite a dangerous sport. When we were 12 my friend accidently broke another girl's jaw during a game! The other girl was leaning forwards as she chased my friend, so my friend didn't even need to swing very high to connect with her face.

I'm really sorry to hear about your son. I hope he recovers quickly.

[AuntySib]

Agree that hockey can be dangerous - hard sticks hitting balls hard - there's going to be forceful follow-through even if the children are being sensible. Protective headgear would be good though.

However, at my primary school, even sports coaches ( usually specially trained TAs ) are not left to deal with a class of children alone. There always has to be a teacher present. I assumed this was common policy.

Sorry your son was hurt, hope he's OK now.

[stealthsquiggle]

Accidents happen. My DS was on the other end of something similar in a cricket match - he dived for the line with his bat, fielder dived for the wicket with a ball, bat met head..... DS was really upset, child he hit had a shiner of a black eye developing, and it could have been much worse.

...thing is, this was in Y3 or 4, and they were playing with a soft ball and plastic bats, so no helmets/mouth guards etc - the same kit with which they are allowed to play in the playground. If it had happened in hardball cricket, then it would have been bat vs helmet (if it were the wicket keeper, at least) and no harm done.

My Y3 DD plays hockey - the school enforce good practice, insist on mouth guards and shin guards, but no doubt accidents will happen, same as in other sports.

[WhereTheWildlingsAre]

Completely agree with Mrz. I would be surprised if the school didn't have rules in place.

[pyrrah]

A friend of mine at secondary school actually lost an eye being hit in the face during a hocket match.

Hockey, cricket, rugby... all potentially very dangerous games. My cousin ruptured his spleen and nearly died and then a couple of years later smashed his leg to pieces so badly they didn't think he'd walk again (the week before he was due to be capped for England poor sod).

The ambulance regularly turned up on Saturday afternoons to rugby matches - broken arms, concussion, broken noses etc.

I'd write it off as unfortunate accident, but enquire as to whether the school make it clear to the children that they are taking part in something that can hurt other people if you mess around and don't follow instructions.

[simpson]

My DC school play hockey (KS2 upwards) with plastic sticks & balls. Even then accidents do happen, my DS slipped and fell splitting his chin open.

[RabbitOfNegativeEuphoria]

Hockey shouldn't be forced on kids at school. As has been pointed out, injuries are not uncommon, sometimes serious ones. My DD1 is a musician, Dd2 also plays several instruments and wants to be a dancer- injuries could seriously mess them up. It's not an appropriate sport to do at school.

[greenapples]

What is an appropriate sport for school RabbitofNegativeEuphoria? I broke my finger twice playing basketball and had a hockey ball hit in the mouth. I also played Lacrosse... And never suffered an injury.

[AsBrightAsAJewel]

A quote from the new 2014 Primary PE Curriculum:
"Pupils should be taught to:
? use running, jumping, throwing and catching in isolation and in combination
? play competitive games, modified where appropriate, such as badminton, basketball, cricket, football, hockey , netball, rounders and tennis, and apply basic principles suitable for attacking and defending
? develop flexibility, strength, technique, control and balance, for example through athletics and gymnastics
? perform dances using a range of movement patterns
? take part in outdoor and adventurous activity challenges both individually and within a team
? compare their performances with previous ones and demonstrate improvement to achieve their personal best."

My TA is far better at teaching hockey than I am! She is a county hockey player, as skilled and qualified coach and school teaching assistant, plus is far younger and fitter.

[JennyBlueWren]

Were they using proper old wooden hockey sticks? In primary school when beginning to learn hockey I would expect them to use the lighter plastic ones which would do less damage. Then when more experienced and able to avoid accidents (which will happen) they can move on to proper heavy wooden ones.

[RabbitOfNegativeEuphoria]

Not hockey. You can break your finger doing anything - DD1 broke 4 fingers warding her face against an over enthusiastically swung door. I've broken every single finger in both hands over the years, at different times, without going near either baseball or hockey. In hockey though there is the chance of significant head or facial injury in the normal course of action (without it being a freak accident).

[RabbitOfNegativeEuphoria]

Anything has the potential to be dangerous, even getting out of bed. Hockey is routinely dangerous. That's the difference and that's why its not appropriate. If some people want to play it or to expose their kids to the risk because they think it's character forming, then fine, let them. People shouldn't be forced to do it though.

[itsaknockout]

The eyebrow and cheekbone usually provide some protection to getting hit full force on the eye.

[BadgerB]

"However hockey - like rugby or football - has the potential to cause some pretty serious injuries. It's just part and parcel of playing it."

And why should unwilling kids be forced to put themselves into such danger in the name of Sacred Sport? Cross-country runs rarely, if ever, cause injuries and are just as energetic.
I agree wholeheartedly with Rabbit: dangerous games for those who are keen and whose parents are willing to let them risk serious injury

[Moniker1]

I would imagine giving small boys sticks to hit a small ball with is def a recipe for v careful supervision.

I would write a letter voicing your concerns, pointing out that careful supervision is required and following rules is expected and not an option.

Aske if there is no one with proper knowledge of hockey rules can thy do something else? If the DCs need to run about they can kick a ball or run races or whatever.

If it is put in writing to the Head then she would be in a tricky position if further accidents occur, so would hopefully get better supervision in place.