Dighton-Rehoboth Athlete Injured During Game

A player for the Dighton Rehoboth Regional High School girls’ field hockey team was badly injured during a game Thursday.

D-R School Superintendent Bill Runey said Friday in a press release that the athlete (who wasn’t named) “sustained significant facial and dental injuries when she was struck in the face by a shot in the third quarter versus Swampscott in an MIAA state playoff contest. The shot was taken by a male member of the Swampscott girls field hockey team. This injury required hospitalization. The player, her family, teammates, and coaches remain in my prayers.”

Runey explained the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association handbook has a legal note explaining how the Massachusetts Equal Rights Amendment makes the participation of males on female teams legal.

“I understand that the Mass ERA legislation is voluminous; and therefore, is very difficult to modify in total. However, seeing the horror in the eyes of our players and coaches upon greeting their bus last night is evidence to me that there has to be a renewed approach by the MIAA to protect the safety of our athletes,” Runey stated.

“To be clear, I have the utmost respect for the abilities of female athletes. I am the father of three and all three were very successful in their high school athletic careers. My two daughters remain in the athletic realm today due, in large part, to their positive experience in high school athletics. We have a responsibility to preserve that positivity for all of our athletes today and in the future,” Runey added.