8/7 Board Action on Soccer Mouthpieces

As a result of the MIAA Board of Directors actions at their recent meeting on August 7th, 2007, described in the statement below:

• Mouth guards are REQUIRED for all soccer players while on the field

Dr. John Richmond (Chairman of the MIAA Sports Medicine Committee) and Dr. Paul Epstein (a dentist who serves on the SMC), and other members of the Committee urged the MIAA Board of Directors to reconsider its June vote, which changed the mandate that soccer players wear mouthpieces to  "highly recommended" language.  Dr. Epstein provided the Board with a detailed presentation, supported by compelling data.  Both doctors argued convincingly that the Board vote in June was contrary to past Board policy inasmuch as, in their carefully considered medical opinion, it caused the reduction of athlete health and safety.  The Board was reminded that the basketball mouthpiece rule revision was subject to the two-year rule change process.  The medical testimony this week convinced the Board that its June "emergency" vote was based on health and safety information which was subsequently refuted by the Association's medical experts.

The MIAA Sports Medicine Committee has a distinguished history of leading nationally in areas of student athlete safety.  Required mouthpieces in various sports are but one example, required eye protection in other sports are other examples, and required face masks in ice hockey yet another.  The doctors are convinced that the NCAA and the National Federation will implement mouthpiece rules that once again will follow the lead of MIAA.