Little League Inc. President and CEO Stephen Keener says,
“…Decisions about equipment and safety should be based on science and data,
not on emotion and anecdotal evidence.” [1]
I agree
SCIENCE AND DATA:
Youth batting helmets need faceguards
Here’s why:
Baseball and softball are leading causes of sports-related facial trauma in the United States [2]
Using faceguards reduces the risk of facial injuries by 35 percent-according to Little League and the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) studies. [3] [4]
Baseball is the leading cause of sports-related eye injuries in children and the highest incidence occurs in children 5 to 14 years of age [5]
90 percent of all sports-related eye injuries can be prevented by wearing proper eye protection [6]
Baseball is a leading cause of dental injury in youth sports. [7]
The American Association of Orthodontists, the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry and the American Dental Association have issued separate policy statements endorsing the use of faceguards [8]
MORE THAN 25 OTHER MEDICAL ORGANIZATIONS, INCLUDING THE AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION AND THE AMERICAN DENTAL ASSOCIATION ENDORSE THE USE OF FACEGUARDS
THE RESULTS OF MORE THAN SEVEN INDEPENDENT STUDIES INCLUDING MULTI-YEAR STUDIES CONDUCTED WITH LITTLE LEAGUE INC. PROVIDE STRONG EVIDENCE THAT FACEGUARDS SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE THE RISK OF FACIAL, DENTAL AND EYE INJURY
“Little League continues to endorse options that leagues can implement immediately to further enhance safety…(including) face guards for batting helmets”
-Little League safety newsletter, As Safe As Possible (ASAP) [9]
SCIENCE AND DATA:
The number of player injuries is underreported by Little League
Here’s why:
Little League Inc. commonly uses the number of insurance claims paid by Little League insurance as the total number of players’ injuries. Little League insurance is a secondary carrier and all personal insurance coverage must be exhausted in order for Little League insurance to even consider paying a claim.
“The Little League does not keep track of injuries as such, but rather of secondary medical insurance claims. This information may or may not reflect actual injuries.”
- The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) [10]
Also, it is impossible to provide the number of youth baseball injuries due to the limitations of current hospital coding systems, (ICD-9) which only identify 1/3 of injuries are identifiable as sports injuries, and that injuries treated outside of a game by doctor’s visits and sports medicine clinics are not included in injury totals. [11]
SCIENCE AND DATA:
The number of players who have died while playing Little League have not been accurately reported or recorded by Little League headquarters
Here’s how:
At least 62 Little League players have died during official practice or play since 1960
The names, dates and causes of death appear in this blog
In 1995, Little League International spokesman Dennis Sullivan said he had "no idea" how many Little Leaguers have been fatally injured in the field [12] and in 2004, Little League spokesman Chris Downs said in an interview with USA Today that the organization's records show that no one has died during official league play. [13]
In 1987, Little League Insurance Coordinator Director Daniel Kirby said that from 1963-1987, 42 players, umpires and coaches had died on Little League fields, [14] - but three years later he said that in the history of Little League, there were only two deaths. [15]
“We think no injury is acceptable”
-Little League President and CEO Stephen Keener [16]
vs.
“Considering that 2.5 million children play in the Little Leagues every year,
the number of deaths is small”
-Daniel Kirby, Director of Risk Management, Little League International [17]
SCIENCE AND DATA:
Convicted sex offenders and criminals are serving as volunteers for the Little League organization
Here’s how:
Little League’s minimum volunteer screening requirement is to have names compared against the National Sex Offender Registry (SOR). [18] Little League International has secured an agreement with LexisNexis to do free background checks, but less than one third of leagues have chosen to do so. [19]
Can't happen here?
Local Little Leagues that voluntarily ordered background checks on more than a quarter million volunteers in a three year period found that two out of every five applicants they screened had a criminal record, including armed robbery, aggravated assault, adult sexual assault, first degree child molestation, indecent assault to a child under 16 year old, aggravated child abuse - and murder. [20]
At last year’s meeting of the Little League Congress, Dan Kirby said that only 700,000 people are listed in the National Sex Offender Registry, whereas there are 101 million people in LexisNexis’ database. [21] Many crimes that involve children, such as providing alcohol/drugs to minors, physical abuse, danger and neglect are not listed on the national SORs. [22]
In addition, sex-related crimes are often pleaded down to lesser offenses which are not found on SORs. [23]
“It is not uncommon for sex crimes to be reduced to a lesser offense from the original charge, keeping that person’s name from being listed on a sex offender registry and keeping your league from knowing of the offense if you do a minimum check of all state SORs”, Kirby said. [24]
THESE ARE JUST A FEW OF THE REASONS WHY THE CURRENT SAFETY SYSTEM FAILS.
THE SUPPORTING FACTS ARE LOCATED THROUGHOUT THIS BLOG.
Little League is a game built on tradition…”don’t fix it if it ain’t broke”…
BUT IT IS BROKEN.
REFORMS MUST BE MADE.
PLEASE READ THIS BLOG –
IT WILL OPEN YOUR EYES
Sources:
[1] Keener, S., (2007, Aug 16), Little League Makes the Case for Metal, Ezinearticles.com
[2] Bak MJ, Doerr TD; 2004. Craniomaxillofacial Fractures during Recreational Baseball and Softball. J Oral Maxillofac Surg. 2004 Oct; 62 (10):1209-12
[3] Marshall, S.W.; Mueller, F.O. & Kirby, D.P. ; et al. (2003).Evaluation of Safety Baseballs and Faceguards for Prevention of Injuries in Youth Baseball; JAMA. , 289(5):568-574 (doi:10.1001/jama.289.5.568)
[4] Kyle SB. Youth Baseball Protective Equipment Project Final Report. Washington, DC: U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, May 1996
[5] American Academy of Pediatrics Policy Statement (2006, May 1)
[6] Prevent Blindness America press release, Leading Cause of Blindness in School-Aged Children Can Be Avoided Through Proper Sports Eye Protection (2008, Sept. 3)
[7]Danis, R.P. Et al (2000) Acceptability of Baseball Faceguards and Reduction of Oculofacial Injury in Receptive Youth League Players, Injury Prevention, 6;232-234
[8]American Association of Orthodontists website (http://www.braces.org/), the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (www.aapd.org), and the American Dental Association (www.ada.org) websites
[9] Little League safety newsletter ASAP (2006, Feb.-Mar.), Vol.13, No.2
[10] Letter from Todd Stevenson, Secretary of the CPSC to J.M McKay re: Petition CP 00-1, dated April 6, 2002
[11] Micheli, L., Glassman, R. and Klein, M., (2000, Oct., The Prevention of Sports Injuries in Children, Clinic in Sports Medicine, Vol. 19 No. 4
[12] Granberry, M., (1995, May 8), 'Safety' Ball Strikes Out in Laguna Niguel, Los Angeles Times
[13] Yoo, I., (2004, July 25), Rare, Fatal Injury Baffles Science, Sports; USAToday.com
[14] Yanarella, J. and Saltzman, J, (1987, April 24), Untitled, USA Today
[15] Ovack, K. & Duryea, B (1990, March 20), Family, Ballplayers Struggle with Little Leaguer’s Death, St. Petersburg, (FL) Times
[16] Associated Press, (2007, July 8), How Safe Are Metal Bats? The Time-Leader (Wilkes Barre, PA.)
[17]Yanarella, J. and Saltzman, J, (1987, April 24), Untitled, USA Today
[18] Little League Baseball and Softball Media Guide, 2008
[19] Little League Background Check Presentation Presented by LexisNexis Screening Solutions, 2011
[20] Author not indicated, (2010, April/May), Use Your Free Checks! Little League Safety Newsletter As Safe As Possible (ASAP), April/May 2010 Vol.7 No. 2
[21] Author unknown, (2007, April) Background Checks: Check ‘Em for Free, ASAP Little League Inc. safety newsletter Vol. 14 No.3
[22] IBID
[23] Little League Mandatory Background Checks Utilizing ChoicePoint 2006 Review
[24] Author unknown, (2010, April/May), Use Your Free Checks! ASAP Little League Inc. newsletter Vol. 17 #2
