By KANDACE MCCOY

kandace.mccoy@register-news.com

MT. VERNON — Though the issue of wearing safety headgear for softball pitchers and corner players has been a topic within the Illinois High School Association for the past few years, there will be no change in IHSA softball rules for the upcoming season, according to Kurt Gibson, an IHSA assistant executive director.

“We follow National Federation of State High School Associations playing rules,” Gibson said. “They write the rules. We don’t deviate from them.”

Gibson confirmed he had received a letter written by Mt. Vernon Township High School junior hurler Alisha Capps regarding an injury she sustained July 27, when she was hit in the face during summer league play. Capps sent letters to both the IHSA and the NFSHSA asking the organizations to make it mandatory for pitchers and corner infield players to wear protective face masks.

“This particular issue in question is a topic that has been discussed for the past three to five years,” Gibson acknowledged. “Right now there’s nothing preventing anyone playing from wearing a protective face mask.”

Gibson added that there are currently no safety standards in softball for headgear other than for the catcher and batter, and there currently is not a standard for any other position.

“I don’t see where the rules committee will mandate that equipment is worn,” he said during a phone interview last week. And though Gibson said he is aware that the NFSHSA is “continuing to look at headgear,” other considerations are also being made, such as moving back pitching distance and slowing down the softball and bat exit speed ratios.

“There are a lot of things in play here in trying to protect players,” he asserted. “I am not unsympathetic with the Capps [family]. I’m hopeful in time there will be something in place, but I can assure you there won’t be anything [rules] in place for the upcoming season.”

Mary Struckoff, assistant director and liaison to the softball rules committee of the NFSHSA, confirmed that “defensive headgear is permissible” under the NFSHSA code, but not required. “We don’t have enough data regarding [softball] injuries. We do have injury surveillance in place. Softball is one of the sports where the fewest injuries are sustained, and we are gathering information and statistics. If Illinois wants to propose mandatory protective headgear for infielders, they are welcome to do that and the committee will consider it.”

Alisha’s mother, Leslie, expressed her disappointed with Gibson’s comments. “It makes me mad,” she said. “There was a girl from Carbondale a few years ago [who got hurt], and she still has seizures. This isn’t about Alisha, but about other kids. If [the IHSA] would have seen [the injury] happen, they probably would change their mind [about the rules].”

As a result of her injury, Alisha has endured two different surgeries to help restructure her jaw, and since there wasn’t enough bone intact for the placement of metal plates, a titanium screen wire was inserted into the right side of her face. Alisha’s body is now rejecting the metal wire, and she has been experiencing “a lot of headaches,” Leslie said.

Alisha will be undergoing another surgery on Dec. 2.

“We’re ready for all of this to get over with and for her to heal up,” Leslie added.

Locally, though, organizations are taking notice of the potential injuries to pitchers and corner infield players. Christi Porter, softball director with the Jefferson County Sports Authority, said pitchers will be required to wear protective gear. Each team will be provided with three face masks for corner players for optional use.

“It isn’t until it hits home, until it’s someone you know that you think, ‘Oh my gosh, this could happen,’” Porter said.

Porter said during the fall grade school softball season, all pitchers wore the face masks.