Black high school softball player who was forced to remove beads cuts hair

Yappi

Yappi

Go Buckeyes
On April 19, Nicole Pyles faced a choice of removing her hair beads or abandoning her Hillside High School softball teammates in the middle of their game against Durham rival Jordan High.

The demand came from the game’s two umpires, who were following a strict interpretation of a National Federation of State High School Associations rule that allows players to use bobby pins, barrettes and hair clips but prohibits plastic visors, bandannas and hair beads.
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First off, what a stupid rule. How in any way, shape or form does having beads in your hair impact the game play? If you can have hair clips and giant bows like these girls like to wear some daggone beads are not going to hurt anything.

Second, these umps are screwed. In today's society we all know where this is headed. Kind of foolish in my mind that this is the hill they have decided to die on, but to each is own.
 
I watched a girl be told to take a hair-tie off of her wrist. Some rules seem silly on the face of it but are usually because of someone taking it to the extreme. I wouldn't want to see a girl playing with beads in her hair if she had them down to the midpoint of her back.

Agreed about the umpires being screwed. I found it interesting that the black ump appears to be the one that was in charge of the situation but the white umpire is getting more heat from the player and family.
 
What a joke...Like Yappi said, if it was down to the middle of her back, I can see...Geez. Sounded like the opposing coach brought it to the umps attention. If they feel they need to enforce the rule, a warning should be given to the player....Not cut her hair right there. Maybe its just me (and I'm older and out of school), but it would of took everything in me not to tell them where to go.
 
Yappi said:
I watched a girl be told to take a hair-tie off of her wrist. Some rules seem silly on the face of it but are usually because of someone taking it to the extreme. I wouldn't want to see a girl playing with beads in her hair if she had them down to the midpoint of her back.

Agreed about the umpires being screwed. I found it interesting that the black ump appears to be the one that was in charge of the situation but the white umpire is getting more heat from the player and family.
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As I read the article it appears the player recognized the White umpire from previous games. Mightve felt that particular umpire should've said something previously if these was a problem.
Reading the comments from that article I have to agree that the head coach or AD should've addressed this earlier in the year. How many student athletes or parents ACTUALLY read the rulebook?
 
HSFB Fan said:
No way as a coach I would allow this to happen. I see a lawsuit in the making.
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And exactly what would they sue over? If it's in the rule book I suppose they could sue past umpire crews for not inforcing the rule. Sue her own coach for negligence? Sue the rules committee? I don't see how the umpires are at fault. She was in violation of the rules, they gave her options on how to address it, and she made her choice to comply with the rule.
 
D4fan said:
And exactly what would they sue over? If it's in the rule book I suppose they could sue past umpire crews for not inforcing the rule. Sue her own coach for negligence? Sue the rules committee? I don't see how the umpires are at fault. She was in violation of the rules, they gave her options on how to address it, and she made her choice to comply with the rule.
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I don't agree with how this was handled...kind of petty if you ask me. But in no way do I agree with suing...this is all way too common nowadays.
 
D4fan said:
And exactly what would they sue over? If it's in the rule book I suppose they could sue past umpire crews for not inforcing the rule. Sue her own coach for negligence? Sue the rules committee? I don't see how the umpires are at fault. She was in violation of the rules, they gave her options on how to address it, and she made her choice to comply with the rule.
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HS Softball is different between inner city and suburbs. You would be amazed at how many complaints/grievances are posted in HS sports with OHSAA some even land into law suits.


Most umpires know this….

I remember a game two years ago where the opposing team had no facemask on their batting helmets. The umpires said man let them just play.
Many do not even know that most inner city programs don’t even get involved in OHSAA tournaments because they just want the ladies to play and are not interested in a 30-0 as whooping from some suburban school.

It was just an umpire being an period....I guarantee the player played most of the season like this with no issues…


"
 
1. If the Jordan coach, as implied, complained, he is an asshat!
2. If the base umpire has ignored this previously, what changed his mind?
3. What consequences are there for the umpires who failed to enforce the rule in previous games or at the beginning of the game in question?
4. I bet it was Alabama til I read the article, NC was my 2nd guess.
5. As a retired district level administrator, I would have supported my coach recognizing the unfair interpretation andpulling the team from the field.
 
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