So I have an odd question...
I know that highschool athletes are not allowed to wear ear communication devices while running, but are there any rules against the use of ear plugs?
I have an athlete who becomes overwhelmed by the sound of the crowd and wanted to try this, but doesn’t want to become disqualified
Thank you!
runner7893 wrote:
So I have an odd question...
I know that highschool athletes are not allowed to wear ear communication devices while running, but are there any rules against the use of ear plugs?
I have an athlete who becomes overwhelmed by the sound of the crowd and wanted to try this, but doesn’t want to become disqualified
Thank you!
Surely no one would care or notice, they're inconspicuous and offer no advantage. I would check with your HS sports association to make sure.
This is clearly the logical response, but it also raises the question of whether you have had much interaction with high school meet officials.
Those guys live to disqualify kids for insignificant violations that have no effect on the outcome of a race.
Wearing a bracelet? Disqualified!
Compression shorts that are a different color from the uniform? Disqualified!
I recognize that most meet officials are just volunteers who are giving back to a sport they love, but the power-tripping minority give them a bad reputation, and you should know the letter of the rule before you tell an athlete to wear ear-plugs.
Thank you for the replies! I have checked the official rules and nothing is mentioned about ear plugs (likely because it was not taken into consideration) but yes, the officials will disqualify for anything, advantage or not.
NoVan wrote:
This is clearly the logical response, but it also raises the question of whether you have had much interaction with high school meet officials.
Those guys live to disqualify kids for insignificant violations that have no effect on the outcome of a race.
Wearing a bracelet? Disqualified!
Compression shorts that are a different color from the uniform? Disqualified!
I recognize that most meet officials are just volunteers who are giving back to a sport they love, but the power-tripping minority give them a bad reputation, and you should know the letter of the rule before you tell an athlete to wear ear-plugs.
You have no idea what you are talking about.
Meet officials are there to officiate the meet and make sure that all of the rules are followed by all the participants. When runners break certain rules, there are penalties for breaking those rules. It is up to the officials to make sure that happens.
They don't want to disqualify anyone. They are not on a "power trip" as you say. They are just enforcing the rules that have been set out for the competition. If they pick and choose what rules to enforce and when to enforce those rules, then you have a problem where the athletes don't know when they have to follow the rules and when they can ignore them.
As to the specific rules you are referencing, I am pretty sure that those rules have been changed and no longer apply.
runner7893 wrote:
So I have an odd question...
I know that highschool athletes are not allowed to wear ear communication devices while running, but are there any rules against the use of ear plugs?
I have an athlete who becomes overwhelmed by the sound of the crowd and wanted to try this, but doesn’t want to become disqualified
Thank you!
Have the athlete talk to the appropriate school district office that can decide that ear plugs are a reasonable accommodation for a disability. Keep that note with you at track meets, and if any meet official so much as looks cross-eyed at the ear plugs, tell them they're risking a lawsuit for discrimination against the disabled, and you have official paperwork to prove it.
The condition you're describing is a disability, and the accommodation is completely reasonable and doesn't affect the competition, and we have a process in place for these situations, so make use of it.
Sounds like this could be a runner with some degree of autism spectrum disorder. So forget your 3/10 and just listen and learn about the variety of humanity.
Nailed it
Thank you for the replies! The athlete was able to wear the ear plugs and found them extremely beneficial! I’m not sure what the policies are nationally, but in this race they allowed the ear plugs per request.
I'm somewhat new to running and have found ear plugs to be a great help during my local 5ks. I can focus on my breath and footfalls without being distracted by anyone else. I would think more runners would use them in race situations.