District Sets Helmet Rule After Ballplayer's Death

Christina Cole

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When using a Grapevine-Colleyville school district batting cage, all persons will now be required to wear a helmet under new rules that were adopted in response to a baseball player's recent and tragic death.

Dallas area school district has new safety regulations in place, just three days after a 17-year-old boy died from a head injury he suffered when a baseball hit him in the back of the head.

The rule applies to both pitchers and batters in the district's baseball or softball batting cages. This new rule also calls for district employees to inspect batting cage equipment regularly for problems with netting. Any holes or tears will force closure of the batting cages until they can be repaired.

A layer of secondary netting that had been missing from Grapevine High's batting cages was added Tuesday, officials said. "I think a review of safety policies and procedures is always a good idea," Chris' father said, declining further comment.

Chris's death has also raised the helmet issue among officials with the University Interscholastic League, the governing body of Texas public high school sports.