NORTON, MASS. (WHDH) - A Wheaton College lacrosse player has been forced to sit on the sidelines because he hasn’t been able to find a helmet big enough to protect his unusually large head.
Freshman goaltender Alex Chu has been practicing with his teammates in preparation of Wednesday’s season-opening game but he won’t be able to take the field.
“One of the issues for myself is that I have a rather wide head,” Chu told 7News.
The 19-year-old’s head is just over 25 inches all the way around. The largest certified helmets for NCAA players are 24 inches.
Without proper protection, Chu can’t compete.
“Lacrosse is such a big part of my life,” he said. “It’s been hard not playing. This is the longest time since I’ve picked up the sport that I’ve gone without playing.”
He was given permission to wear a modified helmet in high school but it’s not approved for use at the college level.
Chu, along with his coaches, have requested that equipment manufacturers provide them with a larger helmet.
“I feel awful for Alex but we have some leads right now that we’re working on to find a solution to the problem,” head coach Kyle Hart said.
Chu is hopeful that he’ll be able to return to the field in the near future.
“I really do hope that from all of this that I get to play,” he said.
Chu also joked that his father has a large head but is not blaming him for the situation.
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