Meet the Captain

by barbaragarn

​Meet Trevor Tjelmeland, longtime captain at Fogerty’s Tuesday night Level 3 game. Trevor sees his captain position as one of encouragement: “My natural role is to engage with people. I’m the friendly cheerleader type–I really like to see people improve,” he said.

While Trevor played as a child, he said he wasn’t very good and lost interest. Decades later, as an adult, he found himself next door to an avid hockey player. “It took a long time for him to talk me into it,” he said. He borrowed gear and fell in love with the sport, buying all new equipment because, as he said, “I loved it so much, I knew I was going to play every week.”

Getting bit by the hockey bug as an adult was more meaningful than as a kid, and JMS is the friendly environment Trevor was looking for. “You can stink and still have fun… we can all play at JMS and we can all stink together!”

Playing with other learning adults was perfect. “There’s something about starting as an adult,” he said. “You are really aware of the improvement in yourself, in your teammates–the other JMS players. It’s fun to run across people I knew from before and see how they’ve improved as well.”

Trevor plays several times a week–“It’s hard to believe I would be more athletic as an adult than as a child!” he said. But like many, his AHA games are different from the more relaxed environment at JMS. “I’m hard-driving in my league games but at JMS I like to have fun, talk with all my friends–on both benches.”

As a captain, he knows all the regulars and uses his captain role to bring the group together. “We’re all adults. There shouldn’t be any babysitting,” he said. “Besides the fun on the ice, there’s the camaraderie, meeting new and interesting people.”

Trevor’s usual games are the Tuesday night Level 3 sessions at Fogerty. His efforts helped develop the Fogerty session from a struggling game into the strong Tuesday session it is now. Sign up for a game and catch him on the ice!

Concussion Discussion II

by barbaragarn

Concussions are a big deal! JMSer Jennifer Ginkel works with the National Dizzy and Balance Center — she provided this article about concussions: 

In recent years the awareness level of the occurrence of concussions in youth athletics, and how to treat them, has increased significantly. The National Dizzy and Balance Center has recognized this and teamed up with Minnesota Wild and Minnesota Hockey in their efforts geared towards their “Respect and Protect” program for raising awareness in youth athletics and National Dizzy and Balance Center’s program for baseline and post injury concussion testing. 

The American Academy of Neurology clearly defines concussion as a trauma-induced alteration in mental status, which may or may not involve a loss of consciousness. Studies show there are more than 300,000 sport-related concussions each year. As this field of study expands, difficulties still exist in accurately identifying the full extent of a concussion.

Given the wide variety of symptoms associated with concussions, baseline neurophysiological testing (ImPACT) provides an individualized objective evaluation of the concussed athlete’s post-injury condition and assists in tracking recovery for safe return to play. The testing program measures multiple aspects of cognitive function, including: attention span, working memory, attention time, reaction time, and problem solving. ImPACT testing also assists in preventing “Second Impact Syndrome”, which may occur in athletes under the age of 20 who sustain a second concussion before the initial concussion has completely healed. Comparing baseline testing with post-injury scores will indicate if an athlete has returned to his/her pre-concussion baseline, and if he/she is appropriate for return to play.

In addition to ImPACT testing, NDBC offers Computerized Dynamic Posturography (CDP) to assess the manner in which an athlete is integrating sensory information to maintain balance. After a concussion, athletes often report symptoms of dizziness and imbalance, which may be due to a vestibular (inner ear) injury or the result of injured brain centers. Testing with ImPACT and CDP provides a more comprehensive baseline, so that more accurate decisions can be made in regard to return to play recommendations.

As it may be an indication of concussion, do not hesitate to seek medical attention if an athlete displays or describes experiencing any of the following symptoms:

• Confusion
• Clumsiness
• Loss of consciousness
• Behavior and/or personality change
• Memory loss prior to and/or post trauma
• Headache
• Nausea
• Dizzy/balance problems
• Double/fuzzy vision
• Sensitivity to light or noise
• Feeling sluggish or “foggy”
• Changes in sleep patterns
• Difficulty with concentration

Most athletes will fully recover from a concussion, but some athletes may experience chronic cognitive and neurobehavioral difficulties, described as “Post-Concussion Syndrome”. The symptoms can be disabling for an athlete, and in some cases, permanent. Completing baseline testing with ImPACT and CDP, recognizing a concussion, seeking treatment, and raising awareness may save an athlete from brain damage or even death.

So, protect yourself and other hockey players in your family–take the proper steps and do baseline testing! You only have one brain and one chance to do the right thing.

For more information, visit NDBC online at www.StopDizziness.com or e-mail our contact, Jennifer Ginkel, at JenniferG@stopdizziness.com. If we get enough interest, we can schedule a group testing at very reduced rates.–BG

References

• Kirkwood MN, Yeates KO, Wilson PE. Pediatric sport-related concussion: A review of the clinical management of the oft-neglected population. Pediatrics 2006; 117(4): 1359-71.
• Guskiewicz FM, Ross SE, Marshall SW. Postural stability and neuropsychological deficits after concussion in collegiate athletes. J Athl Train 2001: 36(3): 263-73.
• McCrea M, Guskiewicz KM, Marshall SW. Acute effects and recovery time following concussion in collegiate football players: the NCAA concussion study. JAMA 2003; 290 (19): 2549-55.
• Riemann BL, Guskiewicz, KM. Effects of mild head injury on postural stability as measured through clinical balance testing. J Athl Train 2000: 35(1): 19–25.
• Broglio SP, Sosnoff JJ, Ferrara MS. The relationship of athlete-reported concussion symptoms and objective measures of neurocognitive function and postural control. Clin J Sport Med 2009: 19(5): 377-82.
• University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, (2010) Concussion Resource Center, August 27, 2010  http://impacttest.com/concussion/overview#commonsigns

Our AWESOME goalies

by barbaragarn

After the long discussion earlier about goalie no-shows, the topic has been on my mind. 

And I noticed something. This week and last week–and just about every week–we have some really stellar goalies who step in and take the open nets, so players will have a good game.

I know I’m leaving out too many, but the recent ones were Jones on Monday night (playing fourth night of five), Zarras on Monday (had to cancel but noted he would play if spot wasn’t taken–and then did), and 

I can’t believe–but I know we are all so grateful for–the sense of responsibility that most goalies feel about their position. I tried to make it clear in my earlier blog that I was discussing only a small percentage of goalies, the ones who no-show and let us all down. 

So many goalies are so willing to change their plans, come out when they’re sick or tired, or just don’t feel like it, just so the skaters won’t have to shoot on a board. 

Tell your goalie thank you next time you play. And the next time, and the time after that. We are really lucky to have such a dedicated crew taking nets for us.

Thank you, JMS goalies. You are awesome.

JMS Pond Hockey

by barbaragarn

People have asked and I think it would be fun to hold a JMS pond hockey event. I’m not sure about a “tournament,” but I think it would still be fun to have JMS community members share the ice outside.

So​… I’ll plan and organize it, but I need feedback on the items below. Please post comments and I will take them into account when planning the shindig.

1. Time — month, weather-wise? we don’t want to go too late (and last year some pond hockey games were played in the rain!), but then we also know a lot of people are very busy with hockey, which leads to… day of the week? I know lots of our JMSers play in the AHA on the weekends, and two games in one day is no funsies for some of the newer skaters. 

2. Location — one central rink or several locations? Probably better to start small. A warming house is probably necessary.

3. Cost — reserving outdoor rinks isn’t too expensive, but it does cost something (will investigate what). And– do we want

4. Food — some kind of event pass with a meal ticket for pizza or something?

I’m not sure what I’ll end up doing, but I welcome comments form the JMS community.