Hello Goalies! 

Hope everyone is enjoying the start to the new year! It is now close to the end of the season. Some of us have had a great year and some of us have had a longer than expected one. No matter what happened this season, good or bad, you have to take the positives away from it and learn from the negatives. Even with a few weeks left in the season, we have to stay motivated in order to continue our growth and development. Think about the pros and how many hours they put in to make it look so effortless when they take the ice. Its been years and years of hard work and adversity for that smoothness and control. They have gone through all the highs and all the lows but no matter the circumstances, they keep their focus and stayed motivated. 

It can be easy staying motivated during a winning season because chances are the whole team is still engaged and ready for the next game. This keeps you ready and focused because the team depends on you. The last thing you want to do is let your team down so you're going to do what you can in order to be at your best, not only for yourself but your team. It is another story if you're not having a winning season. A majority of the time you might be asking: "When is this going to be over?" "Do I have to go to practice today?" "I'm tired and don't feel like skating." It's the hardest to stay motivated during those times. I myself had a season where we didn't win a single game all year in Grand Rapids where I played Juniors. Our record was 0-41-1. We made the paper for having the worst losing record in town. It was one of the toughest years of hockey I had from a mental stand point. I was dreading going to the rink for games just because I knew I was going to get bombarded with shots and we wouldn't have a chance to win. I knew I had to change my mindset in order to make it work. Instead of complaining and blaming other teammates or the coach, I instead turned the focus to myself and what kind of player I wanted to be. I had to change my mindset from negative to positive. I started thinking about how much time I had left in my career. 

That alone was enough to motivate me because I loved the sport so much. I thought about all the great experiences I had with my teammates and road trips traveling the country getting to do the thing I loved most. I remembered why I loved the sport; it was because of everything except winning. Winning was just the positive side to it. I gave myself motivation through the love I had for it knowing that my time was going to run out soon instead of sitting back and complaining. I made the best of it. I came to the rink early, I made sure my teammates had a laugh and that I encouraged them instead of criticized them. I made everything positive from there on out. It began to give me the fuel I needed in order to find my swing and get motivated again. My game started to improve and for my teammates as well. We didn't win a game but we made the best of the situation by putting a smile on our face. 

At the end of the season I was approached by Davenport University and was offered to come play at their school. They told me they had been watching me for the last year and were really impressed with the progress I had made through all the adversity. They also told me they look for players who find ways to motivate themselves and stay committed because those are the guys they wanted. I committed to DU and played one season there before transferring to Robert Morris University. I was on the worst team in Juniors and got selected to play for one of the top schools in the country. You never know who's watching. Stay motivated and have fun doing what you love!

• •      Grade 1: All ligaments are intact with micro tears
  •      Grade 2: AC ligaments are torn, but coracoclavicular (CC) ligaments are intact.
  •      Grade 3: Complete tear of AC and CC ligaments
  •      Grades 4-6: Very similar to 3 where all ligaments are torn. Differ in the displacement of the clavicle and involvement of other associated ligaments 

•        pt. can be treated with mild pain medication, a sling, and/or physical therapy
•       Slings should not be worn more than 7-10 days without completing light exercises (pendulums)
•       Therapy will focus on increasing ROM to normal and eliminating pain
•        Prognosis varies from person to person and severity. Typically it is 2-12 weeks
•       Treatment for grade 3 at Sabres Team Doctors - PRO Sports & Spinal Rehab
•        Grade 3s are the most controversial on wither to treat conservatively (therapy) or with surgery.
•        Research suggest completing conservative management initially, but if chronic pain and weakness continue surgery will be needed.

•       Surgery is inevitable with these cases
•       After surgery individuals typically are placed in a sling for the first 6 weeks
•       Prognosis for return to play is a minimal of 4 moths of therapy
•       Injury Prevention

•       Upper extremity (UE) strengthening
•       UE flexibility
•       Wearing properly fit equipment
•       Learning and utilizing proper technique
•       Endurance training. Majority of injuries happen in the 2nd period
•       Once an injury occurs additional protective equipment, as displayed below, can be placed under the pads to decrease aggravation of issues. 

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