It was the third period of an intense local youth tournament gold medal game between teams of sixteen to eighteen year old ice hockey players. The game was tied 3-3. As is typical of this age group, the trash talking on the ice was running rampant. Most of the play was clean, and there wasn’t a parade to the penalty box. The opposing coach was not pleased with certain referee calls. He was one of those coaches that liked to commentate and yell incessantly from the bench-about anything and everything. I am not sure he even had a flicker of a filter. For some reason I became a target of his comments, and some of it was pretty intense vitriol. I was the head coach of my son’s team.
I really had no idea why I became a target, but long ago I learned that there isn’t always clear logic involved when emotions get elevated, especially when it comes to a fast sport such as hockey.
I have coached sports for years and like to think that, in general, I am pretty good at controlling my emotions and modelling appropriate behaviour for the team. I know that youth players are fully aware of their surroundings and that a coach can have a major impact on their players, beyond the sport itself.
I tried to keep my team focused on playing clean, hard, and ignoring the other bench. These are moments when you can really TEACH. These are the moments that can have a small, but cumulative, impact on players AFTER the game.
Then it happened!
A player on the other team went down in pain holding his right knee. He was rolling around hollering. He wasn’t hit by anybody. He had just pivoted awkwardly. At this level of youth hockey there are no paramedics, team doctors, or Athletic Therapists in attendance.
The other coach and one of his assistants went out to help him. One of my players informed me that it was the coach’s son who was injured.
I am a Sport Medicine Physician. I am quite used to going out on the ice, field, court etc. I often offer my services from the bench to the opposing team, if it looks like a situation that I may be of use. I don’t like seeing a player suffer any longer than necessary.
As it was clear this player was struggling and no one knew what to do, I made my way out on the ice toward the far corner of the rink. The crowd was quiet. Both benches were quiet. The other head coach was now quiet.
I arrived at the scene and the coach asked me why I was there, told me I wasn’t needed, and said I should return to my bench. I could see he was frightened. I explained the other hat that I wear for my employment and offered my assistance. He changed his demeanor and welcomed my help.
I was able to quickly determine that his son had a dislocated kneecap and while chatting to him about what was going on, I slipped the bone back in place. Instant relief. Some calm restored.
The coach was grateful. After the game I organized follow up care for his son.
I think he recognized that his behaviour during the game was inappropriate. I know my team did.
We did win the game. The kids were excited. It was a rare meaningful post game handshake.
I think the situation was a learning experience about good sportsmanship for everyone. That is what I discussed with my team after the game.
Now that I have your attention, let me put in a plug for a group of indispensable health care professionals-Athletic Therapists (AT’s). I have worked closely with AT’s for many years, some working with teams, some in community practice, and others in both streams of practice.
When you watch a high level team sport, the first health care professional that heads out on the ice or field of play when there is an injury is an AT. They are highly trained for this role. They may encounter a relatively minor injury or they may end up handling an acute life threatening event. They play a vital role in so many other aspects for the team. They have a close relationship with the players, advocate for them, and act as an intermediary between the team coach, the other allied team health care professionals, team ownership, and the team physician (if they are fortunate to have one available). They have a specialized skill set to diagnose, treat, refer, and rehabilitate everything from musculoskeletal injuries to concussions. They are with the team before the game, on the bench during the game, treat acute (sometimes life-threatening) injuries, and stick around treating players long after the game. They make important decisions on the degree of injury, the potential long-term health implications for the player, understand the athletic goals of the player, and their input is vital in determining often complex return to play scenarios. Their decisions always put the athlete first and occasionally their decisions can make them temporarily unpopular with the coaching staff. They are the ultimate team players who are often the closest health care professionals that an athlete is involved with.
As a Sport Medicine Physician I rely on their expertise. I have worked with dozens of AT’s over the years. I have complete trust in their clinical assessment and respect them when they feel they need to reach out to me. Our skills complement one another and their input is vital in my medical decision making process. I have always had an admiration for their specific skillset and how their intuition, especially involving the array of mental health issues that players experience, feeds into their assessment, consultation, and treatment process.
They are often the “glue” that holds all the loose ends of the team together.
And they often go unnoticed and receive little acclaim.
Let me say right now…AT’s are noticed, especially by your sport medicine colleagues. Your value is recognized and you are greatly appreciated.
My above story about my little foray onto the ice to pop in a kneecap is a spit in the ocean compared to what AT’s do day in and day out.
Next time you see an AT on a bench “waiting” for something to happen, remember, they have worked their butts off before the game, and will after the game. Just hope they get a chance to see the whole game-because in the end, they are fans too!
Stu Gershman MD
Sport Medicine Physician