Interests — 07

Ice Hockey

Skates, a stick, and something to chase. Hockey has a way of taking over whatever season it’s in.

Scott Germaise on the ice at a rink, wearing a caged
                  hockey helmet and a white, blue, and gold jersey
                  lettered ‘Chiefs’, leaning toward the camera
                  at the boards.
Ready at the boards.

It’s the fastest game most of us will ever be inside of, and it never stops teaching — balance, timing, and a healthy respect for people who make it look easy.

The Chiefs posed together on the rink ice around the
                  season cup trophy, celebrating after the
                  championship win.
The Chiefs after winning the season cup, August 2019.

As much as I've enjoyed playing over the years, as of 2025 I'm sadly likely all done! Too many broken bones, (legs, ribs, etc), and then an ACL tear and surgery! Even in a "non-contact" league, there's enough bouncing off of people and slamming into walls that these tings do some damage. Besides the challenge of commuting on crutches, it's been repeatedly unfair and damaging to family life. So it looks like I'll have to be relegated to skating in circles with family. Not quite as exciting, but should dreastically reduce x-rays, MRI and ER time.

From the ice

When an Injury Became a Project

Hockey also handed me an ACL injury. The research that followed turned into more than personal homework.

The result was ACLsupport.com — a volunteer effort to make useful information easier to find for other people facing ACL injuries and recovery.

The fuller version of this story — to be written.