I was recently at a highschool game, and I had an interesting conversation with a parent. It was concerning concussions. It has become kind of an epidemic in contact sports in this era. Not only professional sports, but highschool and youth as well.

When I was in highschool, I had a teammate who had suffered a few head injuries and it became such a problem that he had to limit his participation. This was really my first experience seeing an athlete suffer from a concussion. Throughout my collegiate career and early in my professional contests, I saw players and had a few occasions where I was "dinged". At this stage in the game, the medical view on concussion monitering and prevention was not as extensive as it has become.You would sit a shift or two, tell the trainer you were ready to go and you were back in the action. That night you may have had a headache, but it was common. How times have changed.

The amount of documented concussions now is very high and on the rise. Why has it become so wide spread? Are athletes faster, stronger and maybe more reckless? Or maybe the respect or lack of respect for another athlete has gone by and instead become who can make more of a statement with a big hit. Whatever the reason, it is a major issue in the world of sports today.

Just this season, the amount of time lost for head injuries is staggering. Some of the hits are borderline and it is quite evident that in injury may have occured. But, in some instances, it may not result in a blow toward the head, just the force of the collision. And, when this happens, close monitoring of the player starts. Usually, when a player has the symptoms, he is out of the game and must pass the baseline test to return along with a doctors approval. Baseline testing is done at the beginning of each season so the doctors and trainers have some idea of what to look for after a head injury.

This leads me to the conversation with the parent the other night. She begins to tell me how her son suffered a concussion during a game. They had done the baseline testing before the season and continue to do it each year. A practice used in many highschools nowadays. Then, she told me that she had heard some of the kids would purposely do poorly on the test, so if they were concussed during an event, they would not appear to be to severe! I was shocked, but not surprised. So much pressure has been put on highschool and youth sports today that kids feel they cannot afford to be injured or miss games for fear it may hinder their chances of a scholarship. Let me tell you, nothing is more important than a clear head.

Moreover, the prevention and care of athletes at this age must continue to progress so that problems won't grow worse at an early age. A show on ESPN broke my heart when a young highschool football player tried to play through a concussion and as it got worse suffered irreperable brain damage because the parnets nor the student realized the severity of the past injury. This is our life, and teams invest alot of time and money into each player, so the health and welfare of the team is of upmost importance to them. Your sons and daughters are not pro athletes but they are you world.

These injuries effect each player differently, but the care of each should not change. I know our guys are held out of action more for precautionary measures. When I got knocked out cold, I went to the emergency room for a CAT scan. Fortunately, I have had no lingering effects of past injuries, knock on wood. But a few guys I have played with have not been so lucky. Pat LaFountaine, maybe the most gifted player to ever come out of the US had his career cut short by concussion problems, or post- concussion syndrome. He is now a national spokesman for the cause. Another teammate of mine, Keith Primeau, was barely 30 when he had to stop. And the most publicized case is surly Eric Lindros, who is best known for receiving a huge hit from Scott Stevens in the Stanley Cup playoffs. All three of these guys were in their prime, and all were star players.

Just recently, I was on my bike, I'm an avid cyclist, and I was riding over to my brother's house about two miles away. Not paying enough attention, I went into a large frost heave and went down on my shoulder and side. And without realizing right away, my head. I have always worn a helmet and can tell you after two crashes, they saved me from more serious trouble. Both times my helmet was cracked. They are meant for one crash and that is it. Without the helmet, I may not have played that weekend.

The league has mandated new helmets every season, now, and will not allow players to keep the same helmets year after year and alter the foam. I know in youth and highschool football, the same practice is used. Although it may seem expensive, it may be cheaper in the long run. Don't comprimise a child's future by neglecting to check equipment, especially headgear.

The NHL has seen its share of dangerous hits this season, and guys like Patrice Bergeron of the Bruins is probably done for the year. Hopefully with more education and publicity of these reckless hits, we may see a decline in concussions.Please don't take this matter lightly. Use your head!

Weino

Hey, in case you missed it, we are on a roll! Not to jinks ourselves, but we haved crept up into third, two points behind Hartford, who we took a point from last night. With solid special team play, especially penalty killing, and a highlight goal from Geoff Platt, we took the extra point in the shoot-out. A road win, none the less, and we keep rolling. The problem is, everyone beats each other, and it is hard to gain alot of ground on teams in your division.

New Year's Eve, a very solid win. Maybe, since I stopped playing in the NHL, the best game our team has played. It felt like one of the games I played when our team in Philly was really playing well. The forwards were making great plays, the passing was on, solid goaltending, the execution was precise and everything was tilted our way. When a team plays like that, it feels, quite frankly, easy. Not that any game in our league is easy to play, but when a team plays well together, you only have to worry about your job and less work is less energy expended. Some shifts you come off and say to yourself, "Wow, I didn't have to do anything."

When you watch a game of any sport, and it seems like one team cannot do anything against the other, you may wonder how it could be so one-sided. That is when you know a team is really playing well together, and the feeling just flows down the bench or the sidelines. It's contagious. Everyone knows that they are contributing for the team. Individual accomplishment doesn't apply.

Before we get to overconfident, let me tell you that on that night, we were plaing a team that was completing a stretch of 4 games in 5 nights. You watch our games. They are not easy. They are physical. The travel is a factor. Lack of sleep comes into play. Let's not forget that. But, our opponent, Lowell, had also won 3 in a row. We did not take them lightly. Hey, we played well and they may have been a little off. Some team will catch us at the end of a stretch like that. How will we respond?

I missed an entry, which would have explained some feel good stories of the guys playing Santa to some less fortunate kids in the Portland area. I am proud to be a teammate of these guys this year. Like every year in the past, these guys have gone beyond the call of duty when it has come to charitable requests. Never have I seen guys who jump at the opportunities like they have.

Of course, athletes have an obligation to these types of requests, and my teammates have not let their professional status come between a hosptal visit, a trip to Gary's House, or gift giving to less fortunate families. It is not so much their duty, but these guys have answered the call. I know they take pride in this aspect of their profession because I see them perform everyday at the rink. I am very proud to be part of this team...

Christmas in the AHL? Some guys found it a little different, so far from home. My first Christmas in the American League, I opened a box from my parents, no tree, and ate the Christmas bread my Dad always makes. Brendan Mikkelson and Brandon Segal were alone so they joined the Weinrich crew for dinner. The best part is they were enjoying a little Guitar Hero action with our son Ben, 13 years old...

Now, typically in a season, is the toughest part. It is about the halfway mark and it just seems to drag on for awhile. The dog days of winter. When you get to about game 60, you feel like it's the home stretch. But, every season I've played, this is the time where I have felt our team could gain ground on the teams that are going through this type of duldrums. As a team we are starting to do some things well, and if we keep improving, this next month could set up a strong finish. And a great New Year! Weino