In  the  Stable  5  Reasons  You  Should  Follow  The  Mustangs  

 1.  Credibility       Dr.  Michael  Stuart  founded  the  Rochester  Mustangs  because  of  his  love  for  hockey  and  his  interest  in  providing  an  opportunity  for  everyone  the  chance  to  play.         Dr.  Stuart’s  qualifications  include:  

• Co-­‐director  of  Sports  Medicine  at  Mayo  Clinic  • Professor  of  orthopedic  surgery  • Chief  medical  and  safety  officer  for  USA  Hockey  • Consultant,  National  Hockey  League  Players  Association  

    “We  live  in  the  State  of  Hockey,  and  we  are  excited  about  the  opportunity  for  athletes  of  all  ages  and  abilities  to  try  this  great  sport,”  said  Dr.  Stuart.       Dr.  Stuart  worked  as  the  team  physician  for  the  U.S.  Olympic  Men’s  Ice  Hockey  team  that  captured  the  silver  medal  in  the  2010  Vancouver  Olympics.  Dr.  Stuart  was  also  the  team  physician  for  the  2014  Olympic  games  in  Sochi.         “USA  Hockey  has  a  wonderful  tradition  through  the  Paralympic  games,  and  we  want  to  bring  it  to  Rochester,  Minnesota,”  Dr.  Stuart  said.  “We  have  a  dedicated  group  of  volunteers.  We  have  the  facilities.  We  have  the  energy.  We  are  raising  funds.  And  we  are  extremely  excited  about  bringing  sled  hockey  to  Rochester.”  

     

   2.    Player  Passion       “Growing  up  I  played  a  lot  of  team  sports  before  my  injury,  like  baseball,  basketball,  football,  and  track,”  said  Rob  Weigel,  a  T11  paraplegic.         “Since  my  injury,  I  got  in  to  some  cycling  and  other  things,  but  they  just  didn’t  have  the  same  aspects  as  a  team  sport.  Team  sports  have  comradery,  and  the  Rochester  Mustangs  sled  hockey  team  has  given  me  the  chance  to  get  that  back,”  Weigel  said.         The  Mustangs  currently  have  10  players  on  roster.  Like  you,  each  player  has  a  unique  life  story  to  tell.  However  different  the  circumstances  that  led  them  to  sled  hockey  are,  the  sport  has  united  them.         “I’m  a  T5  paraplegic,  so  the  options  I  have  for  team  sports  are  very  limited,”  said  Allen  Chandler,  a  Mustangs  team  member.  “I  haven’t  got  to  play  a  team  sport  since  my  accident,  and  watching  sled  hockey  was  inspiring,  and  I  am  excited  to  learn  every  time  I  get  on  the  ice.”       Even  though  the  Mustangs  have  only  held  5  practices,  the  growing  competition  and  sportsmanship  between  players  each  week  is  something  you  have  to  experience.  Players  started  out  unsure  and  hesitant,  but  now  push  each  other  to  go  harder  each  practice.        3.  Volunteer  Strength         Each  week  sees  the  addition  of  new  volunteers.  As  word  spreads,  more  and  more  people  want  to  be  involved  with  the  Rochester  Mustangs.  Current  volunteers  include:  

• Physical  Therapists  • Researchers  • Public  Relations  student    • Local  hockey  coaches    • Friends  and  family  • Local  media  members  • Hockey  enthusiasts  

      If  you  think  helping  the  team  is  something  you  would  like  to  do,  come  watch  a  practice  at  Graham  Arena  on  Sundays  at  either  8:45  a.m.,  or  10  a.m.  We  are  looking  for  volunteers  with  varying  skills  to  lend  a  hand.  Be  careful,  once  you  witness  the  enthusiasm  and  positive  vibe  exuded  by  volunteers  and  players  at  practice,  you’ll  be  hooked.      

4.  Community  Support         As  interest  grows  in  sled  hockey,  so  does  support  from  the  community.    In  our  early  stages,  we  have  received:  

• Monetary  and  supply  donations  from  local  businesses  • Graham  Arena  allowing  us  to  make  their  premier  sheet  of  ice  our  

home  practice  ice  • Future  open  skate  times  at  Graham  Arena  specific  to  sled  hockey  • Feature  stories  on  local  news  and  in  newspapers  • Donated  airtime  from  KROC  

 5.  You       You  can  help  us  succeed.  Rochester  is  a  hockey  community,  and  we  need  the  vast  network  to  help  our  program  become  part  of  the  family.  You  can  share  our  story,  volunteer  to  help  with  practices,  tell  someone  who  you  think  would  want  to  play,  join  the  conversation,  or  just  come  watch  a  practice.           Dennis  P.  Kimbro  said,  “Life  is  10  percent  what  happens  to  us  and  90  percent  how  we  react  to  it.”  Whether  you  choose  to  enrich  your  life  through  volunteering,  or  are  a  person  who  chooses  to  not  be  defined  by  disability,  the  Rochester  Mustangs  could  use  your  support.    

 About  the  author     Justin  McClanahan  is  a  Public  Relations  major  at  Winona  State  University.  Justin  is  a  player  and  board  member  for  the  Rochester  Mustangs.