Check On Each Other

 

Jeff Alterman joined me for the call of Staples/Westhill and Trumbull

I'm happy to say today went well.

I called the game in Bridgeport at Total Mortgage Arena and Stamford-Westhill knocked off Trumbull, 3-1. The broadcast was pretty flawless despite my feeling exhausted. My guess is I didn't have coffee until right after I walked into the rink.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

I will always pursue any broadcast in a big place like that because the athletes deserve those games and I want to call them.

It was comfortable and easy and fun. Low stress. Always nice.

Knowing I had to blast out the door at the end, we ran off Jeff Alterman's TEN Network equipment. I truly enjoy being the advisor and occasional lead broadcaster for TEN and Jeff has made that into a good place for Trumbull athletics to be carried.

The broadcast lasted roughly two hours, setting me up nicely to get from Bridgeport to Brunswick. I refueled with a stop at a nearby Dunkin (Donuts) before hitting the road. A large coffee and a muffin gave me just the energy I needed for Taft and Brunswick at 3:30.

A banner of a Starr hangs outside Total Mortgage Arena
Ringo played the Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater
a few years ago.

I pulled up to the Hartong Rink at 3:13. Yes, I had 17 minutes to set up.

I didn't need that much. Computer, mixer, headset, ambient mic, audio to the camera, and tape down the binder with the rosters. I finished with time to spare.

Brunswick beat Taft, 3-0. No matter how much it gnawed at me, there wasn't time to get from Brunswick to Poughkeepsie. Thus I couldn't call tonight's Vipers game against the Pittsburgh River Monsters.

For the record, I really wanted to. I mean the idea of broadcasting a game involving Pittsburgh would have been great. 

But it physically wasn't possible. The Brunswick game wrapped up before 5:30, leaving me roughly a half hour to get to Poughkeepsie. No shot.

I had a chance to go to tomorrow's Rangers/Islanders Stadium Series tilt at Met Life Stadium but I decided to turn the credential back to the NHL due to exhaustion, traffic, and conflicts. 

It's OK. I think I needed to step away for a day.

To that end, let me shout out my friends in New Orleans this weekend. They're down there for the 2024 National Road Meet and I'd love to be there. Dan Murphy does a remarkable job of organizing and executing the meets. I'd love to be there with my friends but it didn't work out this time.

Brunswick and Taft come together for Shoulder Check

So, let's go back to the Brunswick game. Today's game included a pregame ceremony to recognize Shoulder Check, a movement started in honor of Hayden Thorsen. Hayden was a junior at Darien High School and an up-and-coming star as a goalie in the Mid-Fairfield program.

The idea is simple: Reach out. Check in. Make contact.

Beyond that, it's literally just as easy as asking someone how they're doing.

This matters. 

In truth, Hayden needed a friend like Hayden.

Hayden Thorsen would be the one to put a hand on your shoulder and check on you. He was the one who would work his tail off to be better as a player but also make sure you were OK, whether teammate, friend, classmate or loved one.

Sadly, Hayden took his own life. It pains me to write those words.

Out of that horror came Shoulder Check and the #HT40 Foundation.

Last summer, the foundation, led by Hayden's parents, played a game including NHL stars to honor Hayden and Shoulder Check. His impact on his friends and family extended beyond Fairfield County, but among those who loved him included players from Taft and Brunswick.

And, thus, the Shoulder Check game today at Hartong Rink.

We have to take care of each other, regardless of age range. Teenagers unquestionably have way too much pressure on them, which is why I get nuclear hot when I see parents push their kids to do so many things so that they -- not the child -- can feel better about themselves.

Hayden's story shouldn't be repeated and that strikes me as the ultimate goal of Shoulder Check. The idea is that no one should ever feel alone.

So visit the Shoulder Check website and learn more, and let this be a reminder.

Check on each other.

I'm here if you need a friend.

The score was only part of the story of the day