Aaron Crouse - Derailed by Disabilities

There have been many efforts made in order to help those with disabilities gain the opportunity to participate in athletics.  Organizations such as the Paralympics, Special Olympics, and the Extremity Games have created games designed specifically for individuals who have incurred some disability.  Several modified versions of sports such as ice sledge hockey, wheelchair basketball, and sitting volleyball have provided alternate forms of traditional sports for individuals to participate in at a highly competitive level.  While these alternate opportunities have allowed many individuals to participate in sport who otherwise may not have had a chance, many of the athletes who are a part of such teams have been dealing with disabilities throughout their entire lives.  Suppose you were a professional athlete who had trained your entire life to make it to the show, when suddenly you came down with a unique disability that ended your career.  During the past few years, professional sports have lost several athletes to disabilities before they were even able to reach the prime of their careers.  In the cases of Dan Blackburn and Ben Petrick, fans and the athletes themselves are only left to wonder “what if”.

Dan Blackburn was drafted 10^th overall in the 2001 NHL entry draft by the New York Rangers.  He was named that Canadian Hockey League (CHL) goalie of the year in 2001 and named to the NHL’s all-rookie league in 2002.  It seemed as if the 22-year old was destined to take over for long-time Rangers’ goaltender Mike Richter upon his retirement and become a star playing in front of crowds at Madison Square Garden.  However, during the 2002-2003 offseason, Blackburn suffered a freak injury while weight training, which resulted to nerve damage in his left shoulder.  The injury left Blackburn unable to raise his left shoulder or close his catching glove, a devastating injury for a goaltender.  Though Blackburn attempted to fight on, even attempting the creative solution of using two blockers (in place of a glove), the disability proved to be too much.  He was forced to retire at the age of 25 and now works in real estate after coming to the realization that there was no way he could continue to pursue a career in professional ice hockey and that no viable alternatives were in existence (Burnside, 2005, pg. 1).

Ben Petrick was selected 38^th overall in the 1995 MLB entry draft by the Colorado Rockies out of Glencoe High School.  Scouts described him as a 5-tool player who had potential to become a hall of fame catcher.  Rockies GM Dan O’Dowd claims, "He had no ceiling. I only wish I'd known."  What neither the Rockies or Petrick were aware of is that Petrick was suffering from Parkinson’s disease, a disability that would end his baseball career far too early.  As the disease progressed, it became increasingly difficult for Petrick to hold a bat, let alone swing, catch, and throw. Throughout his career “In 240 games for the Rockies and Tigers, he hit .257 with 27 home runs and 94 RBIs while trying to control the symptoms of Parkinson's, which include tremors, rigidity and slow movements” (Wulf, 2012, paragraph 9).  He recently underwent Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) in an effort to control his Parkinson’s and has turned his attention towards being a motivation speaker, husband, and father.

Petrick’s story was featured on ESPN’s E:60 this past week and is definitely a look for anyone interested in how he has learned to deal with Parkinson’s.

http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=8421632