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Starting as Free Agents, Freebirds Now Fly High in Sioux Falls
The South Dakota league put all of the free agents together on the Freebirds, and now they’re thriving
With time winding down to sign up to play in a fall/winter adult hockey league, Travis Dusing and his roommate barely made registration.
The two guys weren’t the only free agents wanting to join the Sioux Empire Adult Amateur Hockey League in Sioux Falls, S.D. It just so happens that all the free agents were put onto one team. And the Freebirds were born.
Since September, the players have gotten to know one another — most had never played in the league before or knew anyone who played — and started to bond.
“Starting off, it was a little bit different because there was no like baseline,” Dusing said. “But it was really cool for everyone to kind of meet each other.”
Dusing, 21, is in his first season of playing adult hockey and is picking up the nuances each Sunday when his team hits the ice.
“It’s been an experience,” Dusing said. “I’m kind of glad I went on the Freebirds the first year that I played in the league; that way I wasn’t forced onto another team’s rhythm. We’ve just got a bunch of people that just kind of started joining the league together and have fun.”
Josh Crouch, a Freebirds defenseman and manager, played club hockey at Iowa State University and is also getting his first taste in an adult league. Being thrown in with the Freebirds has been an adjustment.
“We’re all from all over the place, so it’s kind of cool playing a different style of hockey,” said Crouch, 23. “Me growing up in Texas, I’m playing Texas style. Playing with kids from Minnesota, South Dakota and Illinois, it’s a bunch of different styles and we don’t have chemistry yet, stuff like that.”
The chemistry is coming along slowly. It took a couple of months to figure out which players work well together on the same line and who excels at what.
“It took at least three games before everyone felt confident in knowing each other,” Dusing said.
The toughest part in throwing together 16 players on a team was that the Freebirds didn’t really have a group of defensive players.
“We had to have a few forwards go back to D, plus no one had really skated with each other, so it was learning what everyone knew and all that,” Dusing said.
The Freebirds are a compilation of mostly players in their 20s and early 30s. The majority of the guys are new to the adult hockey scene and are learning on the fly. The players seem to have a good time on and off the ice.
“The fact that even if we’re losing, everyone’s just kind of having fun and just here to play hockey,” Dusing said.
Playing in the B League, the Freebirds have had to take on some well-established teams on a weekly basis.
“It’s pretty competitive,” Crouch said. “It’s a lot better league than I thought it would be.”
“We just took on a team called the Dudes, and they’ve been the team to beat in the league for many years,” Dusing said. “They’re definitely a team of older gentlemen, but they’re all good and have been playing together for so many years.”
The Freebirds want to become a team like the Dudes — staying together every season and starting a tradition.
“I think there’s a couple of us that really want to stay together,” Crouch said.
“If we can establish a team and see if we can find more players, I would definitely want to do that,” Dusing said.
Story from Red Line Editorial, Inc.
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Summer is here, meaning hockey might be the furthest thing from many people’s minds
Playing hockey can play a big role in staying healthy as an adult
Adult hockey not only promotes a healthy and active lifestyle, it requires it. As adults get older, they increasingly need to emphasize regular exercise and a nutritious diet. There’s no easy way to go about it—but there is a fun, challenging and rewarding option that sticks with you for life:
Hockey.
That’s right. Hockey is part of the perfect prescription for an adults’ health regiment. Just ask Olympian and former NHL player Steve Jensen.
“Physical fitness is something we should all be thinking about as we get older,” says Jensen, a longtime certified USA Hockey coach/official. “There’s no better activity than hockey to stay in shape.”
Dr. Michael Stuart, chief medical officer for USA Hockey, says the positives of playing hockey are contagious.
“Participation in ice hockey provides all the benefits of exercise while building friendships and ensuring a fun time,” says Stuart, who is also the vice-chair of Orthopedic Surgery and the co-director of the Sports Medicine Center at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.
Dr. Stuart and colleague Dr. Edward Laskowski of the Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine Center sketch out specific benefits for hockey players:
- Prevents excess weight gain and/or maintain weight loss.
- Boosts high-density lipoprotein (HDL), or “good” cholesterol, and decreases unhealthy triglycerides, a cominbination that lowers your risk of cardiovascular diseases.
- Stimulates various brain chemicals that may leave you feeling happier and more relaxed.
- Improves muscle strength and boosts your endurance.
- Relieves stress by helping you have fun and unwind, connect with friends and family, and be part of a team.
- Involves physical activity that can help you fall asleep faster and deepen your sleep.
“Playing adult hockey is a great way to feel better, gain health benefits and have fun,” says Stuart, who also emphasizes maintaining a balanced diet. As for safety concerns, he adds: “The risk of injury is small in no-check, adult hockey games, but players should wear high-quality, well-fitting equipment, including a helmet and facial protection.”
The Minnesota-based Adult Hockey Association is starting to see employers embrace hockey as a health and performance benefit for its workforce. Some businesses are beginning to subsidize hockey registration fees for employees because they feel the activity fits the policy of their wellness programs.
“It’s not a lot, but we’re starting to see more and more trickle in,” says Dave Swenson, the AHA’s secretary treasurer who also serves on USA Hockey’s Adult Council and Minnesota Hockey’s Board of Directors.
Swenson wants this trend to continue growing, not just to see the number of players rise, but to reward players for committing to a healthy lifestyle.
“I’m hoping employers think about that a little more,” Swenson adds. “It’s not just softball leagues anymore. There are recreational hockey opportunities out there for adults.”
Hilary McNeish, a longtime player, ambassador, and current executive director of the Women’s Association of Colorado Hockey, says she sees the positive results in women’s hockey every day.
“There are so many benefits,” says McNeish, “but the quote I hear most from ladies is: ‘It’s like working out a lot, but it’s so fun, it doesn’t feel like working out!’”
Aside from the physical health gains, there’s also a mental side to the story that’s special to hockey players.
“There are so many positive experiences that come with it,” adds McNeish. “Being able to play a sport that so many deem difficult is also great for the mind and wonderful for your personal attitude.
“It’s great to see the looks from people when you can say, ‘I play hockey’”
