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BRAIN GYM® PUTS MENTAL MUSCLES TO THE TEST
A midget Northwest Stars coach Garry Talling knew something had to change.While his charges had played well at times in the early going this season, they lacked discipline. Actually, that's a bit of an understatement. The Stars were ringing up an average of more than 40 penalty minutes a game in their first 10 games. Enter Paul Ruta. Ruta, a retired teacher from the Seven Oaks School Division, is the director of the Brain Gym® Resource Centre. The Brain Gym grew out of Paul Dennison's Ph.D. studies in l969. He was looking to help children and adults who had been identified as learning disabled. This research led Dennison to the study of kinesiology, the science of body movement and the relationship of muscles and posture to brain function. Dennison was able to adapt the developmental movements of babies and young children into a system of targeted activities to prepare a brain and nervous system for optimal performance. This information is now being used by the Brain Gym® to help players better control their emotions on the ice. "I think most players realize their brains control their reactions to adversity such as a late hit, a slash or a penalty called by the referee that they don't think they deserved," Ruta said. "They can't control someone's reaction to them but they certainly can control their own reaction. As part of pre-game preparation we work on physical movements to exercise and stimulate their brains, ensuring they are prepared to respond to adversity in an appropriate manner." Talling says those exercises have had a big impact on his players. "These movements or exercises have helped improve our guy's focus and discipline in pressure situations where things may not be going our way," Talling said. Like most teenagers, Stars players were initially skeptical. Some even referred to it as voodoo. Few are disputing its effectiveness now. "I was nervous to start but I'm comfortable with it now," said goaltender Denny Felske, who was one of early skeptics. "Now, for the most part, I just get ready for the next shot. It's also helped keep us out of the box which makes my job easier and that has helped our results." The Brain Gym® might not be for everybody, but it has made a big difference in the Stars' play. How do you know? Check out the Stars player sipping water to remove stress or his teammate staring at a spot on the wall. It's all part of the Brain Gym®.
March 2002 "FACE OFF" Manitoba's Official Hockey Magazine Transcontinental Media. Winnipeg, MB. By Doug Burch
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