United Brachial Plexus Network, Inc.

Shannon-you gave my husband hope!! LOL! We are huge hockey fans so can't help hoping maybe, just maybe, she'll go in that direction. Anything but golf really! (sorry golf fans)

All of these stories are GREAT!

I play basketball, tennis (I even serve with my BP arm), I play pool, I bowl, I've begun to golf.
But growing up I wanted to play soccer and my mom wouldn't let me. So please let her do anything she wants when the time comes.
My mom did let me join gymnastics at the YWCA, and I did some cheerleading at a camp in elementary school.
Even if I'm not really good at it I still enjoy everything I've tried.
Volleyball or Softball may be next... Who knows!

Hello, my name is joel. I have had BPI my entire life. There is no such thing as a sport your daughter can not play. I have competitively (and successfully) wrestled, ran distance races, am currently working on my black belt in shotokan and played rugby. In addition, I am a personal trainer going to grad school, who can always play with the group, no matter what the sport. I have been re-habing myself my entire life, simply because until now I was unaware of the prevelance of this condition and the research that has been done. In short, I suggest you tell your daughter what my mother told me, "You're fine child, you are the only thing that can stop you". I would be honored to give you any suggestions you may want, whether on isometric rehab or just the comfort to know that your daughter is not alone. Respectfully yours, Joel B. Craig, Buckingham PA. jbc762000@yahoo.com

Hello Joel,
Thank you so much for your imput. PLEASE!! continue to share with us on both Boards. You can really be helpful to all of us,especially the children and teens.Please plan to attend Camp 2005 in Washington D.C. where we all shall be together. I for 1, would like to meet you and pick your brain on our current issues of OBPI adults.
Carolyn

Welcome Joel

thanks for posting all the great information. Welcome to the boards.
I was raised to believe I could do anything I wanted to do as long as I tried... I was never allowed to say "I can't" My Mother always told me "can't means you won't". She encouraged me to do anything I wanted to do and she never told me I could not do something because of my arm.

Kath

Sara

If you haven't already....please check out the general message board. There is a July 6th post under the topid ARTICLE.

My daughter who is 14 is a wonderful gymnast. Her coach encourages her to find ways to do things.

Hi all,
My daughter Brittney is 12 and she is very athletic. If you practice hockey with your daughter I am sure she will do fine! There are some things that have been more difficult for my daughter, but she learned that on her own - like dance lessons, volleyball, and cheerleading - but we are a swimming and soccer family, and right now she plays competive soccer, and also runs to keep in shape. I think that she really just had no interest in those sports like cheerleading and dance and so she tried harder in the ones she loved. She has been on the swim team for 5 years now, and some strokes she has learned to modify but she is competitive. There are over 300 kids on her team, and she is right in there. She has played on a girls basketball team but didn't like it as much as soccer... She is a great roller blader, climber, and so on and she tries anything and then decides. She competed in a kids triathlon last summer and did well - finished in the top half. She is an awesome football thrower!! She got a ribbon last year in 6th grade for tossing a football farther than any other girl in her Middle School sixth grade class on field day (and she is a very petite light weight girl in a big school w/ 1000+ kids. (Our family also loves football).
Your little one will do fine! Practice hockey with her and she will learn her own style.
Christy

I bike and snowboard. Only a few more months until Stevens Pass opens!

Yikes, you're thinking about snow already!! Your in good company at Stevens with all the boarders and the new park. Maybe I'll see you up there some day.

John P.