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Of all the sports that seem tough to manage with type 1 diabetes, ice hockey goes directly to the top of the list. It"s physically draining, super-fast, and involves extreme temperatures.
I never played hockey myself growing up, but being from the Detroit area I know the sport well and have always appreciated the rigors involved (not to mention devotedly rooting for my beloved Detroit Red Wings).
That"s why I was so intrigued recently to learn about a program established in Canada in January 2013 called Dskate Hockey, designed to teach youth about diabetes through hockey -- practices, games and educational sessions.
This Medtronic-sponsored group has nurtured hundreds of kids from ages 8 to 16 in its week-long hockey camps, held in different locations a few times a year during hockey season (October-May). Their parents and families are part of the experience through volunteer coaching and informational sessions. The hope is to expand beyond southern Ontario and Montreal to other areas of Canada and beyond.
While it’s a pretty cool program on its own, the backstory behind Dskate is pretty awesome too.
Dad’s Diabetes = Inspiration
Dskate was founded by Steven Hindle, a so-called “Type Awesome” (supporter of a loved one with diabetes), as he’s the son of longtime type 1 Robert Hindle.
“I created this program as a result of over 20 years of observation of the world of diabetes," Steve says. "My inspiration for doing so came through a lifetime of advocacy as my father was a diabetic for 37 years. And though you would think it sounds like I am inspired because I lost my father to T1D, it is exactly the opposite."
Thankfully, his dad is alive and well and has quite the story to share.
Diagnosed at age 12, Robert went on to become a diabetes pioneer as he accomplished unprecedented athletic achievements, including running in the name of JDRF Canada for a quarter-century and netting $100 million in donations to help create the Canadian Clinical Trial Network (CCTN) and the Canadian Stem Cell Network (SCN) -- both significant research drivers in the diabetes biological cure world.
In his 35th year as a type 1, Robert developed kidney failure and endured more than a year of dialysis before finding a family match for a kidney – his brother (Steve’s uncle).
“Now, this is where my father’s story separates from the rest of the world,” Steve says. “During the 24-hour window surrounding his surgery, a perfect-match pancreas became available. Thanks to 17 hours of surgery, my father emerged as the first non-type 1 diabetic in North America, and third in the world at the time.”
That was 16 years ago, and Steve says his dad is now happy and healthy -- and has not only inspired the Dskate Hockey program, but is actively involved himself.
From left to right: Steven Hindle, Cory Conacher, Dr. Michael Riddell, Robert Hindle
Hockey & Life Lessons
Essentially, Dskate is a first-of-its-kind hockey camp for kids and teens with diabetes, held in Montreal and Milton, Canada. Of course there are diabetes camps focused on other sports such baseball and basketball, for example, but this is the first such effort around the no-holds-barred culture of ice hockey. More than 80 type 1s have participated each week-long camp in just the first two years.
The camp program includes daily training and events, all about instilling important life lessons and embracing the “You Can Do This” mantra when it comes to athletics and diabetes.
Dskate has a staff of 60 people, both on and off the ice, teaching players to build self-confidence and communication abilities. This covers learning from everyone from pro hockey players, to diabetes educators and others skilled in D-management, to help every participant do their best.
“My goal is to achieve and create an industry based on improving quality of life,” Steve says. “First and foremost for our T1Ds, but more importantly, for everyone and anyone suffering from afflictions that impede the enjoyment of life.”
Intrigued about the Hindle family story and Dskate itself, we asked Steve to fill us in further.
Q&A on Dskate with Diabetes
DM) What an amazing story about your dad, Steve! How is he doing these days as to the pancreas transplant?
SH) Incredibly, and fortunately, my father"s body has continued to react well to the new pancreas and he has shown no signs of issue. As a matter of fact, his kidney and pancreas are among his healthiest organs! Having been a diabetic for over 35 years, though, he is now dealing with minor complications related to T1D in the form of eye problems and some circulatory annoyances... but those have nothing to do with the transplant and everything to do with fighting T1D for over 3.5 decades.
Your dad was obviously a great athlete. Was he also big in hockey?
My father was an excellent hockey player and was captain of Loyola-St. George"s (now Concordia University in Montreal) team and, though he could have entered the NHL as his defense partner of four years did, he chose to pursue a career in law. But he remained involved in the NHL, working with such former legends as Doug Harvey, Gordie Howe and Bobby Orr, among others, in the years after their careers.
You have a family history in hockey fame, correct?
Yes, my family has long been involved with hockey. My great uncle Dickie Boon (pictured) is in the Hockey Hall of Fame, as he was a four-time Stanley Cup winner and Founder of the Montreal Wanderers and Montreal Maroons in the early 1900"s and later the NHA (the league which preceded and eventually became the NHL). He is also credited with having invented the "poke-check" (Using the stick to poke the puck away from an opponent). As a result, generations of my family have remained heavily involved in hockey, including my father -- and now myself.
And now you"ve combined your own love for hockey with helping PWDs (people with diabetes)?
I pursued hockey, playing on multiple teams each year from age 6 to 24, before deciding to pursue the game from a different angle. Originally, I was a journalist covering the Washington Capitals and Montreal Canadiens, and while it was a wonderful experience that kept me tightly involved with the game on a daily basis, it did not allow me to make a difference.
It was courtesy of my father"s involvement with JDRF that I was exposed to the world of diabetes and, as a lifelong T1D Advocate, I felt compelled to find a way to give the world something back for what it had given me.
So, in keeping with my mission to find a way to give back, I struck upon the concept of integrating elite-level sports skill development (which many T1Ds rarely have the opportunity to participate in) with top-level diabetes management. Courtesy of some very open-minded and passionate partners, I was provided the opportunity to test out the Dskate concept and since that time Dskate has become a banner for what I believe should be the new standard in sports-education programming for the diabetes world, and for anyone who is interested in having a fun and healthy lifestyle.
Are there any notable hockey players with diabetes who serve as inspiration?
There are many T1D hockey players and other T1D athletes out there. We are only beginning to scratch the surface in terms of truly recognizing these extraordinary T1Ds.
The singular most iconic T1D hockey player is a man by the name of Bobby Clarke (pictured in red jersey). Bobby played for the Philadelphia 
Though Bobby was on an island by himself in the "70s, there have been many impressive T1D hockey players to have played in the NHL since, and currently.
Currently, Max Domi has just begun his first season in the NHL with the Arizona Coyotes. Max is a T1D and is an amazing hockey player. He played for and led Team Canada to a Gold Medal at last winter"s World Junior Hockey Championship and is now being touted as a potential "Rookie of the Year" candidate in the NHL. With his skill and determination, he is sure to be a staple as a T1D hockey role model for years to come. And he is a friend of Dskate to boot!
Retired NHL defenseman and former All-Star and Stanley Cup Winner, Nick Boynton is one of our lead spokespersons. Nick had a celebrated career of over a decade in the NHL and won the Stanley Cup as a member of the Chicago Blackhawks in 2010. His leadership and dedication to Dskate is a testament to how passionate T1Ds are about helping others.
Last but not least, there is our very good friend, Cory Conacher. Cory is a T1D hockey player who is currently playing in Switzerland for the SC Bern Bears and sits 2nd in NLA League scoring (Swiss Elite Hockey League). Cory is our main spokesperson and Dskate couldn"t ask for a better guy to serve as a leader and role model for our T1D players. Cory spent the last 4 seasons playing in the NHL before deciding to play in Switzerland for the next two years. He was also recently named a member of Team Canada for the upcoming Euro super tournament, The Spengler Cup.
When or how will Dskate expand beyond Canada?
Incredibly, we now have the privilege of calling Dskate an international program, as we have had over 20% of our 
We are currently working with many of our U.S. families to find ways to bring Dskate south of the border, but as we are a "not-for-profit" organization, we will need some more corporate partners who are as passionate as we are to help make that happen.
How do people get involved in Dskate, and is there a cost?
As we believe that T1D has no borders, we do not restrict who participates or where they are coming from, our only criteria is that they fall between the appropriate age range of 7-17 years old (boy or girl), live with diabetes and have a love for hockey. These basic elements are all we need to show T1D hockey players the time of their lives.
We are always looking for additional sponsors and partners and are open to working with anyone who meets our criteria of wanting to make a positive difference in the world of diabetes.
In regards to the cost of participation, each Dskate program is different and the registration fees change by year based on fluctuating costs, but the average camp cost ranges between $629-$699 in Canadian Dollars. Registration and payment are done online to allow for a seamless and secure process.
For our international participants or those coming from far enough away, we also partner with local hotels to get discounted rates. The accommodations are T1D-friendly (fridge, microwave and more) and are always the closest possible distance to the Hockey facility.
Thanks for this great program, Steve. With the love of hockey spilling over Canada, we look forward to seeing this expand to the States!
Disclaimer
This content is created for Diabetes Mine, a consumer health blog focused on the diabetes community. The content is not medically reviewed and doesn"t adhere to Healthline"s editorial guidelines. For more information about Healthline"s partnership with Diabetes Mine, please click here.
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