Fischer Never Far From Brother, Bulldogs
February 6, 2015
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Connor Fischer couldn’t imagine a better design. He immediately knew his brother Ryan would have loved the jerseys Grandville’s hockey team will wear Saturday against top-ranked Detroit Catholic Central.
The Grandville “G” on the front is patterned after Captain America’s shield, with the American flag trimming the bottom and stars and stripes on the shoulders.
There’s definitely a superhero quality to the sweater, fitting for a game played to remember Ryan, who died unexpectedly in his sleep 11 months ago the night before Grandville took on DCC in an MHSAA Semifinal. He had a heroic make-up; Ryan was truly an all-American kid, set to begin at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in the fall, who excelled in class, on the ice and football field and was gifted with a big-picture understanding and personality that drew others to him.
Connor sees his brother a little simpler – just a great guy with a goofy laugh, who like Connor clicked his heels when he walked. But to his younger brother, Ryan continues to mean so much more.
“Growing up … I realized I wanted to be like Ryan. I strived to be like him. He was my building block, my stepping stone,” Connor said. “People who knew Ryan, know Ryan and I are different in a lot of ways. Undoubtedly there are a lot of similarities, and if people are able to compare me to him in any way it’s the greatest compliment I could receive. Because that’s how I want to be. Who better to be like than Ryan Fischer?”
The “Captain America” comparisons used to get on Connor’s nerves a bit, but now he sees those comparisons as positive – ways others help his brother live on – just like he and the Bulldogs will this weekend when they play to help raise money for a pair of scholarships in Ryan’s name.
Grandville will face Detroit Catholic Central at 1:30 p.m. Saturday at Van Andel Arena, home of the Grand Rapids Griffins, a minor league affiliate of the Detroit Red Wings. Tickets cost $15, with a portion of proceeds donated to the scholarship fund that bears Fischer’s name, and one ticket gets fans into both the high school game and the Griffins’ game against the Rochester Americans at 7 p.m.
Grandville has a mighty following. The Bulldogs have drawn crowds as large as 1,400 this season – but they’re hoping for more than twice that many fans as they recall both a painful memory and a beautiful friendship formed with Fischer’s untimely passing.
Fischer was a co-captain of last season’s team and a leader in various capacities – he served four years on Grandville’s student government executive board and was a member of the MHSAA’s Student Advisory Council, among other duties. A senior forward, he played a main role in helping the Bulldogs to their first MHSAA Semifinal since 2001.
Fischer never woke the morning of March 7, an examination showing he died from an enlarged heart. At the urging of his parents, Scott and Roni, Grandville did face DCC that night. The Shamrocks won 3-0, and in one of the most memorable gestures of sportsmanship in many people’s memories, skated to surround the Bulldogs as they knelt after in front of their net while fans pointed both index fingers into the air to symbolize Fisher’s number 11. (See video below.)
Connor, then a freshman, was not on varsity last season; he is the only sophomore on Grandville’s top team this winter. He didn’t see last year’s game – but the significance of Saturday’s rematch is not lost on him.
“The first thing that went through my mind is DCC is a great hockey team, the best in the state. It’s a great chance to go out there, play a high level of hockey, play great competition,” Connor Fischer said. “But look past that, they’re people from across the state that really do care. They see something bigger than a hockey game, just as I do, just as my family does and the whole team does.”
Building brotherhood
The Fischers were not a hockey family until Ryan, at 3 or 4, saw a hockey game and thought it was “the coolest thing ever,” Connor said. Soon Ryan and Scott were building rinks in the yard every winter, and when he was about 4, Connor joined his brother on the ice.
Their friendship was rooted as much in lemonade stands and playing Star Wars in the backyard as in sports. But athletics definitely provide a strong family tie. Older sister Kelsea is a sophomore gymnast for Division III power University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. Ryan also was a captain of Grandville’s football team, and Connor plays the same sports as his brother and has taken up lacrosse in advance of this spring’s season.
As younger kids, Connor was a tattle-tale. Ryan would get mad at him. “But when I was in middle school and he was a freshman, he realized I would be the only brother he was going to have. I’m beyond thankful for that, beyond thankful he realized that at such a young age,” Connor said.
“When he was with his friends, he’d say, ‘This is Connor. He’s the coolest brother ever.’ … It made me feel special, just like he always made everyone feel special.”
In Connor’s words, Ryan was a little bit more personable, Connor is more conservative but laid-back.
But they shared a similar way of thinking. Connor lives situations now that Ryan did a few years ago, and without always knowing for sure, he’s pretty sure Ryan handled them in similar ways.
Ryan’s death has made Connor grow to be much older than his 16 years. Like Ryan, Connor has early thoughts of following his parents into the military – both did ROTC at Michigan State University and were officers in the U.S. Army, and Connor is considering a similar route. But he feels no expectations to be Ryan, only to grow as himself.
“His maturity is well beyond his years, and he’s absolutely sincere in everything he does with it,” Scott Fischer said. “He’s had his own legacy, his own path, as much as he’ll always support the legacy of his brother.”
Among those Connor leans on are friends who are more like family. Grandville hockey coach Joel Breazeale lives just down the road, and the Fischers and Breazeale’s three sons have been friends since most of their lives.
The hockey team has become an extended family as well. Breazeale has coached nearly 30 years, and experienced losses of players from other teams. He’s watched as certain trigger points this season have brought raw emotions rushing back. But he’s also seen something like he’s never experienced with others he’s coached – a bond so strong that the competitive juices that might rule a locker room have been replaced by tolerance and understanding of each other’s personalities that point to the former teammate whose influence remains strong.
“It’s through the grace of Ryan and what all of these boys have shared,” Breazeale said. “They embrace each other, embrace the challenges they’ve faced together, and they move forward. They take on challenges with another perspective. They’ve just grown tighter, and those traits were synonymous with Ryan.”
Always with us
Saturday’s game will be one of the final scheduled fundraisers for the Fischer scholarships, which will be given annually. Response has been tremendous and allowed for two awards – the original, which will go to a hockey player from the Ottawa Kent Conference this year and be expanded for players statewide in 2016, and a second for a Grandville High School senior. Both are for $2,500, and Scott hopes that as the fund grows, the scholarships also will grow to keep pace with increases in cost for higher education.
The hockey community has played a huge part. Grand Rapids Catholic Central coach Mike Slobodnik and former longtime East Kentwood coach Ron Baum piloted the scholarship foundation. When Breazeale mentioned the possibility of playing Saturday’s game at Van Andel, the Griffins’ management jumped at the opportunity to help and will open up ticket sales at the gate to give fans plenty of opportunity to attend.
There was never a doubt who Grandville hoped to play – from competitive and personal standpoints. The Bulldogs are 14-2-2 and ranked No. 8 in Division 1, with a chance to see how they match up with Regionals a month away.
“This made so much sense,” Breazeale said. “This is a big deal, that DCC made this investment to play Forest Hills Central (tonight) and then play us, and we appreciated that. Obviously our program has come a long way in the past 4-5 years, and for us to have become as competitive as we have been, it’s a nice acknowledgement that we’re moving into that realm. … No matter how the score ends up, it’s big for our program.”
A plaque commemorating Ryan was placed in Grandville’s football locker room this fall, near the door to the field. A similar smaller plaque hangs in Grandville’s hockey locker room at Georgetown Ice Arena; Connor and Thomas Breazeale are the last to hit the ice every day and always make sure to give it a glance.
Connor was ill at the start of this week, his temperature reaching 103 degrees. There was no way, he said Wednesday night, he wouldn’t get on the ice for at least a few seconds Saturday. But that’s it as far as personal goals for what will be a titanic matchup for his team.
“I don’t want to score a goal in his honor, nothing like that,” Fischer said. “Ryan always looked at the team before himself. There’s no better way to honor him than to help to win that game.”
Connor can’t say that it feels like this year has gone by quickly or slowly. He’s not sure how to describe it. The little things spin his mind to his brother – saying the pledge of allegiance, going past his old stall in the hockey locker room, or seeing the clock read 11:11.
He admits he was a little scared joining the varsity hockey team this winter, entering that locker room for the first time. But his teammates embraced him, and he embraced them. And Ryan’s No. 11 jersey hangs in Georgetown’s rafters, another reminder to all of them he isn’t far from their hearts.
“It’s the same coach, the same players. I feel like he’s never gone,” Connor said. “He’s never going to be gone.
"It’s amazing to know that.”
Click to order tickets for Saturday’s Grandville/Detroit Catholic Central game and enter the promo code FISCHER. Also, click for more information on the Ryan Fischer Legacy Scholarship.
PHOTOS: (Top) Connor Fischer taps a plaque commemorating his brother Ryan before a junior varsity football game in the fall. (Middle) The jerseys Grandville will wear Saturday include a number of patriotic symbols including trim of the American flag. (Below) Clockwise from left, Connor Fischer, Ryan Fischer and sister Kelsea Fischer. (Bottom) Ryan Fischer was a captain for Grandville's varsity hockey team last season. (Photos courtesy of the Fischer family.)
Garofalo: On-Ice Teacher and Recruiter
By
Rob Kaminski
MHSAA benchmarks editor
December 28, 2012
Something caught his eye as Allen Park’s Jim Garofalo circled the Olympic hockey rink in Salt Lake City to familiarize himself with the surroundings prior to the start of play at the 2002 Games.
“When the dimensions of a rink are laid out, everything is measured from the exact center of the ice outward,” Garofalo explains. “Usually there’s a washer or something small under the surface at center ice. All measurements are taken from there.
“Well, in Salt Lake City that year, a Canadian company was hired to prepare the sheets of ice, and they used a Loonie (common term for a Canadian $1 coin) to mark center ice. That year, the Canadians beat the United States in the gold medal game and won the Olympics on U.S. soil. I later visited the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto, and that Loonie is there.”
As Garofalo was getting acquainted with Canadian currency, an invitation in his mailbox back home went unanswered. At the time, MHSAA Tournament invitations were still sent by mail, so Garofalo was unaware the Association was awaiting his RSVP to accept his first Finals assignment.
“I was in Salt Lake City and had no idea. Now, of course, everything is online and by email, but that just shows how rapidly technology has progressed in the last 10 years,” Garofalo said. “So, (fellow official) Dan DiCristofaro calls and says something like, ‘Hey, do you want your state final?’ It was pretty funny; the running joke afterward was that you’ve gotta work the Olympics to get a shot at the state finals.”
Of course, that’s not the case. And, if Garofalo had it his way, all hockey officials who worked hard, persevered, paid their dues and set that as a goal would get a shot at the MHSAA Finals.
A 25-year registered MHSAA official who at one time juggled rules books for eight different hockey leagues and has worked four World Championships in addition to the Olympics, Garofalo now works only high school hockey.
“From a selfish standpoint, I suppose, I like a season that has a definite start and end to it,” says the New Boston Middle School social studies teacher, whose resume’ at one point looked like an endless Scrabble hand that included abbreviations for USA, USA Junior, Ontario, East Coast, International, International Independent and Central Collegiate hockey leagues in addition to the MHSAA.
“Being a teacher, there’s so much about the high school game that fits into education,” said Garofalo, now in his 10th year with the New Boston Huron District. “There’s so much to learn, and to help people learn at this level, from a playing and officiating standpoint.
“The people who officiate high school hockey are dedicated to improving, and as a veteran there’s an opportunity to help them learn and advance,” he says. “And, the coaches deserve kudos too. They are usually more professional and ask questions more properly than at other amateur levels. The reason is a direct result of them being accountable. They’ve got to answer to their principal or athletic director. Who are the junior and community league coaches accountable to? No one.”
And, there’s another allure to the school game compared to which other levels pale.
“The atmosphere of high school hockey is better than any other amateur level,” Garofalo says. “You go do a game at Trenton, and there’s a band. How many hockey games do you go to where there’s a band? Detroit Catholic Central and Birmingham Brother Rice have their cheering sections. It’s just a great atmosphere.”
It’s a scene that would surely help maintain the roster of younger, driven hockey officials. The trick is getting them there, according to Garofalo, one of the MHSAA’s biggest proponents for advancement and recruitment of officials.
Part of the issue is the oversaturation of games that fill Mite, Midget and other amateur schedules. Those who simply want a paycheck are never at a loss for work as long as they know how to skate.
“Hockey is unique because high school hockey is in progress at the same time as USA Hockey. An official can get twice the pay at a Bantam/Midget doubleheader than they can for one high school game,” Garofalo said. “The trouble is, who is instructing them? Who’s helping them to develop?”
To that end, Garofalo, DiCristofaro and the rest of the Northeast Hockey Referees Association established a $500 college scholarship. The recipient must be a high school hockey player who is officiating games in USA Hockey. Once they graduate from high school, many join the Association to work high school hockey.
Garofalo also offers other recruiting initiatives. In the Michigan Interscholastic Hockey League most schools play JV/Varsity doubleheaders, where the officials often let a linesman work a game at referee, while the experienced referee observes.
“At events like the Trenton Showcase, if we divide the fees differently we could get more officials involved,” he suggests. “We can do four-person crews to get our good young people some varsity experience as linesmen, and move some of our experienced linesmen to referee on the same crew with some of the top referees.”
It’s the kind of continual teaching that perpetuates the quality of officiating, and it takes time. The goal is to have the officials ready to perform when they hit the ice.
“If I put you out there to referee or pull lines, I set you up to succeed,” Garofalo says. “If I put people in too soon, I’ve set them up to fail, which leads to them leaving the game, and I haven’t done my job.”
The expectations and production of teacher and student must mesh for the system to work as intended. It requires patience as officials strive to climb the ladder, a bit of a lost art in today’s society.
“The culture of newer officials today is different. It’s a culture of immediate gratification,” says Garofalo. “Very few want to hang around eight to 10 years as a linesman before they referee, or move up. There are some very good officials who leave each year, because they haven’t become a referee, or haven’t got a tournament assignment.”
At the MHSAA Finals, Garofalo and DiCristofaro assist Jim Gagleard and the Livonia Ice Hockey Officials in heading up the off-ice officials. The inclusion and experience of such officials serves as a motivational tool which leads to improvement and retention. He also believes a four-person system in the MHSAA tournament would not only afford more qualified officials an opportunity for postseason assignments, but also provide better ice coverage as the sport’s speed has increased dramatically.
Not everyone can reach the summit, no matter the level. Even Garofalo himself, who once entertained dreams of skating in the NHL.
“The NHL looked at me a bit, but when I was at that age, it seemed all of the other linesmen were in their prime,” he said. “It is what it is.”
But, for a guy who began officiating at age 15 just to help pay for his hockey equipment, things have turned out quite well. In addition to the 2002 Olympics, Garofalo worked the Women’s World Championships in 1990, and the Men’s Worlds in Switzerland (1998), Norway (1999) and Germany (2001), working the Gold Medal game in 1998 and 1999. He’s been a fixture at the MHSAA tournament during the last dozen years.
“My wife, Mary Beth, says, ‘Wherever you go, you know someone.’ I owe that to officiating; the places I’ve gone and the people I’ve met,” Garofalo said. “It’s taken me all over the country instructing, and even overseas for some assignments. I can’t help but know people. It’s a people business.”
It might seem odd for Garofalo to even utter those words, describing the people-person this once shy kid has become. That’s one of the many rewards officiating delivers which is more valuable than any top-level assignment or game fee.
“I was quiet when I was younger. Well, when a coach is going crazy and yelling, you’ve got to speak for yourself. You learn conflict resolution,” Garofalo says, continuing as if he wrote the book on it. “‘Coach, get off the bench, quit screaming, and I’ll explain what I saw and why I called it the way I did. Then , if you have a question, I’ll answer it.’ You learn to communicate with people who don’t always agree with you.”
Then, there are the memories. Memories won’t buy a thing, but they go a long way in making 25 years on the ice, thousands of miles on the road, and countless hours away from home worth a million bucks.
“I worked 25 years for the IHL and AHL, and two years ago at the end of the regular season I was doing a Grand Rapids Griffins game. During the game, I told Brad May, ‘I’m done,’” Garofalo recalls, confiding in the gritty enforcer and one-time Stanley Cup champion who had more than 1,000 NHL games under his pads.
“At the end of the game, every guy and coach skated to me and shook my hand. Then Brad May says, ‘I heard you once worked the Olympics. It was an honor to be on the ice with you,’” Garofalo reveals, shaking his head. “Brad May said that to me.”
PHOTO: Jim Garofalo (center) officiate an NHL game. The Allen Park resident also has worked the Olympics.
NOTE: This is the sixth installment in the series "Making – and Answering – the Call" detailing the careers and service of MHSAA officials. Click the links below to view the others.