College Hockey, Type 1 Diabetes, and Celiac - Game Prep
Jared Savidge currently plays on the club hockey team with Rut
gers Camden in the DVCHC and is just finishing up his second season. Savidge began playing street hockey at the age of 8 before taking learn-to-play lessons on ice a few years later. He joined his first hockey team at the age of 11.
Savidge was 10 when first diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes and diagnosed with Celiac disease shortly thereafter. As a Flyers fan was familiar with and inspired by Bobby Clarke’s story and success.
“I figured, if he could be that successful back then when there wasn’t as much known about the disease, then I could too. But I know about more (players) now, like Max Domi who also has Celiac, and Cory Conacher.”
When Savidge found a hockey camp, DSkate, specifically for Type 1s, he was amazed. It was even more exciting for him to learn he could skate there! Over the years, Savidge was able to meet a lot of other Type 1 athletes. Though it wasn’t until he went to Canada for DSkate camp that he met players who had both Type 1 Diabetes and Celiac Disease; he could both relate and play the great game of hockey with these athletes.
“Great hockey, Diabetes care, and education – it was a lot of fun! It was also great to go back the next year to help out when I was too old to participate.”
Now with Rutgers Camden, Savidge shares some of the challenges with extra preparation for road game travel. For a road game that may be a 3-hour trip away, he has to take the time and pack extra supplies as a precaution being so far from home.
On an average non-game day, Savidge will check his blood sugar before every meal and snack, before bed, and any other times he feels his blood sugar is high or low. During games, he checks in about 2-3 times in the hours leading up to the game, in between every period, and a few times after the game. Savidge explains, “I try to get at least 40 carbs of food in around 3-4 hours before a game, and another 20 (carbs) around an hour or 2 before the game. I also do a temp basal on my pump for practice and games, which cuts down the amount of insulin I’m getting.”
When Savidge was growing up, he checked his blood sugar less than this, as he was on needles to receive insulin instead of the pump he is on now.
“One of the best things about playing college hockey as a diabetic is the intermissions we get for ice cuts. Before, we had 1-2-minute little talks with coaches on the bench in between periods, and if I needed to do something to correct my blood sugar, that’s all (the time) I had. Now, I have the time in the locker room to check and do whatever I have to before going back out so I can play my best.”
Savidge comes from a medical background, as his mother is a nurse practitioner and father a flight medic. His family, along with his own medical experience with treatment to Type 1 Diabetes and Celiac Disease may have influenced his current trajectory, as he is studying nursing at Rutgers Camden.
Savidge shared that his favorite memory to date was winning the American Division Championship last year with his team. He hopes to continue to be as good of a player that he can to help Rutgers Camden win and be successful in the future.
