Imagine having a hearing disability, one in which you need to wear hearing aids in order to understand what is going on around you in the world. That would be pretty tough, wouldn't it?

Now imagine trying to play ice hockey while missing out on the 'sound' part of the game.

Welcome to Libbey Breaker's world.

Breaker--goalie for the Appleton United girls team--was probably born deaf and needs hearing aids in both ears to augment her hearing. Her loss is considered moderate to severe, and even with her hearing aids she does not hear as well as people who have 'normal' hearing.

(Both of Libbey's older brothers have severe hearing loss and they both have cochlear implants.)

"I have some hearing," said Breaker. "I can (even) hear really loud sounds without my hearing aids."

This would deter some from participating in extra curricular activities, but not this Appleton West sophomore. She plays both softball and hockey and is quite accomplished at both.

When she was young, she was at a neighbor's house and her friend was trying on his hockey equipment. She ran home and told her mom she wanted to play hockey.

"(I told her) that I did not like Tap and Ballet class anymore," remembers Breaker. "I was six years old and in first grade."

It wasn't enough to just play the game, she wanted more. When her Squirt coach asked for volunteers to play in net, Breaker raised her hand.

"The first time I put on goalie pads I smiled from ear to ear," said Breaker. "I had fun playing goalie part-time and skating out part-time."

She soon became a full-time goalie and she now attends hockey camps annually to gain proficiency at the most difficult position in the game. The camp that is the most near and dear to her heart is the camp held in Chicago: the American Hearing Impaired Hockey Association (AHIHA). Breaker has attended this camp for the last six years.

AHIHA was started in 1973 by ex-Blackhawk star Stan Mikita and Chicago businessman Irv Tiahnybik in order to bring together deaf and hard-of-hearing hockey players from all over the country. AHIHA also assists its players in obtaining hearing aids, speech and language therapy, auditory training, counseling and diagnostic evaluations.  

"I get to meet so many kids and adults from across the country who are just like me," comments Breaker. "I have met so many kids who are now my friends."

What is life like for Libbey in the classroom? She has interpreters that help her to understand not only what the teachers are saying, but what the other students are talking about.

"Sign is a visual language and I do not need to sit so close to the teacher to be able to understand the teacher," said Breaker. "I can understand most people speaking to me, but I also need the visual of the person's lips to understand. I am able to lip-read pretty well."

Breaker has a GPA of 3.4 and has UW-Stevens Point and UW-Madison on her short list of colleges to attend. She would like to play college hockey and beyond.

Libbey explains: "I hope to play on a Deaf Womens' Hockey team some day, and Coach Jeff Sauer is in the process of assembling a national womens' team."

As for on the ice, Breaker says, "I have not found anything more difficult about playing hockey with a hearing loss. I have never had 'normal' hearing so I do not know anything different." 

Interpreters also are on hand to assist with communication during practices and games.

"The interpreters help me on the ice by interpreting what the coaches say. I get the information that I need to learn from the coaches."

Sometimes it doesn't work so well, as mentioned by David Westmark (husband of coach Elsa and father of senior star Anna).

"The hardest thing is to get Libbey to come off the ice during delayed penalty and extra-attacker situations," said David with a laugh. "Libbey is so focused on the game, she doesn't see the coaches and players waving like crazy people to get her off the ice." 

Not that they should want her to come off, because she is having a very solid year, with a save percentage of .894 and a GAA of 2.07 through the end of December 2011.

Oh, did I mention that Libbey is only 5'1 and that might be exaggerating? She is a tiny wisp of a girl but plays like someone much bigger as she fills the net, keeping her Appleton United team in every game. 

Libbey Breaker might not hear as well as the other players on the ice, but she plays as well as any of them.