The Power of the Stick. As we honor the Creator’s Game this weekend with the PLL and our California Redwoods game in Connecticut, I wanted to share a piece of my story and the meaning behind this stick. After a fall from an electric skateboard in 2021 that resulted in a traumatic brain injury, I was taken to the Shepherd Center for rehabilitation. During my recovery, the Casey Powell Foundation presented me with a traditional wooden stick handcrafted by Jack Johnson, a master wood stick maker and traditional stringer from Akwesasne, New York. At that point in my recovery, I couldn’t speak. I was living with global aphasia as a result of my brain injury. But somehow, this stick said everything I couldn’t. Even though I had lost my ability to communicate with words, I still had my coordination and hand-eye skills a gift I never took for granted. Holding that stick reminded me of who I was. It gave me a way to connect with others when I couldn’t find the words. The stick represented ...