IN THE NEWS: J. T. Brown - Rosemount

Courtesy of the Star Tribune

Rosemount hockey star finds relief

Distraught over his parents' divorce, J.T. Brown, one of the state's top hockey scorers, has been able to bury his demons with the help of his father and his hockey coach.

By Dean Spiros

Rosemount senior forward J.T. Brown plays hockey on the edge. It's as though he believes if he imposes his will on the opposition, if he skates his fastest and shoots his hardest, he can complete the circle and catch up with opportunities lost.

Funny then, how Brown, the son of former Vikings running back Ted Brown, talks of experiencing a 180-degree transformation from the person he was as recently as a year ago, when opportunity appeared to be slipping away, with him right beside it.

Torn up over the consequences of his parents' divorce, which left him feeling both trapped and isolated, Brown lashed out in the only way he knew. The way most teenagers would, with anger.

He was mad at the world, and many around him responded in kind, not liking what the kid with great skills had turned into. Others feared where the downward spiral would lead, as Brown's relationships, schoolwork and hockey career turned dark.

But the smile Brown shows these days reflects a happy ending. Despite the uncertainties his future holds, Brown has been able to bury the demons of the past to become one of the state's top goal scorers this season.

The process began over the summer when he decided to move in with his dad. The stress that overwhelmed him has fallen away. Hopelessness has given way to promise.

Said Brown of his mom: "We just bumped heads and we couldn't find the right path to get it straight."

Despite his parents' divorce, which took place when he was in seventh grade, Brown said he stayed close and in touch with his father. Ted Brown, who has remained in the Twin Cities following his retirement in 1986 (except for a brief return to his native North Carolina), is sympathetic to the plight so many kids experience after a divorce. He's happy he could offer his son some relief.

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