PowerTech Development Podcast

In this episode, Coach Eric and Coach Andy compare and contrast girls vs boys hockey, branch into a discussion on how to coach creativity, and how to maximize the benefits of using a trainer and or skills coach.  Support the show by becoming a MEMBER in the PowerTech Community! Take advantage of our skill development video library, consultation calls, discount codes, and more! Looking for other wa...

In this episode, Coach Eric and Coach Andy discuss their current training observations through summer programming. They touch on key development gaps they see in young players, how specificity of training impacts performance outcomes in older athletes, and the role of communication in developing athletes.  Support the show by becoming a MEMBER in the PowerTech Community! Take advantage of our skil...

In this episode, Coach Eric and Coach Andy outline five key qualities of coaching. They discuss how one might rank order them in importance, and what it takes to build a great coach.  Support the show by becoming a MEMBER in the PowerTech Community! Take advantage of our skill development video library, consultation calls, discount codes, and more! Looking for other ways to support? Subscribe on Y...

In this episode, Coach Eric and Coach Andy discuss nutrition for developing hockey players. They outline a nutritional philosophy, cover key terminology, discuss strategies for performance, and how to approach learning about food.  Support the show by becoming a MEMBER in the PowerTech Community! Take advantage of our skill development video library, consultation calls, discount codes, and more! L...

In this episode, Coach Eric and Coach Andy discuss the Stanley Cup final, hockey players “having fun”, and general thoughts on “elite” youth hockey players.   Support the show by becoming a MEMBER in the PowerTech Community! Take advantage of our skill development video library, consultation calls, discount codes, and more! Looking for other ways to support? Subscribe on YouTube, leave a 5-star re...

In this episode, Coach Eric and Coach Andy discuss the theme of nerves and mistakes in sport. They start with how to support anxious players from a parent and coaching perspective, before moving on to a coaching philosophy on ‘making mistakes’. Rounding out the podcast they touch on a broader theme of taking sport too seriously.  Support the show by becoming a MEMBER in the PowerTech Community! Ta...

In this episode, Coach Eric and Coach Andy cover a recent article titled ‘When Individual Hockey Skills Become An Epidemic”. They go into detail on solo skills vs team based development, how skills translate to the game, and effective strategies for adapting at the pro level. They reference many quotes from high level hockey industry professionals like Martin St. Louis, Jason Bukala, Kyle Okposo,...

In this episode, Coach Eric and Coach Andytouch on a variety of high level hockey topics! They look at the Leamington Flyers organization and success moving to JR.A, the Memorial Cup winning Saginaw Spirit, and run through what it takes to make professional hockey your JOB. Support the show by becoming a MEMBER in the PowerTech Community! Take advantage of our skill development video library, cons...

In this episode, Coach Eric and Coach Andy revisit the benefits of taking time away from the ice! They reference an article on early specializations and some of the problems that can arise from it, before moving on to overcomplicating training, endless reps vs quality reps, mental burnout, and other topics! Support the show by becoming a MEMBER in the PowerTech Community! Take advantage of our ski...

In this episode, Coach Eric and Coach Andy revisit the common question of agents in hockey. They focus mainly on high level agencies and how they represent players, before touching on the role of advisors, player promotion, and the actual role of an agent. They finish with a discussion on when an agent might be appropriate for you.  Support the show by becoming a MEMBER in the PowerTech Community!...

In this episode, Coach Eric and Coach Andy discuss the commitment necessary to make it as a player. They start with a discussion on where most NHLers are born before moving on to the technical aspects of the game. From the player perspective, they cover time management, hobbies and distractions, and how to stay focused.  Support the show by becoming a MEMBER in the PowerTech Community! Take advant...

In this episode, Coach Eric and Coach Andy answer member questions. They cover how to handle injuries, jr/prospect camps, shortening the bench, meddling parents, coaching conflicts, locker room behavior, full ice vs half ice development, specialization, power tripping coaches, who to take advice from, and other topics!  Support the show by becoming a MEMBER in the PowerTech Community! Take advanta...

In this episode, Coach Eric and Coach Andy revisit the NHL playoffs and some of the valuable players. They speak to how coaches evaluate hockey and gauging the ‘raw materials’ a player might have. From there, they finish with a discussion on baseline skill and how grittiness wins games.  Support the show by becoming a MEMBER in the PowerTech Community! Take advantage of our skill development video...

In this episode, Coach Eric and Coach Andy talk about the NHL playoffs, what it takes to be a winning team, and how different roles contribute. They shift gears to youth hockey parents and how to keep perspective through the development process.  Support the show by becoming a MEMBER in the PowerTech Community! Take advantage of our skill development video library, consultation calls, discount cod...

In this episode, Coach Eric and Coach Andy continue their thread on tryout-related topics. They cover how young players consume hockey content, trying to learn from hockey highlights, the role of motivation in your practice, NHL player habits to emulate, creating an off-season plan, and more! Support the show by becoming a MEMBER in the PowerTech Community! Take advantage of our skill development...

Building on last week's episode on tryouts, Coach Eric and Coach Andy discuss some of the key elements that players should focus on to “get noticed”. They use several examples of current players to walk through the concept of grit, what it means to ‘have good details’, how coaches can support learning, specific details of your game in each zone, and more! Support the show by becoming a MEMBER...

With team tryouts and training camps upcoming, Coach Eric and Coach Andy take a deep dive into the process of building a team. They discuss the timing of tryouts, the evaluation process of players, the A/AA to AAA jump, the ‘extras’ that may or may not be required, and other topics! Support the show by becoming a MEMBER in the PowerTech Community! Take advantage of our skill development video libr...

In this episode, Coach Eric references a USA Hockey article and corresponding X thread to discuss the skew towards early specialization in hockey. He and Coach Andy use this to explore why the long term athletic development model is key for youth and long-term hockey success. Similarly, they discuss specializing in a certain position as a hockey player and how the game is trending towards ‘positio...

In this episode, Coach Eric reads a note sent in from a university hockey coach about using hockey as a vehicle for life success. The boys cover in detail the importance of preparing for life beyond hockey, and ensuring you are ‘checking the boxes’ along your hockey journey. Preparing yourself for life alongside pursuing hockey does not take away from your sport focus, but enhances it.   Support t...

In this episode, Coach Eric and Coach Andy discuss the process of taking advice along your hockey journey. They cover how to evaluate sources of information coming from other parents, other players, coaches, scouts, and agents/advisors.  Support the show by becoming a MEMBER in the PowerTech Community! Take advantage of our skill development video library, consultation calls, discount codes, and m...

In this episode, Coach Eric and Coach Andy go through a client email they received outlining some common issues that parents might find in youth hockey. They start out on over the top parent behavior before moving into boundaries around youth teams, teaching kids HOW to work hard, the idea of ‘sacrificing’ for your goals, being a good player early in development, academy systems, and when less hoc...

With Coach Eric's recent trip to watch NCAA DI hockey, he and Coach Andy take a deep dive into the college game. They analyze the structure of college style of play and contrast it with the younger CHL game, discuss the extended development timeframe for college bound players, some of the lesser appreciated but key qualities of division I hockey, and where to focus your attention as a young pl...

In this episode, Coach Andy and Coach Eric share their thoughts on some common development questions they continue to hear in the hockey world. They discuss the insistence on playing ‘best’ competition, how much the draft matters, balancing game vs practice time, what happens when players get too much ice, and other topics!   Support the show by becoming a MEMBER in the PowerTech Community! Take a...

In this episode, Coach Andy and Coach Eric discuss common issues through the lens of a coach. They cover the major topics of coaches swearing on the bench and the appropriateness of benching players in youth hockey. This episode is a great window into how coaches think about different situations with their players.  Support the show by becoming a MEMBER in the PowerTech Community! Take advantage o...

In this episode, Coach Andy and Coach Eric have an interesting discussion on the ‘Time Spent’ delusion. They open by pointing out the drastic changes from youth hockey to higher levels and discuss some coaching philosophies, before dissecting how much time we actually spend working on our craft.  Support the show by becoming a MEMBER in the PowerTech Community! Take advantage of our skill developm...