PowerTech Development Podcast

In the final episode of this basics mini series, Coach Andy and Coach Eric give an introduction to special teams. They look at powerplay breakouts and in-zone setups, penalty kill forecheck and in-zone defending, mindsets on both sides of the puck, and how to make decisions in different situations.   Support the show by becoming a MEMBER in the PowerTech Community! Take advantage of our skill deve...

In the third episode of this basics mini series, Coach Andy and Coach Eric discuss the offensive zone. They cover everything including forechecks, in zone positioning and cycles, entries, finding passing and shooting lanes, having a defensive vs offensive mindset, shot selection, and more! Support the show by becoming a MEMBER in the PowerTech Community! Take advantage of our skill development vid...

In the second episode of their basics mini series, Coach Eric and Coach Andy discuss neutral zone play. They outline a neutral zone mindset before moving on to offensive strategies and regroups, defensive structure and systems, faceoffs and backchecks, and more! Support the show by becoming a MEMBER in the PowerTech Community! Take advantage of our skill development video library, consultation cal...

In this episode, Coach Andy and Coach Eric open their basics mini series with episode 1 discussing defensive zone coverage. They outline a philosophy for defensive zone play, roles and responsibilities by position, several in-game scenarios, and strategies and drills for coaches to actually teach defensive zone. Support the show by becoming a MEMBER in the PowerTech Community! Take advantage of ou...

In this episode, Coach Andy and Coach Eric address whether or not a kid ‘has a chance’ to make the big leagues or get something higher level out of hockey. Following the World Juniors, they start with a discussion on the youth hockey system in Canada and how to progress development moving into the future by learning from other countries. They then move on to outline what factors are important to h...

In this episode, Coach Andy and Coach Eric host a special holiday ask me anything episode. They take questions from the PowerTech Online Members covering a variety of topics from players, parents, and coaches!  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...

In this episode, Coach Andy and Coach Eric answer the question “how will you be remembered”. As a player and as a person, the boys outline the key characteristics that will leave a lasting positive impact on any team or organization a player might be a part of, and lead to a bright future through and beyond hockey.  Support the show by becoming a MEMBER in the PowerTech Community! Take advantage o...

In this episode, Coach Eric and Coach Andy discuss some of the more overlooked qualities of an effective teacher. They broaden out their discussion to include coaching and parenting topics such as setting appropriate expectations, being age appropriate, knowing your audience, enforcing ‘consequences’, relatability and vulnerability, and more! Support the show by becoming a MEMBER in the PowerTech...

In this episode, Coach Eric and Coach Andy cover how to set your mentality against the ‘better’ teams. How should you adjust your mindset when you know you’ll lose? How can you balance being competitive vs realistic? What strategies should coaches and parents use in these situations? Listen in for discussions on these and other topics!  Support the show by becoming a MEMBER in the PowerTech Commun...

In this episode, Coach Eric and Coach Andy discuss the financial considerations in youth hockey. They look at where the value is in spending money from the player, parent, and organization perspectives. They contrast the different drivers between each of these groups and how it contributes to decision making.  Support the show by visiting powertechhockey.ca/memberships to join the PowerTech Commun...

In this episode, Coach Eric and Coach Andy cover how to make yourself a wanted commodity on any team. They discuss the common mentality of young players looking externally to solve their problems, how to become the player your team needs, the proper mindset when things go wrong, and a special message for parents.  Support the show by visiting powertechhockey.ca/memberships to join the PowerTech Co...

LIVE SHOW SURVEY LINK In this episode, Coach Eric and Coach Andy cover the hot topic of body-checking in hockey. They discuss the purpose of contact in the game, how to prepare for the violent nature of the sport, the positives and negatives of body contact, and the technical aspects of delivering and receiving checks.  Support the show by visiting powertechhockey.ca/memberships to join the PowerT...

In this episode, Coach Eric and Coach Andy discuss how to “fix” skating mechanics. They begin with a discussion on the “perfect” skating before removing into the technical pieces of quality mechanics. Closing out, they discuss five tools you can use to become a better skater.   Support the show by visiting powertechhockey.ca/memberships to join the PowerTech Community! Take advantage of our skill...

In this episode, Coach Eric and Coach Andy cover the dangers of overcoaching. They discuss how good intentions can lead to poor outcomes, the short and long term impacts of overcoaching, the importance of picking your battles, how to judge if you are overcoaching at different ages/levels, and the best ways to get kids to respond.  Support the show by visiting powertechhockey.ca/memberships to join...

In this episode, Coach Eric and Coach Andy explore the major differences between various levels of hockey. They discuss why the gaps between A/AA and AAA have become greater over time, as well as development differences between AAA centres. Factors such as demographics, money, coaching, and skill development take center stage for their conversation.  Support the show by visiting powertechhockey.ca...

In this episode, Coach Eric and Coach Andy deep dive into the issue of communication with today’s young athletes. They focus on the youth-adult dynamic and why this skill is so important, why it can be such a challenge for kids, and how to parent and/or coach the art of communicating at a young age.   Support the show by visiting powertechhockey.ca/memberships to join the PowerTech Community! Take...

In this episode, Coach Eric and Coach Andy revisit the concept of roles in hockey. They discuss when roles become relevant to development, how different skills make up certain roles, and developing players to be versatile assets to the team.  Support the show by visiting powertechhockey.ca/memberships to join the PowerTech Community! Take advantage of our skill development video library, consultat...

In this episode, Coach Eric and Coach Andy discuss their recent viral post about the puberty effect in youth sports. They go into detail on the positives and negatives of being early and late to hit puberty as a teen, the physical and mental changes that occur, and coaching and parenting strategies around this topic. Support the show by visiting powertechhockey.ca/memberships to join the PowerTech...

In this episode, Coach Eric and Coach Andy outline the foundations for understanding nutrition. The cover philosophies that will work from a family perspective, key terms necessary to understand, how the body uses the fuel you give it, and strategies for setting up solid habits.  Support the show by visiting powertechhockey.ca/memberships to join the PowerTech Community! Take advantage of our skil...

In this episode, Coach Andy and Coach Eric discuss the many dichotomies of leadership. Reference the popular book “Dichotomy of Leadership” by Jocko Willink, they run through each of the book’s principles in the context of youth hockey development for coaches, parents, and players.  Support the show by visiting powertechhockey.ca/memberships to join the PowerTech Community! Take advantage of our s...

In this episode, Coach Andy and Coach Eric discuss the practice of using video analysis for corrective purposes in your sport. From the coach, parent, and player perspective, they outline best practices for using this tool to set up your team or individual players for success! Support the show by visiting powertechhockey.ca/memberships to join the PowerTech Community! Take advantage of our skill d...

With junior camps coming to a close this week, Coach Andy and Coach Eric take the opportunity to discuss the reality of training camps. They outline the shock experienced by most rookie players and parents, the difficulty of cracking a lineup, common mistakes and the “nerves” factor, the importance of being ready and making an impact, the most effective ways to stand out, and more!  Support the sh...

In this episode, Coach Andy and Coach Eric cover some of their keys to success for starting up this season the right way. Setting the stage for the topic, they begin by sharing a client email outlining a few common problems that many in youth hockey will face. From there, they discuss mental preparation, how to coach for a hot start, developing team chemistry, fitness and nutrition, the importance...

Closing out the coaching mini series, Coach Andy and Coach Eric answer member questions on all things related to coaching. Topics include how to grow as a coach, how much coaches should influence or control player training, parent coaches, lines (1, 2, and 3), best players that aren’t team players, exploring other development camps and coaches, AAA vs AA, cutting players, body-checking, and money...

In the final episode of the Coaching Mini Series, Coach Andy and Coach Eric cover how to overcome conflicts from the coach’s perspective. Included are discussions on player issues, bullying, and slumps; parent issues including clicks and complaints; and organizations issues including costs, scheduling, players trades, and more!  Support the show by visiting powertechhockey.ca/memberships to join t...