The USA Hockey Podcast: A Youth Sports Conversation

In episode 34, we have on Maureen Monte. Maureen is a leadership practitioner who was a multi-sport athlete, Engineer of the Year for IBM, and now two-time author of "Destination Unstoppable" and "Win like a Girl." Both stories are dedicated to telling stories of successful male and female teams and what it took for success. With a B.S./M.S. in Mechanical Engineering and an M.S...

In episode 33, we have Gillian Jackson. Gillian is a Neighborhood leader/senior coordinator at the Ed Snider Youth Hockey Foundation, whose mission is to create opportunities for under-resourced youth of the Greater Philadelphia Region to prosper in life. Gillian comes on the podcast here to talk about what she is currently doing with the foundation, how hockey saved her life, and how YOU can give...

In episode 32, we have Jean Cote on the podcast to talk about transformational leadership and coaching. Jean is a Professor and researcher in the areas of children in sport, coaching, sports expertise, and positive youth development. He works in the School of Kinesiology and Health Studies at Queens University in Canada. He has also published quite a bit of research in the area of sport, one of wh...

In episode 31, we examine recent research on who makes it to the NHL early, on time, or late developers. To have this discussion, we have John Lind on the podcast. John is the Head of Education and Research for the Swedish Ice Hockey Association. John worked firsthand on this research project and shared his insights on their process, what they learned, and how we can use this data for future proje...

In episode 30, we chat with Rob Gray, a professor at Arizona State, a Skill Acquisition Specialist with the Boston Red Sox, producer and host of the Perception-Action Podcast, author of multiple books, researcher, and much more. Listen in as we chat about... -What is the Constraints Led Approach (CLA)? -What is the history of the CLA? -What are the benefits? -How can we use this in hockey? For mor...

In episode 29, we chat with USA Hockey's Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Michael Stuart, and Manager of Player Safety, Kevin Margarucci, about the changes in neck laceration protectors, other types of lacerations, and reactive ways that players, parents, and coaches can keep the sport of ice hockey safer for everyone. Stop The Bleed: https://www.stopthebleed.org/ US Council for Athletes Health: htt...

In episode 28, returning guest Heather Mannix discusses the #1 reason kids play sports: to have FUN! This is also the number 1 reason kids drop out of sports. In this episode, we explore what kids find fun in sports and how we, as coaches, can encourage a more fun environment for better retention and player development. For information on Fun Integration Theory: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/ar...

In episode 27, we talk about resiliency with Dr. Larry Lauer. Dr. Lauer is the Director of Mental Performance at United States Tennis Association Player Development. He has a history of working with USA Hockey's NTDP program and presenting at many USA Hockey events. In this episode, we chat about... -What is resiliency? -Is it trainable? -The 3 pillars of resiliency -How can we support our pla...

In episode 26, we sit down and chat with the Youth Olympic Coaching Staff to discuss the upcoming tournament. The 2024 Winter Youth Olympic Games are set to be played from Jan. 19 - Feb. 1 in Gangwon, South Korea. From the Youth Olympic Coaching Staff, we chat with Head Coach Joe Bonnett (Player Development Manager, USA Hockey) and Assistant Coaches Matt Gilroy (Asst. Coach NTDP), Jason Guerriero...

In episode 25, we return for the second installment of Coaches Corner, where we are chatting about a much-requested topic from parents and coaches, which is strategies for coaching kids with different learning needs. The host of the podcast, Zachary Nowak, is a former Elementary Intervention Specialist who has worked for many years to support kids with mild to intensive learning needs. Listen in a...

For the 1 year anniversary episode, we are pleased to welcome Joe Bertagna. Joe has served in many capacities in hockey, from NCAA D1 goalie to NHL Goalie Coach and the longest-serving commissioner in college hockey. In episode 24, we chat with Joe about his journey and how he got to this point. We also chat about the state of goalie coaching and where the future lies in encouraging creativity.

In episode 23 we are chatting with Ken Martel of USA Hockey about how to better develop on-ice awareness in our players. In this episode we answer a few of the following questions around this topic. -What can we learn from the research? -What do the best players do? -What is scanning? -How do we get our players to look around? -What is next in the scanning world? Follow us on Twitter at @USAHockey...

In episode 22, we have Manager of Coaching Education Brent Seidel on to discuss why you should become a coach, what it takes to become a coach, and some frequently asked questions about coaching in USA Hockey. Coaching Requirements: https://www.usahockey.com/coachingcertification For your CEP information: https://cepsearch.usahockey.com/ Find a Clinic: https://www.usahockey.com/coachingclinics Con...

In episode 21 Zack has Steve Thompson back on the Podcast to talk about psychology in video game design and how we can use it to improve our practices. This is a long conversation, but an insightful one. Tune in and feel free to share your thoughts and ideas on Twitter/X @usahockeycoach

This episode is just Zack starting a new segment called "The Coaches Corner." In these segments, it will not be interview style as in previous episodes, but rather quick coaching hits that we can take to our current practices. In this episode, Zack talks about teaching skating to allow for individuality, adaptability, and developing dynamic skaters. We will touch on... -What is important...

In episode 19, we chat with the USA 5 Nations Head Coach Scott Paluch. Not only is Scott the Head coach for the upcoming tournament, but he is also USA Hockey's Director of Player Development. Listen in as we chat about Scott's youth hockey history, then dive into the 5 Nations tournament, his staff, the players on the team, and what we can expect from the tournament. Follow the link below...

In episode 18, we have Assistant Executive Director of Hockey Department Bob Mancini talk about his path through youth sport into coaching. We also talk about what USA Hockey is doing to create cohesion between the many different groups like youth, coaching, and officiating. To learn more, visit: www.usahockey.com

In episode 17, we have on former president of USA Hockey, Ron Degregorio. Ron served as president of USA Hockey from 2003 - 2015 before his retirement. After his retirement as the president, Ron is still continuing to help USA Hockey in many capacities. In this podcast, we discuss what he is doing to help grow goaltending at the grassroots and master levels. He was inducted into the U.S. Hockey Ha...

In episode 16, we welcome on two-time Olympic medalist Katherine Reutter-Adamek to talk about developing a performance mindset. In this episode, we talk about meditation and mindfulness, developing great human beings and how parents can support their kids in sport. To get in contact with Katherine: https://www.fixyourmindset.com/ I love to watch you play: https://ilovetowatchyouplay.com/

In Episode #15, we chat with a two-time Olympian and member of three U.S. Men's National Team, Guy Gosselin. Now currently a Player Development Manager, Guy "Goose" Gosselin has been a part of the staff at USA Hockey since August 2009. Listen in as we chat about his incredible playing history as well as what contact confidence is and how we teach it. Guy talks about the importance for young kids t...

In episode 14, we are chatting with Dan Jablonic and Katie Holmgren of USA Hockey about the upcoming Hockey Directors and Youth Hockey Leaders course at the 2023 North American Conference Rink and Expo on June 13-16 in Buffalo, NY. We also chatted with three former attendees about their experiences and what they were able to take back to their clubs. For more information or to sign up, visit: http...

In episode 13, we have Manager of the Coaching Education Program Brent Seidel on to talk about the upcoming Level 5 in Falmouth, Massachusetts. If you are attending the upcoming level 5, this will be an excellent preview of what you can expect. If you have never attended a level 5, listen in about how to attend a future level 5 Coaching Symposium. For more information about this year's level 5...

In episode 12, we chat with Roger Grillo, the Director of Player Development with USA Hockey. Roger has a lot of experience coaching experience, and in this chat, he shares a lot about how we can increase player development through small area games and other coaching techniques. For more information about the USA Hockey Webinar with Bill Beaney: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgQ2HhgSJWI&t=30...

In episode 11, we chat with three people involved in the Dallas Stars Youth Hockey Programming and Development: Dwight Mullins, Director of Hockey Development;  Lucas Reid, Vice President of Business Development; and Eric Silverman, Director of Hockey Ops for Dallas Stars Elite. In this episode, we chat about their unique programming and development model and the impact of USA Hockey's Americ...

In this week's episode, we chat with Stuart Armstrong, the Head of Coaching for Sport England and the Host of the Talent Equations Podcast, one of the most popular coaching podcasts on the market now. Listen in as we chat about improving practice design, what a drill is and how we get away from them, and how we can design practices for higher transfer of training.  Make sure to follow Stuart...