Youth Hockey Podcast

Rolly talks about how much of the game happens between the ears.  Many people are using therapy to help their kids on the ice. Lance talks about how kids get put out of position by coaches who don't have imagination.  He thinks there have been many times when choosing lines has put his kid in bad positions. Randall talks about how bad fans can be viral.  They spread their disease th...

Lorenz updates us from Switzerland.  Being a team manager across the ocean also seems stressful. Lance talks about tryouts like it is a science.  Randall tries to keep people from limiting their options. Rolly gets tired of kids lobbying for more points with the refs.

Lance takes on the age old question: who is more crazy as a spectator in the sport of hockey?  Moms or Dads? Randall tries to give the refs a bit of advice, Lance and Rolly thinks they need more than just advice.  Is there a way to make sure that suspensions are a bit more fair to the kids on both sides of the hit? Rolly makes a point about his own experience as a ref in college.

Randall gives an update on how to purchase rapid tests for your child.  He's now got an account with a company that brings one to your door in 30 minutes or less.  It's like pizza, without the carbs. Rolly talks sticks.  His lies are better than anyone's. Lance talks justice in the junior leagues.  He is concerned about the way refs flip the tables and presume some kids guilty...

Rolly is shooting bar down like it's nothing talking about sticks.  He gets into the different patterns and flex for each position and each player.   Lance introduces his new addition to the show:  Crazy Hockey Stories. Randall is out of his depth, but tries to keep up.

Lance piles onto a team that was up ten and kept putting out their first line PP at the end of the game.  He feels like the experience benefited nobody. Randall talks about finding one good year.  It's really hard to chart out several years in a row.  Look for one year and if it turns into several, then ride the wave. Rolly talks about what it's like to be told not to score.

Rolly decides to describe the state of the Kings High school hockey league and in so doing notices that there are many many problems.  He has some solutions, but some are beyond even his hockey wisdom. Lance admits that he was part of the reason that the HS program formed.  He takes no responsibility for the shambles that ensued. Randall talks about Utah High School hockey with great fon...

Randall talks about team managers.  Who are they?  What makes a good one and what makes a bad one. Lance find himself in the middle of a story in which a team manager squandered thousands of dollars.  It was a tough year. Rolly promises to stop being so nice about everything.  He's going for the throat on High School Hockey next week.

Randall talks about communication with coaches.  He tries to stay nice, but some experiences don't fit into that box. Rolly tries to bring together some ideas on communication during the season.  Maybe some kind of formal way of keeping lines open between the parents and the people in charge. Lance does his best to take the high road.  He slips a couple of times.

Rolly needs to finish sharpening his skates.  You're not done until you've honed.  Get your stones ready. Lance talks to Lorenz, a fantastic fan from Switzerland.  He knows how the international game is played and who gets paid. Randall keeps the discussion moving by stoking regional rivalries.

Coach Rolston goes into a deep dive on skate sharpening, contouring and keeping the blades in good repair.  This man is sharp.  He also can talk about sharp things. Lance cuts into a question about hockey memorabilia.  What made his list of the most important purchases over his kids careers?   Randall talks about his Sparx.  It was great.  Then it wasn't.

Lance needs to vent.  He's not happy with parents who seem to only be happy when other kids do badly.  It's a team sport and Lance tees off on those who can't appreciate the greatness of team play. Randall has an observation about parents with open aspirations for their kids.  Expectations are welcome.  Professional aspirations are great.  Expecting that your kid is going...

Randall wants to talk about joining a team late.  His experience has been roundly positive. Rolly talks about joining a team late and how it changes the dynamic of the team.  It's a great point. Lance responds to our first Swiss listener with tales of how to mitigate locker room bullying and shenanigans.

Lance talks about the way he used the internet to find all of the best ways to rehab injuries.  Spoiler, some of them are internet theories. Dave sheds some light on a scandal in youth hockey.  It's sad to see that the sport allowed the conduct to go on so long. It's Halloween, so we talk about the scariest players we've ever seen play

Rolly  starts his new segment concepts with the coach.  He talks about a  single concept that can make a youth hockey player better. Randy has a challenge for the listeners. Lance  goes crazy on goalies.  How do you handle a rogue goalie on the team as  a parent or player?  He addresses the common conception that GBC.

Lance talks about AAA.   Is the expansion of AAA in California good or bad for youth hockey. Randy  asks the question: what would you remove from youth hockey to make it  better.  We are always adding rules and baggage to our players.  What  could we get rid of? Coach keeps us honest.

Lance  talks about his experience watching his kids jump up to new levels on  the ice.  Are there ways to make the transition easier? Rolly talks about the myths about development in the hockey world. Randy  talks briefly about a study from a Stanford Neurobiologist. How do we  get our kids to learn faster?  Can the mind be tricked into storing more  information...

Randy talks about dealing with deep bench.  What are the best strategies?  Is this where level is most important? Lance talks about the shortest benches his kids have ever been on.  How many games did one never come off the ice?  Party time. Rolly talks about dealing with injuries.  Stories about people who have done it right and wrong abound.

Lance talks about the NCAA.  He lays out some of the complicated truths about ending up in Div 1. Rolly and RJ engage in a bet.  They bet something against the results of something. This looks like at least an hour.  :)

Rolly talks about a new documentary.  Perhaps this can reach into other sports docs that show the rigors of youth sports? RJ talks about coach speak.  He has an intricate translation system that he has developed over the years. Lance complains about how wrong most depictions of hockey are.  He offers no solutions.

Rolly  starts with the camps that get people there.  What leagues set up a kid for the next step?  What does it mean when you get three thousand texts telling you that they saw your kid and want to talk about all the camps he should attend. Randall talks about NA3HL.  Is it developing kids?  What is the pathway? Lance brings us home with a shitload of information on the pr...

Lance gives his take on the emergence of hockey after Covid.  There are a cascade of stories from the hockey world from the covid year.  What was the craziest  regulation and perhaps the most sensible one as well? Rolly updates the audience on the 2021 rule changes.  Do they make the  sport more compelling?  Do they keep more kids in the sport?  What is  the...

Lance talks about all of the experiences he's had with his kids being recruited.  It goes from parents at mites to top Juniors programs just a few days ago.  He has some great advice for moms and dads in this position.  Randall did a search of the country and found one ice rink open for business.  It was kind of just for fun, but he probably wants both of his kids on a bus to S...

Lance asks the question: What if there is no hockey this year?  He talks about his kids routines and how to build hockey reps when you're not on the ice.  Randall takes a swing at the concept of the sudden nature of rink closure and has some thoughts on how they will make a comeback.  The character of the week is the one who always has a story that's better than yours, always has an...

Lance has been doing his research on what kind of tryouts will occur this summer for next year's season.  The resume tryout is being talked about at some rinks.  Let's face it, many of these kids might not be able to hit the ice together for some time.  Randy talks about a way to make tryouts more accountable.  Is there a system that could be a little more fair?  Finally L...