CONNECTICUT HOCKEY PARENTS: READ THIS CAREFULLY This isn’t about coaches. This isn’t about ice time. This isn’t about practice plans. This is about us. The Hard Truth On a per‑capita basis, Connecticut — along with New York and New Jersey — produces far fewer high‑level hockey players than comparable regions. That includes: NCAA Division I […]
Category Archives: Blog
Every hockey coach I talk to can’t stop talking about the way Team Finland played at the World Juniors. They punch well above their weight in NHL representation. And for years, USA Hockey has studied the Finnish model—trying to decode what people often label as “skill development.” But here’s the reality check. If Finnish players […]
What the Data (and the Kids) Are Telling Us One of the perks of being a hockey geek who actually tracks what happens on the ice is that you get to move past opinions and look at reality. Numbers don’t lie, but they also don’t tell the whole story unless you know how to read […]
But… it’s actually kinda funny) Let’s be honest. Two of the dirtiest little secrets in youth hockey: 1️⃣ Mite parents absolutely know the score of every game 2️⃣ Everyone says rankings “don’t matter”… while secretly refreshing them like the stock market When my boys were in Mites, I’d hear legends about managers rearranging schedules like […]
Understanding and Encouraging the Development of Hockey IQ A few years ago, I was out for a skate and found myself watching a Junior kid and thinking, “man, this guy is so dumb out there.” The words slipped out before I even realized what I was saying. Then it hit me—I coach in the same […]
I was 14, sitting behind the starting block, staring down my lane with a death stare. 90’s hip hop in my Walkman, goggles on, everything else fading out. From the outside, it looked like I was just waiting for the race to start. On the inside, I was doing something completely different. I was calming […]
While watching an NHL game with my son the other night, I caught myself trying to explain something most fans never even notice: how acceleration works on the ice, and why great players are constantly managing the natural delay it creates in the rhythm of the game. One simple question led to another, and, if […]
In today’s high-pressure youth sports environment, mental toughness and emotional resilience are often left behind in the race for rankings, trophies, and scholarships. But what if we could shift the focus back to what really matters, developing strong, confident kids who can handle adversity, on and off the ice? Enter The Grit Kore Project—a free, […]
Some players bring fire every shift; others skate flat. Why? It often comes down to passion, and that’s built not just on love for the game, but on the security to risk failure. Parents can help by focusing less on stats, and more on connection. As a coach and a curious observer, I’m often standing […]
Hey hockey‑parents, this week let’s talk about: “The Ever‑Shrinking Grit Score.” I promise it’s relevant to your rink‑runs, drive times, and weekend tournament wars. Let’s lace up. We used to talk about grit like it was baked into the game, into life. You earned it through sweat, setbacks, and showing up when nobody else wanted […]
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