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I was 14, sitting behind the starting block, staring down my lane with a death [...]
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Blog
While watching an NHL game with my son the other night, I caught myself trying [...]
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Blog
In today’s high-pressure youth sports environment, mental toughness and emotional resilience are often left behind [...]
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Blog
Some players bring fire every shift; others skate flat. Why? It often comes down to [...]
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Blog
Hey hockey‑parents, this week let’s talk about: “The Ever‑Shrinking Grit Score.” I promise it’s relevant [...]
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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 […]
Let me hit you with something simple, but powerful: The Passion Score. It’s a concept that’s become a bit of a compass for me when I’m talking with parents or watching our young athletes grow. Here’s the formula: Multiply by 100 if you want to get fancy with a percentage. If that number is below […]
I’ve skated alongside some legends, stood in locker rooms, watched ex‑NHL players do wild things, but Alex Kovalev always hovered at the edges of myth. Over the last 25+ years, our paths crossed: I’d see him during his Rangers rehab skates or later in the local men’s league. Rumor had it he was the guy […]
If you’ve ever watched the clock tick past the first whistle and thought, “Surely this kid just lost a puck battle for the hundredth time today,” you’re not alone. That’s why we created the Grit Score Hockey system. There’s a particular kind of stress for a hockey parent, you’re cheering from the stands, watching every […]
If you’ve been around a rink long enough, you’ve probably heard someone called “a hockey guy.” Now, what does that even mean? Besides the lopsided walking stride and a vocabulary so mangled it sounds like a dialect? Last Saturday at 7 a.m., because apparently that’s when my best ideas strike, I texted a handful of […]
If there’s one thing youth hockey teaches us (besides exactly how early your closest coffee shop opens on Sunday morning), it’s that not all ice sheets are created equal. Last weekend we fired up our Grit Kore methodology, dove headfirst into six youth games, and came out with data, sweat, and a few raised eyebrows. […]