Blog
We’ve all done it. Pretended to be our favorite athlete—driving to the hoop, scoring the [...]
Continue reading
Blog
Why Small Intentional Decisions Matter. We’ve all been there. A tournament 45 minutes outside a [...]
Continue reading
Blog
In a world of constant comparison, identity is under pressure, and grit is what holds [...]
Continue reading
Blog
As participants in the hockey community, there are moments where we, as coaches, observe parental [...]
1 Comment
Continue reading
Blog
Every season we try to anchor our team with a theme—something that captures how we [...]
Continue reading
Why Small Intentional Decisions Matter. We’ve all been there. A tournament 45 minutes outside a third-tier city. Three-star hotel. Rink. Lobby. Repeat. Vacation days disappearing faster than expected. The parent playdate goes a little too long. The next morning…the idea of the gym, reading, or anything beyond breathing and blinking feels like a stretch. A […]
In a world of constant comparison, identity is under pressure, and grit is what holds it together. We’ve all heard it: “Kids these days aren’t built like we were.” And honestly… that’s true. But not for the reason people think. It’s not that kids are softer. It’s that they’re growing up in a completely different […]
As participants in the hockey community, there are moments where we, as coaches, observe parental behavior and try to reconcile it with our own sense of reality. This week felt like a live experiment. Daryl Jones — a.k.a. Jonesy, a.k.a. the real most interesting man in the world, a.k.a. The Gold Coast’s Most Eligible Bachelor […]
Every season we try to anchor our team with a theme—something that captures how we want to play and who we want to be. A few years ago, that word was grit. It fit the game perfectly. Hockey is a little grimy. A little chaotic. It rewards the player who keeps going when things aren’t […]
A lighthearted guide to surviving hockey tryout season If anxious energy could be measured with a thermometer, Fairfield County would be in the middle of a heat wave. It’s hockey tryout season. The nervous chatter. The heightened gossip. The speculative “I heard they’re taking six forwards from the A team…” All hallmarks of tryout uncertainty. […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]