The USA Hockey Podcast: A Youth Sports Conversation

Skill Acquisition Specialist Rob Gray discusses the Constraints Led Approach (CLA) in sports training, its history, benefits, and application in hockey. They explore how environmental factors affect player performance, how constraints influence player behavior, and the evolution of coaching in youth sports. The conversation also covers training for awareness and injury prevention in hockey, and specific tips for applying the CLA in coaching.

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: https://uscah.com/ Red Cross First Aid Training: https://uscah.com/ Make sure to join the discussion on Twitter @USAHockeyCoach

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/articles/PMC4201634/ USA Hockey Webinar with Dr. Amanda Visek: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rF4XGWO8Jro Dr. Visek on X: @ajvisekHeather Mannix on X: @Hmannix14 Follow us on X: USAHockeycoach

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 players Compete Like a Champion Podcast: http://www.playerdevelopment.usta.com/podcasts/ USA Hockey Webinar: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ZFSkETx0FY On Twitter: https://twitter.com/larrylauer?lang=en

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 (Asst. Coach Northeastern) and Dave Caruso (Columbus Blue Jackets) In this episode, we chat about the coaching staff and their backgrounds in hockey, the difficulty in the selection process, how to manage a young team with high expectations, keeping the team in the moment, and much more. Episodes are live on Spotify, Amazon, and Apple Podcasts.

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 as we chat about different ways we can support each individual kid on their learning journey. Join the discussion on Twitter @USAHockeycoach Reach out to Zack at Zachary.nowak@usahockey.org

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 @USAHockeyCoach

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 Continuing Education: https://www.usahockey.com/coaching-continuingeducation

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