Our Kids Play Hockey
Our Kids Play Hockey is a podcast that focuses on youth hockey, offering insights, stories, and interviews from the hockey community. It provides valuable advice for parents, coaches, and players, covering various aspects of the game, including skill development, sportsmanship, teamwork, and creating a positive experience for young athletes. The show frequently features guests who share their expertise and personal experiences in youth hockey, both on and off the ice.
The show features three hockey parents, who all work in the game at high levels:
- Christie Casciano-Burns - USA Hockey Columnist, Author, and WSYR Anchor
- Mike Bonelli - USA Hockey Coach and Organizational Consultant
- Lee M.J. Elias - Hockey Entrepreneur, Author, and Team Strategist
In addition to the main podcast, there are several spin-off series that dive into specific aspects of youth hockey:
1.Our Girls Play Hockey – This series highlights the growing presence of girls in hockey, addressing the unique challenges they face while celebrating their accomplishments and contributions to the sport. Each episode of Our Girls Play Hockey is also hosted by Sheri Hudspeth who is the Director, Youth Hockey Programs and Fan Development for the Vegas Golden Knights.
2.The Ride to The Rink – A shorter, motivational series designed to be listened to on the way to the rink, offering quick, inspirational tips and advice to help players and parents get into the right mindset before a game or practice.
3.Our Kids Play Goalie – This series is dedicated to young goalies and the unique challenges they face. It provides advice for players, parents, and coaches on how to support and develop young goaltenders, focusing on the mental and physical demands of the position.
Together, these shows provide a comprehensive platform for parents, players, and coaches involved in youth hockey, offering insights for all aspects of the sport, from parenting, playing, or coaching to specialized positions like goaltending.
Our Kids Play Hockey
The Ride To The Rink - Is Prep School For Me with Shattuck St. Mary's Girls Head Hockey Coach & Olympic Gold Medalist Brianna Decker
Are you on the path to prep school?
This episode of "The Ride To The Rink" explores the critical decisions and skills that shape a successful hockey career. From preparing for prep school hockey to mastering self-advocacy, our hosts provide valuable insights for both players and parents.
Discover how surrounding yourself with better players can elevate your game, and gain wisdom from Olympic gold medalist Brianna Decker's unique coaching philosophy.
Whether you're considering a hockey-focused prep school or one with diverse sports options, this episode offers guidance to help you make informed choices.
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Key Discussion Points
- Preparing for Prep School Hockey
- Balancing Academics and Athletics
- Self-Advocacy for Young Athletes
- Playing with More Skilled Teammates
- Brianna Decker's Coaching Philosophy
- Choosing the Right Prep School
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Lee MJ Elias [0:08 - 0:37]: Hello, hockey skaters and goalies around the world. Welcome back to another episode of the Ride to the Rink. I've got an Olympic gold medalist with you today. World class athlete Brian Decker is joining us today to talk to all of you kids out there that may be looking to go to prep school or play high level hockey. So whether you're in third grade or even into high school, this is a great episode for you to listen to about some of the tips and tactics needed to know mentally and physically on how to approach that journey. Take a listen.
Brianna Decker [0:39 - 2:52]: I think, for one, you gotta ask yourself, do you think you'll be able to leave home and be without your parents, siblings, dogs, pets, everything like that, and be okay with being in an environment that is, you know, everyone is wanting to get better every single day? Do you want to be in an environment where there's a lot of hockey? Are you doing to be an environment where schoolwork is going to be required and there's a standard academically yet? You know, there's that balance. Are you going to be able to balance those things by yourself without your parents on your side? I think that's the biggest thing about going to a prep school, is that you're leaving away from home. But then, you know, the great part of that is that you are part of a group that's in the same environment. Everyone's there for the same reasons, and you're all striving to not only win at that level together, but then striving to get to the next level, whether that's, you know, playing d one or d three college hockey somewhere. And so you got to ask these questions before you start, you know, inquiring and, you know, going on with your journey of going to a prep school. So if you can answer those questions that you want to do all those things, then it's a matter of finding out which prep school is best for you. And at a place like Shattuck St. Mary's, it's hockey all year round and more hockey focused. At other prep schools, you know, there's hockey focus, but there's also other sports that you could play. And so, you know, if you're a kid who's incredible at lacrosse and you're also good at hockey, well, like a place like Chad, and you want to keep going, I have a bigger future with lacrosse. Well, then a place like shaddock might not be the best place for you. But if you're like hockey, hockey, hockey, hockey, then this is your dream school in a sense of a prep school, because that's what our focus is on here. So got to answer some of those initial questions and then you got to reach out to those schools that you're interested in and start that communication process. You know, whether you're 7th, 8th, 9th grade, it's never too late to start that communication process. Even if you're midway through high school, it might be the best time for you to switch to from where you're at to, you know, get more detailed on your development.
Lee MJ Elias [2:52 - 3:11]: You know, in our big episode this week, which I encourage all of you, all of you kids to listen to. Brina, you talked about advocating for yourself, and I know when you're younger, it can be a little scary to reach out to these big programs or coaches that have a resume like yours. Can you just talk about the importance of advocating for yourself and kind of what that means for a kid?
Brianna Decker [3:11 - 4:49]: Yeah, I think it's one, I think when you are a coach and you have a kid approach you about something that maybe they're unhappy with or something that's going well or something they need help with, I just have an immediate respect for a kid when they have that confidence to come and talk to us about things. I'd rather hear from the kid because the kid really knows how they feel. And sometimes a parent can be, my kid's feeling this way when the kid's really nothing. And so I just want the real, you know, authenticity of a kid coming up to me and, you know, talking to me about them and I can guide them through some things. You know, self advocating is something that you need to do as a kid in order to be good at it. When you're a parent, when you have a job, when you're older, you're not going to have your parents call your boss and tell them what's, you know, what you're unhappy with, you got to do that. You got yourself. And the only way you really get good at that is just getting out of your comfort zone and going and doing it more often. You know, and I think as a young kid, and this is a part of what we do here at Shattuck, is that like, we guide, we guide these kids through that process, too. So when a kid comes in and self advocating for themselves, they will do, you know, they will probably say sometimes the wrong thing or have the wrong approach. And so us as coaches here, we're like, hey, thank you for coming in. I appreciate you coming in and talking to us. But the next time you come in or the next time you talk to a coach about this stuff. This is how you should go about it so that they're going to respond in a great way. So it's like we never get mad at a kid for coming to talk to us regardless of how they approach it because they're learning.
Lee MJ Elias [4:50 - 5:17]: Last one for me, for the kids listening. If you're listening to this show, you love the game. You want to play the game. You want to play the game at a high level. Brianna, I know some of the kids might want this, but maybe their skill sets, their work ethic aren't where they want them to be or need them to be. What advice do you have for youth hockey players from just a physical aspect on working on their game, keeping the dream alive. Right. Of understanding. You want to get to that next level.
Brianna Decker [5:17 - 5:46]: Yeah. You have to put yourself in uncomfortable positions and play, play with and surround yourself with kids who are better than you. That's how you're going to get better. So you're going to become more competitive. That's how you're going to get better at different skills on the ice. But it's okay to not be great at things when you first start doing them. And it's okay to fail at little tasks because that is how you're going to figure out what you're not great at. And you're going to have opportunity to grow and get better at those things and focus on those details.
Lee MJ Elias [5:47 - 6:12]: I love it. The gold standard. We'll call it that for today. Brianna Decca, thanks so much for joining us today on the ride to the Rankin kids. Share this one with your parents. This has been a good one. Remember, you can hear all the ride to the rinks over at ourkidsplay hockey.com. and kids, if you have any questions you want us to answer, feel free to send them over an email team at our kidsplay hockey.com or text us using the link at the bottom of this episode. Thanks so much for listening. Remember, we believe in you. You should too. Have a great day and skate on.
