Cognitive Training for Youth Hockey: Engineering the Modern Player with ReactForge Founder Satoshi Takano Artwork

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.

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.

All Episodes

Our Kids Play Hockey

Cognitive Training for Youth Hockey: Engineering the Modern Player with ReactForge Founder Satoshi Takano

December 06, 2025 • Our Kids Play Hockey • Season 1 • Episode 453

🧠 What if the biggest advantage your young hockey player could gain… wasn’t on their stick, but in their mind?

This week on Our Kids Play Hockey, we dive deep into one of the most misunderstood and under-trained parts of the game: Hockey IQ — the ability to read, decide, anticipate, and act faster than the play itself.

And joining us is one of the world’s leading innovators in cognitive performance for athletes: Satoshi Takano, founder of ReactForge Cognitive Performance Institute and the creator behind the groundbreaking video platform ReactView. From a 200-square-foot basement to a 12,000-square-foot facility training over 1,500 athletes, Satoshi’s journey is as remarkable as the results he helps players achieve.

Together, we unpack:

🧩 What Hockey IQ actually is (and why 95% of the game happens WITHOUT the puck)
🎯 How players can train decision-making, scanning, and situational awareness
🧒 When parents should start thinking about cognitive development — and the signs your child may benefit
🚦 Why some kids take off when parents simply “say less”
🤖 How AI and video annotation tools like ReactView are transforming coaching forever
⚡ Why training faster than the game is the secret to slowing the game down for young players

Satoshi also shares stories from the early days — when he trained his son alone in the garage, hauling strange equipment into the rink while other parents stared — and how those experiments shaped the system helping NHLers today.

Whether you’re a coach trying to teach smarter hockey, a parent navigating development choices, or a player wanting to understand the game on a deeper level… this episode will change the way you see the sport.

🎧 Hit play — and get ready to rethink everything you thought you knew about Hockey IQ.

📖 Want a written version you can reference anytime? Check out our companion blog: How Cognitive Training Builds Smarter Hockey Players: Insights from Satoshi Takano

Follow Satoshi: @ReactForge / @reactviewapp

#HockeyIQ #YouthHockey #CognitiveTraining #ReactForge #HockeyParents #PlayerDevelopment #OurKidsPlayHockey #HockeyCoaching #SituationalAwareness #HockeyMindset

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