Dialed & Driven Hockey Mentality Podcast
Dialed & Driven Hockey Mentality Podcast with hosts Jeff Lerg and Chris Palmer, is a space for athletes, parents, and coaches to see the depths of hockey and the mental hurdles that come with it.
Jeff Lerg has extensive experience as a former player and current coach that propels his knowledge and life advice. Jeff has reached the ultimate pinnacle of what it means to be a successful D1 Collegiate Athlete. Playing at Michigan State University, he has won countless awards and accolades displaying his success. Also, a former professional goalie for 10+ years across the U.S. and Europe, he has had first-hand experience reaching his own goals and helping others achieve theirs.
Chris Palmer, M.A. in Psychology, is a Hockey Mental Performance Coach who trains individuals, coaches, and teams from house leagues to Pro and Amateur in the US, Europe and Canada. He trains “heart, head, and guts,” with a proven process that helps clients maximize mental toughness and motivation to develop a grinding and intense compete level. As a former NCAA runner, x2 All-American, and Nike-sponsored athlete, Chris brings a great deal of knowledge in athletics and the mental performance space to positively impact the lives of athletes all over the world.
Dialed & Driven Hockey Mentality Podcast
What Happens When You Stop Expecting Things to Go Right
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Welcome to another episode of the Dialed and Driven Hockey Mentality Podcast — brought to you by Vaughn Custom Sports!
Today, hosts Jeff Lerg and Chris Palmer, joined by Natalie, dive into one of the most important (and unavoidable) realities of sport and life: learning how to manage chaos when things don’t go as planned.
From youth hockey to the Olympics, this episode breaks down why setbacks, distractions, injuries, pressure, and unexpected changes aren’t signs that something is wrong — they’re simply part of the process. The difference between athletes who spiral and athletes who thrive is how they respond when the wheels come off.
Through listener Q&A, real-life coaching examples, and powerful stories from elite performers like Sidney Crosby, Lindsey Vonn, AJ Edelman, and Olympic ice dancers Emilea Zingas and Vadym Kolesnik, this conversation shows how mentally strong athletes reset, adapt, and stay dialed in no matter what’s happening around them.
Episode highlights:
- Why practicing well but struggling in games is often a mental block, not a skill issue — and how shifting focus from outcomes to process unlocks performance
- How fun, trust, and confidence directly impact execution under pressure
- The mental traits coaches and scouts notice first, including hockey IQ, preparation, and the ability to reset after mistakes
- What managing chaos actually looks like during a long season filled with injuries, setbacks, fatigue, and uncertainty
- Why accepting that things will go wrong can actually make you calmer, more focused, and harder to break
- The power of standards over circumstances — and why consistency beats perfection
- Why pulling back at the right time isn’t quitting, but a key part of long-term success
AND SO MUCH MORE!
Whether you’re a youth athlete, parent, coach, or someone chasing big goals in any area of life, this episode is a reminder that chaos isn’t the enemy — resisting it is.
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We want to hear from YOU. Send us your questions—mindset, mental performance, hockey development, habits, anything. We’ll break it all down on the pod.
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