What happens when hockey parents stop watching from the stands and start playing the game themselves?

This week, Jared and Drew welcome Josh Holmes, Director of Adult Hockey for USA Hockey, for a conversation about adult hockey, Learn-to-Play programs, and how stepping onto the ice can completely change a parent's perspective.
The group discusses:
    •    Why adult hockey participation continues to grow
    •    The rapid growth of women's hockey
    •    USA Hockey's beginner and "Rusty" divisions
    •    How adult hockey creates better hockey parents
    •    The camaraderie that keeps players coming back
    •    The incredible 70+ and 75+ National Championship divisions
    •    Why hockey truly can be a lifelong sport
The episode also features a special announcement as Vantage Credit Union becomes the new presenting sponsor of 2 Many Men on the Mic.
Whether you're a hockey parent, coach, player, or someone considering giving the sport a try, this episode offers a fun reminder that hockey isn't just a youth sport—it's a game for life.
🏒 Hockey is more fun the better you get at it.
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Transcript

SPEAKER_03 0:38

It's too many mic on the road coming to you from Baltimore and St. Louis. I love this. This is how we do youth hockey, right?

SPEAKER_05 0:47

This is like old where we used to do remotes.

SPEAKER_03 0:53

And and I would add to it that really this is judgment day because it's really about Grant today. It's really about Grant's bet.

SPEAKER_06 1:03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:03

And Grant's bet that he made of is he going to be successful in one of two things. Is he going to play golf? Or is he going to come to the Too Many Men on the Mic acoustic show on June 18th from 5 to 8 at the St. Louis Music Park? Grant, do you know where the St. Louis Music Park is by chance?

SPEAKER_04 1:29

I do not. I'm unfamiliar.

SPEAKER_03 1:31

Grant, we can't hear you. You might you might be muted.

SPEAKER_05 1:34

I'm I'm unmuted. Can you hear me? I would say, I would say our guest today knows where it is because it's the it's the crown jewel of hockey in in St. Louis. It is at the Senteen Community Ice Center. Uh too many men on the mic, acoustic. Um, we're doing a victory lap. This is the biggest, uh, this is our victory lap. And then Grant has to come because what happened? See, see, what had happened was is you know, there was rust versus rest. We we put to bed that it was definitely rust in game one. Definitely rust in game one, and then something happened.

SPEAKER_03 2:11

He he's very quiet.

SPEAKER_05 2:13

Let's Montreal decided to stop shooting the puck. Do you got me? I don't, I I hear you just fine. I hear exactly what you're saying.

SPEAKER_04 2:22

Drew might have me muted, I'm not sure, but you know, we won the first game, and then I stopped watching. I think that was the big issue. I was high that we won, I was happy that we won, and then I thought it was single elimination, and it wasn't.

SPEAKER_05 2:37

Yeah, it's not the NFL, it's the NHL. Yeah. So when's the the show's June?

SPEAKER_04 2:43

The show's June 31st, right?

SPEAKER_05 2:45

June June, yeah, June 31st on the second Tuesday of next of next month.

SPEAKER_06 2:49

Right. Right. I'll be there. Right.

SPEAKER_05 2:51

June 18th, 5 p.m. I expect you. You know what? You're lucky we didn't say that you were gonna be our roadie and have to help us out.

SPEAKER_03 2:58

What we should have brought loaded. You should have been the road. You should be loading the gear, Grant.

SPEAKER_05 3:04

Yes, you should be absolutely loading the gear. Does that add to my is the roadie get a little extra tips? Well, we'll talk about that. We've got a big, big announcement. Well, we actually have a big announcement later on in the show that we're gonna get to, but uh, but more to come on that. Hey, there's something else that's kind of big going on. Uh, we're recording on Tuesday. We're gonna be live. We're this will be the show's gonna drop on Thursday, but it's 7.09 Central Time, which means it's 8.09 Eastern time, which means that we are dedicated to this show, and uh, you know, please nobody tell me what's going on. But the Stanley Cup final starts tonight. Who do you got, Grant? Grant, you know what, Grant? I'll let you well, chances are the Stanley Cup's not gonna be done by the time of our gig. So we'll have to maybe we'll do a double or nothing, we'll do another, we'll do something on it. But um, you know, are you a convert? Are you coming over to Carolina since they they they douse the Habs? Yeah, I like that. They douse that flame that the Habs walk in with every game.

SPEAKER_04 4:03

I I like the Kanes. I think they're gonna score, score, score. I think there's gonna be a lot of goals in this series, which I feel like you don't see often in the finals. I think they're normally a little more cagey. I think there's gonna be a lot of goals. I think the canes are gonna be victorious. Drew, what do you think?

SPEAKER_03 4:20

I don't know. I this is a this is a tricky series because this is what Carolina has always been working for. I mean, the last eight years, if you've been a hockey fan and you've been watching this journey and Rod Brindamore, he has willed this team to get to this point. He's tried to, and he's done it, Jared. Uh correct me if I'm wrong, three different times, right? Didn't they do it? Haven't they had three different conference championships?

SPEAKER_01 4:52

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 4:53

Fourth time with the charm. Well, no, no, I'm sorry, the opportunity to potentially go to the Stanley Cup, and they didn't get there. And so fourth times the charm, and so now they're finally here. And what's ironic, and I I don't have a stat in front of me. Maybe we can pull it up during the show, is has there been a player who was the captain of the last time a team has won the Stanley Cup, who is now the coach of the team going into the Stanley Cup. Fascinating.

SPEAKER_05 5:32

If it's anybody, it's a Montreal Canadian, not to rub stuff.

SPEAKER_03 5:36

I was gonna say, I was just gonna say it's gonna be Toronto or Montreal, it's gonna be somebody that played and stayed in coaching, and it's gotta be from like the 40s. Certainly wasn't Wayne Gretzky. It wasn't Wayne Gretzky. No, absolutely not. So uh uh some big things happening for the first time uh in many, many decades. So it'll be interesting to see what happens.

SPEAKER_05 6:01

I think everybody's overthinking this. I think Vegas and five. I'm gonna put it right out there. Vegas and five. I just read the background. Vegas and five. If you're draft, if you're drafting a team between the two teams, the top five or six players you're taking, five of them are Vegas Golden Knights.

SPEAKER_03 6:22

Well, and tell me what the Toronto fans are saying right now. I could just every Toronto fan right now is going, oh my gosh, Mitch Marner is in the Stanley Cup. Mitchell, maybe maybe it's not him. Maybe it's me.

SPEAKER_05 6:42

It's not you, it's me.

SPEAKER_04 6:45

Also, off topic, it's 7:13 um on the day of recording, and the puck still hasn't dropped. Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_05 6:54

That free game's gonna last an hour. That's like, you know, they'll they'll have so many Elvis impersonators. But this is a youth hockey podcast, and so we've got to tie it all back to youth hockey exactly as a coach. Um, in fact, I was talking with a fellow hockey coach today, and we were talking about how we were growing up, we watched hockey games. And and so, my appeal to all of the kids who I coach, all of their friends, all of the kids listening out there, if you're not gonna watch the full games, at least watch a full period. Pick a player. A wise coach told me pick a player on each side and watch how he plays and try to get better through watching and and seeing the things they do well, the things they don't do well. Um, but what an I mean the awesome thing about Carolina is if you want to learn how to forcheck and see what it takes to be a fore-checker, that team's got plenty of them. I mean, it's like they've got six guys on the ice half the time. And if you want to watch, go ahead.

SPEAKER_03 7:51

Well, I was just gonna say, and if you want to play with speed and use your feet, then uh watch Carolina because they seem to be a team that moves their feet, has players that buy into that system, and then takes that to another step and then translates it into their four check to where they use their feet to their advantage on the four check to create turnovers in the offensive zone.

SPEAKER_05 8:21

Yep. And if you want to uh learn how to spell goal by using net front because you can't spell goal without net front, watch the Vegas Golden Knights, watch how Barbasha, former St. Louis guy, shot out, watch how Eichel controls the play down low below the dots, and you watch this Dorothya and just see how he is just always moving his feet inside the high danger zones, home plate, but going to the net. And then if you want to if you want to enjoy hockey at its finest, watch Mark, watch what Mark Stone does after he scores a goal. I don't think there's a personal way. Like who gets more excited, but um, which brings me in this little segue here. We want to talk about speed. Well, one area of hockey where there's not a lot of speed is adult men's league hockey, adult women's league hockey. We try we've we've got a great, great guest today from USA Hockey. Um, we're bringing in Josh Holmes, he's director of adult hockey with USA Hockey. Now, Josh, uh hey, Josh is joining us here a little early. Grant's on hot on the trigger, so we get to embarrass Josh with his intro while he's on while he's on screen. Uh Josh played roller hockey at Lyndon Wood uh University here in St. Louis and uh then went on to have a retail career with pure hockey. And then from working at pure hockey and developing relationships across uh USA hockey in in 2024, he joined as director of adult hockey and is out in Colorado Springs. And today we're here to welcome Josh and really talk a lot about the parent aspect, um, setting great expectations and how we can leverage, especially with some of those novice parents who hockey was not a sport they played growing up or as they've and give them perspective. And so, Josh, man, thanks for joining. You've got a couple of adult hockey players on here as well, so I'm excited to see where this one goes.

SPEAKER_02 10:06

No, I love that. And thanks for having me, guys. This is an awesome opportunity to talk to you both.

SPEAKER_03 10:11

Josh, I love this. We've never had an adult hockey segment this year, and so I will just share that uh Coach Sherrod and I both know many players, and I love this story. This is such like this is what's great. This is the love of hockey and the lifelong journey. Both of us know multiple people that have gotten into adult hockey because their kids played the game. Uh three of them are on my men's hockey team right now. And I just love it. And and when I'm out with them, I love to see them have success and just you know get a little bit better each time. So uh what a great uh uh topic to have this year uh and and to have you today uh kind of cover it from a USA hockey perspective. So thanks for joining us.

SPEAKER_05 11:12

Absolutely, absolutely. You've got to put your selling shoes on because we have a potential new adult hockey player on um in our mists with Grant, our producer. Um trying to get him to come out and skate out our practices and maybe you know, and he still keeps he keeps snowwalling us.

SPEAKER_03 11:30

He's slow rolling us, he's slow rolling us, Josh.

SPEAKER_05 11:34

Slow rolling.

SPEAKER_02 11:35

You gotta get out there, Grant. It's uh once you're once you're in, I'm telling you right now, it's uh not only did I see it in the stores, but I see it at every event that I'm at for adults. It's once they're in, the beginner players, right, in the adult, in the adult classification, they're they're sold. They come back for not only the camaraderie, but just the excitement that they get when they first step on the ice and see and feel how hard it is to not only play our sport for the first time, but to get better at it, right? And it's almost it's it's like golf kind of, you know, you you get out there and you're like, I want to just get better and better and better. Um Josh, you gotta get out there.

SPEAKER_03 12:13

Josh, you just hit a a nerve and a great nerve. I feel like where we should start this conversation is with the parents. So, what have you found in working with adult hockey players? And let's say, let's just say hypothetically, you have a mom or dad that thinks that youth hockey is easy and has watched their kid throughout the years and has said, Oh my gosh, why doesn't he do this or why doesn't she do that? And then suddenly they're on the ice and they're trying to do the same kind of things. What's that moment like for you? And uh and and what do you see out of that?

SPEAKER_02 12:58

Oh, for me it's it's it's hilarious, right? Because I mean, I have I've had I I'm fortunate enough to remember my stepdad. He he played at CC, so he's he's not one I can make fun of. But my mom thinks, you know, she the first time she gets out there, she thought she was gonna be unreal at hockey, right? And she was a roller skater back in the day, she calls herself a Rexer, so she gets out on the ice and it wasn't as easy as she thought, right? And then you put a stick in her hand like watching Bambi, right? But we see it all the time. Um, we'll we'll be at a a classic that we're running, and you'll have the little kids come off the ice, and then the next thing you know, the dad will walk up and say, Hey, I'm playing in your rusty division, right? Which rusty is either you're far out of the game or you're just joining the game. Um, so it's it's pretty funny when you know the kids, kid just gets off the ice. Dad's now jumping into one of our games for our event, and the kid's sitting there on the on the board of the dashers just laughing at his dad because they realize like dad can't do half the things he wants me to do, right? Um, so it's why not shoot the puck harder? Well, dad can barely get the puck off the ice, right? So um it's pretty hilarious to see when the kids stick around and watch, and then uh you can tell which which kids are you know pretty good because they'll they'll sit there and chirp the dad after they get off the ice, right? And say, hey, you know, you should do this, do that. We see it all the way from eight years old all the way up until 16 years old, right? The 16-year-olds are a little more brutal with their comments, but uh even the eight-year-olds will chirp the dads coming off and the moms, to be honest with you.

SPEAKER_03 14:33

You know, I I I I wish I wish we had a camera or a microphone in the car on the way home to to where we could uh uh uh change places. So now where the kid could say to the dad, you know, you really need to work harder getting into XYZ, or you really you really need to do a better job of passing. So suddenly the kid is giving uh uh uh pointers to the dad or the mom.

SPEAKER_05 15:03

Well, Josh, you just mentioned the Rusty division, which I absolutely love. In fact, that's gonna be Grant's new nickname once he gets on the ice cream.

SPEAKER_03 15:11

Rusty.

SPEAKER_05 15:11

Oh, I love talk a little bit about. So we're used to you know, Drew and I being uh you know members of USA hockey and and being involved. We're used to USA hockey being the developmental path, and then at the upper levels, you know, going for gold medals. None of us are going for gold medals. So, what does a day in the work life look like for Josh Holmes? Let's talk a little bit, let's set the tone for what your role is.

SPEAKER_03 15:37

I can't wait to hear this.

SPEAKER_05 15:38

Let's hear this, and then let's let's work backwards from there.

SPEAKER_02 15:41

Yeah. So honestly, um, you know, I'm actually in the membership department. So adult hockey kind of stays out of that player development department. We're in the membership department. So my main goal is to grow membership. Um, adult membership is a little under 182,000 members right now, um, with women's hockey being our fastest growing sector. So that is yep. So yeah, I mean, women's hockey is growing like crazy across the board. Um, but that's my main job is to reach out to associations that are, you know, either using general liability insurance or you know, they they kind of just form pickups and they're not really covered. They don't have support, they don't have um, you know, ways to kind of get referees to their to their ranks. That's what we do. We come in and we help support those associations by helping them out with officials, um with you know things like tri hockey for free, gear, jerseys, all that good stuff. So other than doing that, my other my other part of my job is running all the adult hockey events across the country. So we have about seven classics that we run. And then we also have two national tournaments, men's nationals, um, women's nationals. We also have the one of the largest pond hockey tournaments in the country up in Eagle River, Wisconsin, which you know from 200 to 250 teams out on Dollar Lake, 24 rinks built. It's we love it.

SPEAKER_05 17:16

Isn't it three on three, five-man teams, six-man teams, three on three?

SPEAKER_02 17:20

Four on four, seven, seven, uh, seven max rostered. You get some of the craziest uh jersey names and team names, and it is uh it's it's a great time. I mean, it's honestly one of the biggest, you know, biggest joys of this job is running that pond hockey tournament up in Eagle River.

SPEAKER_03 17:38

That that one is amazing. And I have talked to my own men's hockey team about we should try that out sometime. But since you put it out there, you have seven tournaments that uh adult tournaments that come across the country, come to St. Louis. We are happy to support you and drive a adult hockey tournament and and make it a success in always, and not just from a hockey aspect, but uh uh a good place to go and maybe have a meal and uh get together as a team and commiserate and all those kinds of things. So I'll put that out there.

SPEAKER_02 18:19

No, we're always looking for new spots. I mean, the uh seven that we have going this year, you know, they've been around for a while. I mean, you uh Dold Hockey used to have, I think it was close to 16 classics across the country, right? Um now that our department is ran by me and uh my amazing manager, Delaney Baker. Um, we we are on the road a lot. So from mid-March all the way, we just finished our last one. Well, not our second to last uh in Vegas this last weekend. So we just got back from Vegas. Um, but yeah, we're on the road. The longest we've been at home is about four days in the last uh three and a half, four months.

SPEAKER_05 18:56

So we appreciate giving us an hour to hour today, then um absolutely. So I love the membership uh angle, and one of the things that you said that we all say that if Grant ever was able to, you know, get the get the courage to get on the ice, he could say it as well. Is you call it our game, you know, our game. And I love that whether you're a six six years old or sixty years old, you're playing this game, it becomes you become a part of that. Uh talk about, you know, we have this, we have this, you know, saying in youth hockey, all roads lead to we'll call it adult hockey, men's league. There's all roads lead lead to men's league. Um, even if you're in the NHL. I mean, I've gone to hockey and son camps up in Minnesota where it's you know it's amazing to see how when your son or daughter puts the skates on and you've never played before, how how quickly you want to like become a part of that. So talk a little bit about that messaging and what are some of the things that you know, not even just for new players, but just in general, that you're you're doing to help grow this game at the at the adult level and keep people playing.

SPEAKER_02 20:11

I mean, uh to be honest with you, Jared, this game does it does it on its own. I mean, once once, you know what I mean, an adult starts, let's say they don't have a kid that plays and they jump into the game in the mid-30s, right? Um, once they get past that sticker shock of the gear, they're usually bought in, right? Um, so it it it's like, all right, they show up to the rank, they get in the locker room, they realize the camaraderie, and they keep going. You know what I mean? It's it's crazy to see. I mentioned men's nationals um earlier. We have a 70 plus and 75 plus division at that tournament.

SPEAKER_05 20:44

Wow.

SPEAKER_02 20:44

I can probably compete with that now.

SPEAKER_05 20:46

Wow. That's probably my level of play right this time. That's amazing.

SPEAKER_02 20:52

Both divisions actually had four ex-Stanley Cup winners in them. Like, and those guys are playing with guys that maybe started in their 50s, or you know what I mean? And it's it's just cool to see those guys be humble enough to play with guys that maybe started later in life, but they're you know what I mean, they're going. And and it's one of the most it's the coolest division we see at Nationals.

SPEAKER_03 21:12

So that's a goal. I that that that's a goal for me. I want to be in the 75 plus men's league. Uh that that that that's fantastic. I I love that. How cool. It's awesome.

SPEAKER_05 21:25

Well, Josh, we got to pay a quick bill here and do a quick read, but you still got some time to hang with us. There's a lot of fun stories and a lot of fun talk we want to get going here for the next segment. So if you can, hang loose and we'll be right back to Too Many Men on the Mike. So, for those of you watching on our YouTube feed, and obviously, if you're listening, you can't see this, but we've got a great new logo up. Um, what an awesome day, what an awesome opportunity, a new partnership that Too Many Men on the Mike has here in the St. Louis area with Vantage Credit Union. They uh, I mean, Drew, I don't know how else to say it. They are Are the new presenting sponsor for Too Many Men on the Mike. It's a vantage credit union where St. Louis goes to bank with confidence. The opportunity that's in front of us to give back to the community with this type of partnership and some of the ideas that we're already talking about in terms of live in-person events, uh giving back to families in need in the hockey community. I couldn't be more excited. And I know you've probably got some great things to say about it as well.

SPEAKER_03 22:29

Absolutely. Vantage Credit Union was part of our mid-states broadcast last year during the regular season and also the playoff season. They're also a Meryville hockey sponsor, an ACHA team that has just achieved Division I status. And so this is a company that's invested in the community and the youth hockey community in particular. So thrilled to have them as our flagship sponsor.

SPEAKER_05 22:56

And so what this means to our audience, to the players, the coaches, the parents, in the community at large is we've got a what I would call a blue chip sponsorship that's going to allow us to continue to bring on the phenomenal guests like Josh Holmes today from USA Hockey. It's going to allow us to continue to invest in great software, in ways to help people become better coaches, better players, better parrots, like drift hockey. And most importantly, it's going to give us this opportunity to get boots back on the ground, get in the rinks, talk to parents, talk to kids, talk to coaches, bring fun back in. And it's all because we've got a great partner with Vantage Credit Union. So it's Too Many Men on the Mic, presented by Vantage Credit Union. We're St. Louis banks with confidence. More to come. It's officially going to be in place August 1st, but we just couldn't wait till August 1st. So we're excited and thank you to Vantage Credit Union for partnering up with Too Many Men on the Mike and becoming our new presenting sponsor.

SPEAKER_03 23:51

Let's go.

SPEAKER_05 23:53

Real quick, folks, before we jump back in, if you're enjoying Too Many Men on the Mic, hit like and subscribe on our YouTube channel. It's a quick click for you, but it helps us grow the show and keep bringing you great hockey conversations. You can also follow us on Instagram by scanning the QR code on your screen in the top right hand corner. And be sure to download, follow, and rate the podcast on Spotify, Apple, Amazon, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also go directly to our website, too many men on the mic.com. That's the number two, where you're able to get access to our great content, including drills and small area games in our coach's corner section. Those are small things from you, help keep us delivering new guests, downloadable coaching content, and more from the rank. All right, back to the show.

SPEAKER_03 24:38

We're back with Josh from USA Hockey talking adult hockey. This is near and dear to my heart because if you are a coach, if you are somebody that's played youth hockey before, and you have met a potential parent who looks at their kid and says, Why haven't they done this? Or they need to get better at this, or why didn't they make this pass? This is the episode for you, Josh. Isn't it? Isn't this the episode for our listeners where the parents who always want their kids to do more can suddenly kind of turn it inward and look at themselves, assuming that they go out on the ice and attempt to be a hockey player, and say, wow, this sport is a lot harder than I thought it was. So I'm curious, is that where adult hockey players start with you? Is that the first comment that comes out of their mouth when they're on the ice with you? Is it wow, this is harder than I thought it was gonna be? I kind of feel like maybe it is.

SPEAKER_02 25:44

Oh yeah, it's uh it's one of the first comments, and and it's usually a comment for the next you know six months of them trying to figure out our game. Um, because uh you might learn how to work your outside edge, inside edge, and then next thing you know, you're trying to catch a pass while also doing that skill. And then you also have to keep your head up. Oh, that that's a little harder, right? Uh peripherals aren't as keen as they were when you were in your 20s, um, let alone when you were a teenager, right? So all those all those different little skills come together, and and a lot of a lot of moms and dads realize uh this is a lot harder. But the awesome part about our game is that there's so many of them out there that they can all play together, right? And they all they all look like that out there together while they're you know tripping over each other's stick and uh accidentally slashing each other in the shin or accidentally high sticking each other, right? Um, so it's it's it's awesome to see those parents get away from the channel.

SPEAKER_03 26:47

Oh, now I'm in now I can hear it. I I I I dropped out there for a second. Say say say that last part, Josh. I didn't I I didn't catch the last piece.

SPEAKER_02 26:55

The uh the accidental tripping and the accidental high sticking part. Yeah, no, that is uh the the funniest part about watching beginner parents all be out there together is the oops, I didn't mean to do that. And uh, you know, it's a high stick right to the to the cage, and they they keep going.

SPEAKER_05 27:16

Some of them aren't accidental, though. I've run into a fair fair amount who think that they're you know just playing the game hard, man. Just playing the game hard. I'm like, buddy, it's 11:45 at night. We gotta go to work tomorrow.

SPEAKER_02 27:28

Well, that's that's where that USA hockey insurance comes into play. No joke.

SPEAKER_05 27:33

We Drew and I were part of a youth hockey board for over eight years, so we know all about the the umbrella policy. Um, so that kind of leads into some of the misconceptions, right? Because you know, Drew and I have had a a wide experience with parents, and and oftentimes it is literally the the and look, I'm called what it is. It's mostly dads who say, Why can't you do this or why can't you do that? Like Drew, their primary exposure to hockey has been watching NHL on TV. And so, what are some things that you know, through different initiatives and the membership drive and different resources to kind of get people to understand that these misconceptions about hockey have to be laid to rest in that nobody starts off like Miriam? Like, how does that work?

SPEAKER_02 28:22

Yeah, I mean, you know, through uh through our adult tri hockey for try hockeys for free, you you try to you try to explain that to every parent in the in the in the chalk talk prior, right? Like, look, don't get don't get out here and think you're gonna be ICO. Don't think jump out here and think you guys are gonna all of a sudden just take off. It's gonna take a lot, a lot, a lot of practice, right? So we encourage the free skates and stuff like that to eliminate some of the elements that that you get when you know you when you put all the gear on and put the stick in their hand. And next thing you know, they're wearing a helmet, which a lot, you know what I mean, have never worn something on their head like that. Um it's not a hard hat, it's in it's wrapping your whole head, right? So that can throw um a new a new skater off just in itself. So it's explaining to these parents that like this is step by step by step. I mean, it'd be like taking a guy out onto the golf course with that's never swung a club and expecting him to get around the course, right? Not gonna happen. Um, so it's it's very similar when it comes to hockey, um, except that you're on two, three millimeter blades and you're trying to learn inside, outside edge when most jumping into the game just think there's one edge, right? Um, that's an explanation in itself. So um to do that, it's awesome.

SPEAKER_05 29:44

Well, how much of it, because that's a great point. And Brian Burke says this best. It's like the greatest game in the world because we ask you to learn how to do something that there's actually three disciplines in the Olympics for, and that's called skating. So, how do you lead into learn to play? Is there learn to skate programs? Is there support for that at a grassroots level? Talk a little bit about that because that's the biggest barrier for most folks to get on the ice. Is that big fear?

SPEAKER_02 30:10

Yeah, I mean, TriHockey's for free. Trihockey for free is the greatest, um, greatest program that we offer around the country. I mean, and shout out to all the associations that put those on because without those associations, we wouldn't have Tri Hockey for Freeze, um, especially on the adult side, right? Um, but what that does is it gets them comfortable without without having all the gear on. So usually a tri hockey for free is very simple. You know, they get the skates, some will wear shins, you put a stick and some gloves and gloves on their um in their hands, and you know, you kind of just take them around to little stations, right? Little stations of passing back and forth, trying to put a puck on the net. Um you're not working, you're not doing any edge work at that point. You're you're trying to teach them just to the basics, right? Of push-offs. Um, you'll go to an adult try hockey for free, and majority of the participants are holding on to the wall. But that's what it's all about, right? Is getting them, getting them comfortable out there and and trying to get the concept in their head. Um, I personally like to to compare it to other sports they may have played in the past, right? Um, when it comes to the hockey IQ side. But like you said, it's very hard to say, hey, it's like when you play soccer. No, it's not. Um, you're on again, two, three millimeter blades, right? Um, so it you can't really compare the whole running and/or, you know, it's a it's a different game. So it's the hockey IQ is somewhat easier to explain to an adult, right? Depending on what sports they grew up playing. Um but again, there's so much on the beginner side of adult hockey um that you you really want to stop. Like when I'm running an event, I want to go out on that bench for half the teams in the beginner division and go, hey, who's ever thought about doing this? Or you know what I mean? Or not always trying to go forward east to uh you know, east to west. And it's like you try to explain that to them, and sometimes it clicks, and sometimes they get right back out there and keep going forward and trying to shove the puck up the ice and give away possession, and you're just like, no, don't do that. But it's it's hard to it's hard to explain all that while they're out there.

SPEAKER_03 32:24

We're talking adult youth hockey, adult youth hockey, I can say that, and maybe adult men's hockey because eventually we're gonna transition from youth hockey over to adult hockey. And this is really an episode of the parents, and the parents that sit in the stands and say, Why can't my kid do this? or why didn't they make that great pass? Or why didn't they shoot the puck at that aspect until they join the team and join the game and are on the ice, and suddenly they find themselves going, wow, it's a lot harder to pass the puck and shoot the puck and uh get open and support play and maybe get to the net front, right, Josh? Well, have you found those things? Uh maybe a little bit of sticker shock when some of these uh parents come out on the ice and are are joining.

SPEAKER_02 33:20

Oh yeah. I mean, one of the one of the biggest things is in my beginner divisions and the tournaments that we run, right? It's it it's so hard not to go over to the benches and go, hey, you guys realize you don't have to just push the puck up the ice every time you get it, right? Um there's this thing called possession, um, east to west hockey, right? It's it it it I cringe when you know, and especially when a team comes off and says, hey, they're not beginner, they beat us five to zero. And it's like, no, somebody taught that team, that beginner team to possess the puck. You guys haven't learned that skill yet, so you guys just give it up to them and they you know go down and score on you, right? Um, so it takes it takes a lot as a tournament director to not go over on the bench and start coaching. Um, but there's so many, so many different aspects of little hockey IQ things you can teach beginner players. And and again, some some need the help with edge work, some need the help with passing, but a lot of it comes back down to the IQ. And it's it's it's funny because they're watching their kids do it, yet they can't they can't process it while they're out there, right? It's like it's like a it's like they they can't comprehend not just to pass the puck to the other team. And it's like, well, you had like easily probably 20 seconds until that other beginner player made it made it radiative, right? Um to where you didn't read more and peace. Yeah, like it's like, oh my gosh, I have the puck. There you go. And it's like you have plenty of time to just slow the game down, especially at that level, right? And um so that that is the joy though of being in the adult hockey department. It's you can mold some of these, some of these players, and next thing you know, they're they're advancing out of that beginner up into the D3 or D2 or whatever these uh associations have set up, right? So I love it.

SPEAKER_03 35:15

It's going back to hot potato hockey, is what I like to call it. It's a hot potato, like I got the puck. I got the puck, but I don't want it on my stick, so I gotta move it to somebody else. So we're back to learn to play, we're back to six you hockey. How humbling for all of these adults that are getting on the ice. And what I wonder is do you feel like, Josh, that now that they've been through this journey, are they kinder on the refs? Are they kinder on the coaches? Are they kinder on the players? What have you found uh over your journey in USA hockey? And do you think that they have had a sudden change of opinion now that they have uh been on the ice and experienced the game for themselves?

SPEAKER_02 36:04

Oh, kinder to the officials. I don't know if that's ever uh no, I'm just kidding. Um I like Josh.

SPEAKER_05 36:11

I knew I liked him.

SPEAKER_02 36:12

No, I mean you you you know it really depends on on where I'm at in the country. I'll I will say that. Um sure.

SPEAKER_06 36:19

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 36:20

It really does. Um it really does. I mean, some you can tell some some dads and and let's not, I mean, some moms too, that you know, go go after the officials. They they realize that, you know what, like maybe when my kid accidentally lost an edge and he high sticked another kid right in the right in the cage, that was a penalty, right? Because they do it all the time. I mean, they can trip over the blue line at in a little big inner hockey, right? So it's it's um it is it is you can tell the ones that that have calmed down since they've started playing, but then you have the ones that like it's almost like they take the aggression from their kids' game and they put it right into their own game, right? When they're out there. And it's like, come on, buddy, like you're not, you know what I mean? We're not playing for the Stanley Cup, just just have a good time out there. So I call those guys cuppers, the guys who are out there like what's up, cupper.

SPEAKER_05 37:17

Um, so the so you're saying the pendulum can sometimes swing, and it's like, well, now that I know how to skate, I I actually have a better opinion. I'm gonna share my Josh.

SPEAKER_03 37:27

Do you have any uh just out of curiosity, do you have any stats? Are there more moms learning how to play hockey than dads?

SPEAKER_02 37:40

I honestly would say so. With how fast our women's uh women's hockey sector has grown over especially over the last two to three years, um I would say so.

SPEAKER_01 37:50

I mean, moms are way and and to be honest with you, it's it's it's awesome because it and you see it in girls' hockey girls' hockey's growing like great. Um and it it is so cool to see, you know what I mean, a mom out there and then the daughters right there with her back too. You know what I mean? It's it's it's it's awesome. So and that's at our women's national tournament. You you know, a lot of the moms and their husbands are you know there and they're in the stands with the daughters and they're watching and they're cheering mom on, and it's it's it's an awesome sight to see.

SPEAKER_05 38:30

Everybody likes to play. A lot of people don't like to lose. And so when you have like this at-risk period of of a of a new dad or new mom, they're on this new team, and they're starting to like say, Hey, you know what? I can get up and down the ice. I'd like to start winning some of these. Are there scenarios where they're coming to you or to different resources saying, like, you want us to come to these tournaments, but if we're gonna get our teeth kicked in, like, help us out here. So, what talk a little bit about if there's any resources for USA hockey um and for for players and teams to get a little bit better?

SPEAKER_02 39:07

Yeah, um, so what I've what I've tried to create at uh a couple of our tournaments is a adult beginner slash skills division. This adult's beginner slash skills division, what it does is it allows these learn-to-play teams to come into a destination location and learn the game, right? And and also play the game against other teams like themselves. Um, it's it's an awesome division. What it does is gives each team three games at the at the tournament. They also receive a on-ice session as well as an off-ice session with our player development guy. So what they do is they kind of watch the first game from all the teams. They kind of sit back and go, okay, well, this team, you know, they they can kind of skate, but their passing is is kind of all over the place, right? Um, then they'll look in a different team and say, okay, they can pass, but they can't get the puck off the ice, they can't shoot. So it allows it allows these teams to get better with with while having fun, right? While being on the road with with their new with their new teammates. And um, we actually piloted in Vegas, right? And uh it's why not go have fun playing against beginner adult hockey players in Vegas while learning the game as well, right? Um yeah, so it it's like Skip Barber for hockey.

unknown 40:29

Exactly.

SPEAKER_02 40:30

That's awesome. So yeah, so I mean, like little things like that. I mean, other than that, I'm trying to roll out a lot of initiatives to um make it easier um for beginner players not only to join, but to get that coaching, right? There's so many skills videos out there. I I I would love to do more from our end to um help those beginner players. But it but and you guys know it's just like trying to learn. I always keep referencing golf because that's you know my new game, right? Um I can sit there and watch how many videos online, but to go to the rink, to the course, and actually, you know, swing the club, shoot the puck, that's that's the important part, right? Um, and and it doesn't have to be you know in full gear every time. Public skating is uh because that's the hardest part of our game, is is getting getting those two two four edges, I should say, around the ice, right?

SPEAKER_05 41:24

That's right, four edges. Well, we're uh we're super like grateful for the opportunity to to bring this to our audience, our listening audience. We look at like our audience and it's kind of like a hockey game. You've got three periods, we've got like three pillars of this stool. You've got the players, the coach, and the parents. And you know, the more we can get everybody into that player category, more parents who can become players. I think the healthier our game becomes. Um, one of the things that we are always trying to do is we're trying to develop not just players but good coaches. Um, Drew and I personally have seen some friends who have started hockey because their kids have played, and then they've gone back and become level one, level two coaches, you know, wanting to give back. Does USA hockey have any way to track that? Do the folks on the coaching side um, do they get and take a look at membership? Are there initiatives? And what have you seen there? It feels like that could be a natural fit.

SPEAKER_02 42:21

Yeah, I mean, um, from our end, we have the ability to track that actually. So um through, you know, it'd be like Jared and Drew, like once you guys sign up as a player, right? Um, I can go back and see that first time that you became a player in our system. I can then go, okay, well, maybe Jared played for two seasons. He was claimed by this association. And next thing you know, there's a coaching record on that, Mem ID, right? Um, so yeah, we absolutely can track that. And and it happens. I mean, some of the best coaches at youth hockey are are guys that picked up the game. They're not jumping into coaching right after their learn-to-play session, but they take a season or two to figure it out, right? And then they jump in and they're motivational guys. They're they're getting that team to believe in themselves and to believe in one another, which I think is a huge, huge, um, huge you know benefit to a lot of youth teams that have the little Johnnies who think they're all-stars, right? And and they won't participate with that kid in practice because he's not as good. Um, but those you have those individuals that are dads that that bring everybody together and get everyone to believe that they're one team. And I think uh, you know, the more parents that we get into the game, the better.

SPEAKER_05 43:35

That that's that's our that's our friend Marshall, Marshall Marietta. That that's shout out to Marshall. He's gonna get he's gonna he just got a big smile on his face if he's listening, which I know he is. Awesome.

SPEAKER_00 43:45

Last minute of play in this period.

SPEAKER_03 43:49

Well, and you talked about the certification and the tracking. That's great to hear from the USA hockey perspective because uh as you get into the community and you be you get your USA. Say hockey number, that's a way to track your progress, and then ultimately, if you continue on that journey, you'll you'll reach uh Jedi status, which is uh also the same status as Jared because he's level five. Uh he reflects me to that.

SPEAKER_05 44:16

Uh you know, that's what somebody said. I don't know. Okay. Level four. We never talk about that on this podcast, so I don't know what he's talking about. It never comes up.

SPEAKER_06 44:25

It's Buddha status, Josh.

SPEAKER_01 44:28

Oh, I know, trust me. I know.

SPEAKER_05 44:31

Well, you know, it's just yeah, it was a it was a nice, nice weekend in Columbus. Um well, Josh.

SPEAKER_02 44:37

I was there, Jared, so that's funny. I was actually there during that weekend.

SPEAKER_05 44:40

I we broadcast from there. I we and I was talking with John Lynn from from uh Sweden and um I had Pooch and Jablanik. Um and we did in the little green room that was off to the side, you know. Of course, I was you know rubbing elbows with John with torts. No, not a big deal. He's he's he's in a game right now. That's all, not a big deal. Um, but so no, it was it was a great weekend and and it's that type of stuff. I think it's and again, if Grant, if you're listening out there, if you haven't gone to sleep, this is what it becomes your game. Because the the the Kevin Bacon rule, we're we're much closer than six degrees of separation. It is literally a um a family, a community. Um, shout out vantage credit union. It is a community. Um, but we're so excited that we were able to talk about this today. Um, we have a great program here in St. Louis called Winterland that's run by I'd be remiss if I didn't if I didn't mention um Kevin Whitworth, who is a uh St. Louis hockey legend, USA hockey um guy. But Winterland here in St. Louis, uh, that's where a lot of the dads and moms who Drew and I have come to know and love here have gone on to become really great adult hockey players, and many of them become coaches. So um, you know, for those of you interested, hit Drew or myself up on uh Jared at Too Many MenonThe Mike.com or Drew at Too Many Menonic.com. We'll get you in contact with Kevin Whitworth of Winterland Hockey. And I see Josh, you're nodding your head. That name ring a bell. Oh yeah, that rings a bell. No, I know that yes, sir. Kevin, Kevin's Kevin's coaching. Kevin is still coaching our uh squirts, and and he's coaching, he's coaching 60 year olds. So six you and 60, 60 60 plus and 6U. So it's amazing.

SPEAKER_03 46:29

Well, I like to call him Dr. Whitworth because he is uh he he is a Jedi uh Buddha master, and he does so many great things for the youth hockey community for us here in the St. Louis area, and he's just an example of probably the many great people that do uh uh training uh not only for kids that are trying to get into hockey for the first time, but also for adults that are getting into hockey for the first time. So we're so lucky to have him. Uh, Dr. Whitworth is what I call him, and uh we're we're lucky to have him here in the St. Louis area.

SPEAKER_05 47:10

Well, well, Josh, thanks for joining us here today. Uh, I think we've got time to get through the second and third period live. Although, unlike Grant, we don't have VCRs. We can actually watch the game from the beginning and fast forward the uh fast forward the uh commercials. Grant is just like he's just like not even willing to come on now.

SPEAKER_01 47:31

Yeah, there he is.

SPEAKER_05 47:33

There he is, there he is.

SPEAKER_04 47:35

I just I don't like watching live sports recorded. I would rather get it spoiled and tune into the second period.

SPEAKER_05 47:46

So are you so you're the guy that instead of watching it on Hulu or YouTube or wherever you get your your TV, you're listening to it on the radio while the guys like Cardinals, for instance, if it's three and two and guys at bat and you're like you know that he's already either hit a home run or he struck out, you're listening to it on the radio so that you know ahead of time, right?

SPEAKER_04 48:06

No, I just I prefer to watch, I prefer to watch live. I don't like watching recorded sports. Oh, well, fair enough. Fair enough.

SPEAKER_02 48:13

And by the way, I am a cards fan for living in St. Louis for five years. Everybody knows you live there that long. You're you're a diehard. So that's good. There you go. Well, you know what?

SPEAKER_05 48:21

When when Grant loses this bet that we're gonna make, you can come in and he can take us all to a Cardinals game. Oh no, Josh man, thanks so much for joining us, man. Thank you for everything you do with USA hockey and giving us this time. Um, you know, best of best of luck over the season as you're doing all these great travels, and uh, we'll be talking to you soon. Thanks for coming on.

SPEAKER_02 48:43

Thank you guys. Honestly, it was a it was an awesome show. I appreciate it. Thanks, Josh.

SPEAKER_05 48:47

Thanks, St. Louis hockey families and business leaders. If you need custom gear that stands out and stands for something, it's time to meet 5B Designs. Founded by Shannon Brahini, a proud St. Louis mom and entrepreneur. 5B Designs is a woman-owned small business that brings purpose to custom apparel. Whether you're suiting up your youth or high school hockey team or leveling up your company's branded swag, 5B delivers top-notch quality with a personal touch. You need a team store, no problem. Corporate polls or event giveaways, they've got you covered. 5B makes it easy with fast turnaround, flexible service, and designs your players or employees will love to wear. Check them out at stores.inksoft.com forward slash 5B designs. That's the word five. And if you're watching on our YouTube feed, go ahead and scan that QR code in the top right-hand corner of your screen and see what great gear and great service looks like. Well, you know what that sound is, Drew. It's time for Coach's Corner drill draw brought to you by Drift Hockey, the all-in-one hockey tool. And coach, um, I've got a pretty fun drill here that uh again, you know, we're always trying to get the the drills and the games that the kids are always saying, hey, one more coach, one more coach, one more coach. And uh if we can, I'm gonna pull up and uh create this drill here for us. Let me share my screen. Get us in. It's drill draw time. We're in coach's corner coach. You know what that organ means. That organ means it's time to highlight what all the kids love. Coach one more.

SPEAKER_03 50:29

I I mean that organ brings me back to 1983. Um, you know, 72 is when I was born, so I'm gonna say, you know, that was the the the the Atari Casio sound. Uh the best. I would say I I'm gonna say Casio. That's what I keep going with. It's it's it's a Casio. There it is. Absolutely. And you know what? We won't have that on a too many men on the mic live acoustic show. But we'll have it here for drill drive.

SPEAKER_05 51:16

That's a tough one to do.

SPEAKER_03 51:18

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 51:19

Well, this is a drill. Um, you know, coach, we've run this uh plenty of times, and uh it's an opportunity really to get a little bit of chaos in the zone. Um we don't put a lot of rules in structure. It's it's a it's a game called score anyway, score anywhere, score anyone. And essentially what we're doing here is as you look at the ice, we're in one zone, and instead of facing the nets toward each other, we're stacking them so that they're facing the same direction. So we have one in the traditional crease, we have one just about the top of the circles, just outside the hash marks. So why don't we go ahead and we'll put a goalie in each one? And the goalies, they get to be their own color because there is nobody, nobody's the one thing about this game is nobody's on the goalies team in this game. So it's actually a really, really, really good game for goalies to to uh to focus in on their awareness, making sure that they're tracking. Um, but this is a game where it's three on three, but then everybody there is everybody's playing against the goalie. So let's talk about how it starts off here. Start off at the blue line with a lineup of players on either side of a coach. And we'll put some blue players over here.

SPEAKER_03 52:37

The best part of this drill for me is that you can literally score anywhere.

SPEAKER_05 52:42

I love it. And score anywhere and anytime. So there's no um, you know, it's kind of similar with the gambler where it's like, hey, if I think I've got an opportunity to score on this net versus that net, somebody can peel off. The only constraint that we have is on change of possession, the players have to pass to one of the three coaches that are that are here. So on change of possession, that's the only constraint. So let's go ahead and put the players in. We'll do uh player one, player two, player three. Coach at the top of the blue line places the puck deep in the zone. If if I'm a goalie, I'm trying to get my paddle on that puck to try and direct it away from me until that they go towards the other goalie. And that's the other piece of it, too. If a goalie gets a chance to play the puck, if I'm the goalie in the crease, I'm playing that puck over here, so they go and try and score on this goalie. There's so much to this. There's awareness, oh my god, there's support, there's heat.

SPEAKER_03 53:46

Compete on everyone. There's a card game called Pass the Trash. That's a good analogy for that.

SPEAKER_05 53:54

Well, we call it score anywhere, score anytime, score any anyhow. And uh, it's a very simple game, but it's one of those games where you know these kids play for about 30 35 to 60 seconds, and if we want to move on to the next uh the next the next game, they're like one more coach, one more coach, one more coach, and there's no better feeling. So um, yeah, we have so much fun here. Communication has to be key. Um, and being able to identify, okay, you know, is the best play for us to to all dive down and and go three on one here to this to this net. Should somebody peel off and maybe come this way and try to create a backdoor opportunity or optionality. Um optionality, that's another that's another word.

SPEAKER_03 54:39

That's another big word right there.

SPEAKER_05 54:41

That's a big word. But we're trying to gain possession. And again, the only constraint for the for the skaters is if there is a change of possession, they have to pass back to one of these coaches, and that coach then plays it back into them. Um, great game. Nobody's on the goalie side. It's goalies against everybody, everybody against the goalies. But this is one of those games that you know, you've got edge work, puck support, compete, communication. Um, and then you've got to use that hockey sense. You know, do I take you know, if I see that we we're we're you know getting caught up with the puck down here, and there's you know, you've got a battle here, do I peel out and allow for that puck to come up the boards and then maybe go score on this goal? And again, if I'm a goalie and I get my hands or my stick on that puck, I'm throwing it at the other goalie and letting him or her have to deal with it.

SPEAKER_03 55:32

So yeah, and if you and if you play other sports, I guess what I would add is it's kind of like half court with two nets. You know, you're you're you're not just change the possession, passing back to a coach on either side or at the top, getting the puck back, and you're going in on one net. You have two options, you have two goalies to shoot at. And so that uh creates constraints, it shrinks the game and shrinks the action, and there's a lot more um attention to the small area aspect of it. So uh I I like adding the second net in it because normally you might just have a tag up uh if if you were looking at a at a drill, but the second net and the second goalie, I think, adds a whole nother element to it.

SPEAKER_05 56:22

And the great thing about this setup is versatility. So you can play a game where it's three on three, score on any net. You can also do it where you have to score on the bottom net first, and then coach plays a puck up here and you have to score on the top net. I like that version if you have one goalie, because what I'm doing in that situation is oh yeah, you make the goalie move. You make the goalie move. So after the goalie gives up the goal here on the lower net, he or she has to get up here to the top net before the other teams get possession of the second puck. So so many things to do with this.

SPEAKER_03 56:56

And that's a really good point because then your goalie truly is uh if you're a coach out there and you're watching this drill and thinking about this, uh, think about that. You know, you're you're watching the play, there's so many things going on, and on top of it, if there's a play that happens, then your goalie's got to move. He's got to take off, he or she has to take off and get to the other net in time because there could be another play that's going on. So that's a really good point.

SPEAKER_05 57:24

Well, this along with all of our other small area games and drills that have been brought to us by coaches from all across the country, are can be found at our website too many menonthe mic.com under coaches corner. So we're again, uh we'll do an outro here with Oregon sound. And again, it's Coach's Corner's drill drop brought you by drift.

SPEAKER_03 57:59

Oh my gosh. I'm wearing uh I'm gonna order my Atari shirt right after we get done here. I feel like I we gotta have I I feel like I need that. It's either Atari or Sega or maybe in television. I mean, I don't know about you, but I only had like two friends growing up that had Intellivision because I kind of felt like there were kind of two camps. Like there was Atari and Intellivision, and a lot of people had Atari, I had Atari. Very few people had Intellivision, and Intellivision was like I kind of felt like a little bit more of a premium kind of offering, kind of like a Betamax versus a VHS kind of deal. Uh and then ColecoVision came in and totally changed everything. And I saved some money and uh asked my mom and dad uh and and gave it to them and said, Can I get a ColecoVision? And I thought I had really attained something when I had uh got a ColecoVision, and then I could play things like Zaxon and some crazy games like that, right?

SPEAKER_05 59:06

Well, I remember I had an Atari 2600, I think it was the Sears version actually. Sears version of the Atari 2600, and hockey was just two sticks with another stick and a little square on top, and you were it was like it was another version of Pong with the original Atari. And then when Nintendo came out, see what a difference four years makes. You're a 72, I'm a 76. So I remember when Nintendo came out and ice hockey, and it was all the it was like the Olympic sports with ice hockey, and you go it was only four players in a goalie, and you could pick the little skinny guy, the little medium-sized guy, and the big fat dude, and uh, and then you know, yeah, blades of steel came out, which was phenomenal, and then Sega and HL94. And so, what I want to get is I want to get a t-shirt with the like you know how they have that evolution of man, it goes from the missing link to the you know. I want the evolution of the video game hockey player across the front of my shirt from from Atari or from television or or even ColecoVision all the way up to uh you know I'll stop at NHL 94 because I think all hockey stopped in HL94.

SPEAKER_03 1:00:12

But that's just I I feel like I missed a step. You talked about Nintendo hockey there for a second. Yeah, uh so I I I feel like I missed maybe I stepped out there, but what I think we should do is we should really think about this, and I think it should be you and me versus Grant in an Atari uh Intellivision a Nintendo, a ColecoVision kind of environment. And he, you know, he's learning the game, and uh, but we should see what his skills are. You know, we should see what his skills are on the uh on the screen.

SPEAKER_05 1:00:51

Well, I like the idea too, because you know, so many of these kids today are watching these YouTube videos of just people playing video games. We should be able to do that with Grant. Absolutely. Brought to you by Vantage Credit Union. That'll be our first in-person event.

SPEAKER_06 1:01:07

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 1:01:08

Yeah. But uh, well, coach, I mean, I I thought today's episode was phenomenal. I uh I really appreciated Josh, and and I hope that our our listening audience, um, we've got we've had a lot of friends and a lot of great people who are now calling hockey, they're saying our sport. And um, I just think it's so awesome that USA hockey as an organization can take you from 6U to 60 60 U. And uh all all places in between, all levels in between, there's a home for you. Um, just a great, great show. And and and you know, obviously capping off with a great some great news today with advantage credit union and more to come for all of our folks out there with some really cool things happening the rest of the summer.

SPEAKER_03 1:01:47

Oh my gosh, the 70 plus and 75 plus leagues. I mean, that just brings a tear to my eye. I mean, the fact that just tells you how good the sport is. The fact that they have 70 and 75 plus year old leagues, and then one of these days, uh, maybe with you, we'll go up to Minnesota and we'll play in this uh adult hockey tournament that uh seems like just a fantastic weekend. We'll block off our calendars, we'll go up, we'll uh we'll we'll get a team of uh of guys and gals together and and and we'll go up and compete on 50 plus frozen sheets in Minnesota. How fun would that be?

SPEAKER_05 1:02:33

I'm pumped. Um that'll take me back to to the youth and grow in in growing up in Harrison Township and St. Clair Shores on the mean, the mean streets of uh the mean lake of Lake St. Clair. So um, well, coach, great day. We've got some we've got this big thing going on right now that I know you and I both want to go watch. So um thanks everybody for listening. Have a wonderful, wonderful uh rest of your day, rest of the week. Be sure to watch, kids, at least a period of of Stanley Cup finals hockey. Pick two players to watch. Um, and uh, I think as we like to say, he shoots he scores. See you next week. See you next week, everybody. Take care.