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
USA Hockey Rule Changes 2024 - 2025 Season
Welcome back, hockey friends and families! This week on Our Kids Play Hockey, hosts Lee Elias, Christie Casciano Burns, and Mike Bonelli dive into the crucial rule changes coming to USA Hockey for the 2024-25 season. From mandatory neck guards to SafeSport certification for 18U players and updated locker room policies, we cover everything you need to know to ensure a smooth start to the season. Tune in for practical advice, thoughtful discussion, and insights on how these changes will impact players, coaches, and parents alike.
Key Points:
1.Mandatory Neck Guards:
•Effective August 1st, neck guards are mandatory for all players in USA Hockey-sanctioned events.
•This rule aims to enhance player safety following tragic incidents involving neck injuries.
•Discussion on the evolution of neck guard technology and the importance of compliance.
2.SafeSport Certification for 18U Players:
•All players in the 18U age group must now complete SafeSport training.
•Benefits of this training for player development and college applications.
•Suggestions for incorporating SafeSport training as a team-building exercise.
3.Locker Room Policies:
•Requirement for a SafeSport-certified adult to be present in the locker room at all times.
•Strategies for ensuring compliance and maintaining a safe environment.
•Discussion on the importance of locker room supervision and the role of parents and coaches.
Actionable Tips:
•For Parents: Ensure your child has a compliant neck guard and encourage them to wear it at all times. Familiarize yourself with the new locker room policies and consider becoming SafeSport certified to help out.
•For Coaches: Integrate SafeSport training into your team’s pre-season activities. Develop a system for locker room supervision to meet the new requirements.
•For Players: Understand the importance of these rule changes and embrace them as part of your commitment to safety and sportsmanship.
Join the Conversation:
Have thoughts on the new rules? Join our community on Facebook, aptly titled “Our Kids Play Hockey,” and share your perspectives. Don’t forget to visit ourkidsplayhockey.com for all episodes and updates.
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Hello hockey friends and families around the world, and welcome back to another edition of Our Kids Play Hockey. I'm Lee Elias, joined always by my best friends in the world, my podcasting partners, my line mates there's so many metaphors I could use here Christy Casciano-Burns and Mike Benelli. And today, very popular topic every year that we do the rule changes for the 2024-25 season based on USA Hockey. What are they? What do you need to know? How can we help you get ready for this season? Well, there's three big rule changes this year. Some of them affect you all, Some don't.
Speaker 1:The biggest one the one we're going to lead with tonight is obviously the mandating of neck guards. Biggest one the one we're going to lead with tonight is obviously the mandating of neck guards. Neck guards will be required for all players beginning august 1st. There's no wiggle room on this. If you do not wear a neck guard, you will not be able to play hockey in a usa hockey sanctioned event. Guys, let's dive into it. Obviously, this rule is being based on the tragedy that occurred in the united kingdom last season, where a young man lost his life due to a I'm just going to say it a skate blade right to the neck. It sent the hockey world into a frenzy, as it should. And now neck guards are being required in youth hockey from U18 all the way down. Thoughts, opinions, good rule, Great rule. It's a good rule, it's about time.
Speaker 2:I can't tell you. Up until my kids were teenagers, they had no problem with them wearing net cards. And then something happens Teen years, no one wears net cards Impossible. And you talk to the coach and the coach is like, well, yeah, it's up to the kid, they don't want to wear it. I'm not going to make them wear it, why not it just? And the refs, they, the whole rule should have been there.
Speaker 2:You cannot step on this ice without a neck guard. I wish I was in charge years ago when my kids were playing. Every single kid would have had their neck guard on and they didn't. There were a lot of close calls. I've got photos of kids with slashes so close to you know, hitting that vital vein. It could have been absolutely tragic for them. So, yes, and now it's a lot easier for kids because there's clothing that you know you can wear If you don't like. The neck guard's built right in to your, your protective shirt. So thank you, usa hockey for doing this, and parents, I hope you all get behind it well, you have no choice.
Speaker 2:I was gonna say you have no choice but to get behind it yeah, I'm with you on that, christy is.
Speaker 1:What I'm saying is that that, whether you're behind it or not, you do not have a choice anymore.
Speaker 2:But if kids start giving you some grief about it. Explain to them. This is the rule, and let me show you why. Show them some close calls absolutely what happened here? Um, yeah, it's this. This rule should have been in place years ago I agree, mike.
Speaker 1:I want to get your thoughts on this too I?
Speaker 3:I well, I think it's a lot of. It's just how you know the culture of hockey. Listen, neck guards are mandated. When I played, listen, I have pictures of me with a white Cooper, the sock, the sock net guard with the metal rings in it and you know, I literally remember in high school taping it down. So you made it small, so you had a net guard on Right. It was just there and that was mandated. I mean, that was in the 80s, so I don't know where we've gone from the mandate to not caring, to Christy's point, the unenforcement of it by coaches and administrators and officials. So I think it just chalks up to one of those things where I mean I believe this is and I think it's a trickle down. Any brand new equipment and any's a trickle down. Any, any brand new equipment and any safety gear trickles down.
Speaker 3:The IIHF right now is mandating neck protection for their players. These are pro hockey players, right? So if you're an NHL player and you played an IIHF event, you have to wear a neck guard now. So it's only a matter of time. I get you know, is it just? It's very similar to face mask, right? Is it ego? If it's ego, then it's easy, right that you know you, you have better equipment Now you have you have shirts that are built in with the neck guard in it. They're more comfortable and I think it's just one of those things where, if you don't get kids wearing it early on, right, six years old Like it should just like to me, a neck guard outfit like that should just be part of your equipment when you start playing ice hockey, is it? Is it a lot harder to introduce a 13 year old to a neck guard shirt, just like it is hard. It's hard to tell a 13 year old to start wearing a mouth guard when they've never worn a mouth guard. So it's just. There's all these little things you can do, but I think it has to start with the first day you step on the ice. That has to be just ingrained into. Well, this is just what we wear for equipment. Yes, it's not tough and not old school and it's not oh, we're making everybody soft. It's listen, this is just part of the equipment and you should wear it. And, you know, I would even go a step further in saying that these neck guards should have some kind of a heavier base Kevlar support, because of the way our science is showing us that the amount of injuries that happen Listen, I had a kid and I do think he was saved by the neck guard that was skating across the crease, got hit with a shot in his throat.
Speaker 3:It hit him hard enough where, really, that I mean he couldn't breathe, but it didn't lacerate him and it didn't uh, and it did offer some type of protection from, from like a complete catastrophic event. And I, I know the net guard helped him. I mean, there's no doubt about it and again, I I was a stickler in, like my my players have to wear their neck guard in practices and games, not just when the referee goes hey, does everyone have their neck guards on? And you watch? You know 15 kids run back into the locker room to put their neck guards on.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I'll say a few things here. So one is Mike, and you kind of dove in this a little bit. A little bit of brief, a super brief history of these neck guards. I mean, I remember when I had to wear one as a kid it was like a sock. I mean it was a thick sock. It was very uncomfortable and, I'm going to be honest with you, I'm not even sure how much it was protecting me. I mean, we're talking 30 years ago at this point and I think the real reason we wore them was more for getting hit with a puck. I don't think any of us were even thinking about skates coming up. As I got older, kevlar was introduced, mildly more comfortable, but again, they weren't great.
Speaker 1:Today the technology is insane of how, mike, how you said how thin these things can get and how protective they are, not to mention they're built into most equipment. So there really is no excuse anymore I'm not saying these were good excuses when we were younger, mike, not to wear one, but there were reasons, right, they were uncomfortable, they were gigantic. You know you found a reason. They were sweaty, they got heavy. There's really no reason anymore, as you said, is it's a lot of it's built into the equipment.
Speaker 1:So, if I, if I'm up there, well, if I'm a parent, I am a parent. My kids, where they have started hockey with neck protection, they've never known not wearing something around their neck, but it's built into their under armor or into their protective gear. We use that a duster hockey gear, right, and the reason I mentioned that is because they can't forget it. It's not something you can forget in your bag and I'm telling you right now pro shops are going to be stocking up on net guards banking that these kids are going to forget them because you can't play without them. So well, they're out of stock right now they're out.
Speaker 3:I mean that's a good point. You can't get, you can't get the protection. I think you know you make a great point too that now the technology is not there. It's not a standalone. You know, 10 inch neck guard, it's built in. It's built in and comfortable yeah, and comfortable.
Speaker 1:If my kids don't have that part, it feels weird to them. So and that brings me to my next point right is it's not normal till it's normal. This is the truth. In 10 years, no one's going to be having this discussion because it's going to be grandfathered in right. Every uh 6uU player right now, that has to start with an 8U player. They're going to be wearing them their whole time and it's probably not something they're going to take off. I also want to point out that several NHL players have made the commitment to start wearing it. To make a good example, as you said, the IIHF players have to wear them. It's just one of those things. It'll be normalized very quickly.
Speaker 1:But, with that said, I can't imagine and I haven't heard this any parent complaining about it. It is now part of the game. It's a good decision. It should have been done a long time ago. I mean, when you think about it, mike, this is how I look at it too when you think about the entirety of the body in ice hockey, you would never play without your elbow pads. You would never play without your shin guards. You know what I mean. So it's one of those things like from the nose down to below the jugular. I don't know why we haven't protected ourselves, but this is a good rule. It's a good rule. Change again for everybody. As you enter into next season, you must have a neck guard. They will not let you step on the ice if your child is not wearing a neck guard. I know most of you know that, but we're reiterating it right now. We can keep talking about this for a minute.
Speaker 2:It's good for parents, and I know because I've seen parents battle with their kids, especially in their teen years, and it was a hard sell for them, the kids. I don't like the way it feels, refusing to wear it. Well, good, you don't have a choice now Get out there and put your neck guard on.
Speaker 3:If you don't, have it, you can't skate, and I think some strategies behind this change too is to get into the routine that you're just like. You know. It's like one of these pieces of equipment that you know we I think we've had the example on the show about getting a stick right. You don't have a game stick and a practice stick you have, you have your hockey stick. So the exact same stick you would use at any time. You should be able to, you know, blindly go in and pick up your stick and it should be your stick that you use, right. I think it's the same thing with neck guard protection and this undergar, undergar stuff that you know get two sets. Nobody wants to see an old neck guard that you've been wearing for the last six games.
Speaker 3:Not washed, not washed. Well, you do whatever you want with your hygiene, but I think if you can wash it and have a rotation, I think that's a big strategy to help, and more, and I think just as importantly, like I said earlier, coaches, you must, because nobody's going to be looking at this you have to make sure these kids are wearing neck guards in practice. If you don't have them wearing neck guards in practice, it's more of a fight Like so for the older kids, they're all going to say, oh, I don't need to wear a neck guard. It's the same thing. There's a rule right now that you have to have ear protection on a helmet in youth hockey, like you can't have an open eardrum and I can't tell you at the midget level take them off. It's the dumbest thing. They can't get off. I think it's more effort.
Speaker 1:They take more effort to take these things off because I can hear better when it's off, mike, and for me, like I, was kind of a player and you could probably ask some guys to play with me.
Speaker 3:I'm like that was an open invitation for a, you know, a good butt end into the eardrum. But I think it's like, you know, when you, when you have well, listen, it is what it is. I remember those days, man, take advantage of it.
Speaker 3:But I think you know it's the same thing. If I, if I'm a coach and I'm like watching a player take their earpiece out and then the only time they thinks he's a jackass like, oh, that ref, he's terrible, I go well, there's a rule in place and he's like you guys have to follow the rule, so practice, wear your neck guard, wear your mouth guard, wear your earpiece. Practice like you play, practice like you play, but prepare and practice like you play.
Speaker 3:I gotta say this stuff can't go back and forth since you brought it up.
Speaker 1:I have to say this, and parents share this with your kids if you have never been hit in the ear before with a puck or anything, it is one of the most painful things that can possibly happen to you. That's not a severe injury. With that said, it can be a severe injury. I'm telling you right now if you have aspirations and dreams of playing, if you can't hear out of one ear, it's going to be really hard for you. But I'm going to say it again the ear is one of the most painful injuries in hockey. Anyone who's been hit in the ear will tell you this that they would have put that thing on right away if they knew how much that was going to hurt. It's not a bruise, it is severe pain and there can be major problems afterwards if you don't know what you're doing. You don't want to mess with that.
Speaker 3:And you're not impeding your ability to hear.
Speaker 1:Nothing.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I don't even know why you would do it to be honest with you, but it is what it is. Kids do this. You know you have a 12, 13-year-old boy. First thing they do is they go in, they take the screwdriver and they take the earpiece out. I'm like, why it? Then he can't play. But again, neck guards, protective gear, everything you do in practice or want to be performing in a game you should be doing in practice, and I absolutely agree and that's where coaches well coaches this is mandated to the coaches.
Speaker 2:You're absolutely right. They need to get on top of that. Too many coaches have looked the other way during practices and then, uh, when the game time comes, the kids aren't used to it. Why is that? Well, you know, if you had conditioned them and if you had made it a rule, then there would be no argument with you. You wouldn't hear them giving you some you know pushbacks.
Speaker 1:Turn this into a positive for your locker room. This is a day one commitment that's the word I'm using from the entire team that we are all going to commit to wearing neck protection. That's something we're going to be unified on. Does anybody have a problem with that? It's a mandate. Make it a positive.
Speaker 3:And the coolest thing and I've I've did this back in the day when, when we had to wear neck guards in one of the leagues I coached in that now the the reason the fact that it's now mandated is it's going to expand the market. People are going to get really creative on doing, you know, logos and names and colors and it's going to be normalized. It's really going to end up being a piece of your equipment and that whole big neck area is a great place to advertise and you know there's a whole, there's. There's so many different ways you can go about using this. Now, this extra piece of equipment that you have to wear, that somebody's going to take advantage of, use it in a positive way.
Speaker 1:We've already seen that right, I think we need our kids play hockey.
Speaker 1:My mom loves me. Let's manufacture them. Mike, I think you're right. You're going to start seeing personalized things, I think just before we move on from this. We've also seen some evolutions in this already. A lot of companies have gone.
Speaker 1:Well, why just the neck? And now I mentioned them before duster hockey. They've been on the show a few times. They're not this isn't a sponsor segment or anything but they thought outside the box. They said they did the neck, they did the wrists, they did the Achilles on on their adult gear. They've done that between the legs, like they've thought of everywhere where there's a potential laceration point that could be deadly and covered it up.
Speaker 1:I wear this stuff now and I tell you what I bought a base layer with a neck protector to show my kids. I'm wearing it too because I you got to lead by example, right, and I'm not gonna lie to you. It's it's not uncomfortable at all, but it's a weird feeling with something new there for me. But my ego gets put aside, right, you got to protect yourself. You never know what's going to happen. So look, just closing this segment out. Neck protection, mandatory for the 2024-25 season and beyond, not going to change, and there are a tremendous amount of options out there for you. I'm sure most of you have looked it up already, but we definitely want to have a discussion on that. Mike, did you have another thought on that?
Speaker 3:No, I mean I just had a close personal friend, a player, uh, literally last weekend at a tournament, took a, took a cut to the neck. Yeah, I mean it's gonna be an awful scar. I mean it's just, he's alive, he's, he's fine, he's well, but it will be a horrific scar he'll have for the rest of his life.
Speaker 2:It looks like a tracheotomy, right oh gosh and and was it a blade that?
Speaker 3:played or made across the neck it happens, it was, it was just a freak.
Speaker 3:You know two kids going after a puck and one kid's leg gets, you know, thrown in the air and oh gosh, and to me like and and to me like I actually just talking to a couple of manufacturers the last two weeks about, you know how it's needed at the youngest levels, like these kids are, like these little eight-year-olds are sliding into each other like on a regular basis, like skates up. You know it's like they don't know they don't know, they don't know.
Speaker 3:So if you're a parent, if you're new to hockey then you're probably like, oh, of course, of course, of course, I would never wear a neck guard and and and wrist protection and Achilles protection and like any like skin that's exposed should be covered, right, I mean, I, I have my kids all wear Kevlar socks and it's all because you know your ankle and and because you know if you, if some kids skate with the laces open and that area of the ankle more pliable, so they're like their laces aren't tied all the way up. So if there's a lot more movement and, like me, I get cringy, I start seeing skin. I'm like, oh boy, you know, we'll play without socks on or half socks or whatever. I'm like, my god, just get a pair of thin kevlar, you know, cut resistant socks that go up to your calf and you're at least trying to protect yourself. I guess a little bit, but I think it's just the preference of finding the gear you like.
Speaker 3:Go into your pro shop they all have these different name brands you know from, from whatever you know, whatever it is, and and try it on and use it and say, okay, I like this, I don't like this, and um, and get your team in there and if you, if you want to, you really get not. If you want to get crazy it's early in the year, this is probably going to come out in the summer uh, go out, get them custom done, get numbers on there, get the kids names on there, get you know, get go crazy on it. It's a, it's a great. It's a great opportunity to uh, to add a little bit of um you know, player, team player there was a company for a while there.
Speaker 3:It was doing neck guard covers for neck guards and they were custom covers. So you put a neck guard cover on. They're about to be in business. You can change the color and change the name and change whatever you want.
Speaker 1:Well, I'll say one more thing on this is that and you could say this in 10 years and 20 years again but, parents, I'm telling you right now, the equipment today is so good compared to the equipment 15, 20 years ago there really is. You could not convince me that you can't get a fully protective set of gear that's comfortable for your kid. It's just, it's so comfortable today. The technology has advanced so much in the last 15, 20 years. I'd say it's impossible to be uncomfortable. If you want to be comfortable, right. So you know, as Christie always says, go to the pro shop, get yourself fitted, do it the right way, don't just get it online and hope for the best, right. So once a season trip you got to make, unless you're a goalie parent, that's another episode. All right, let's. Let's move on to the next one. This one was interesting. So safe sport.
Speaker 1:For those who you who don't know, all coaches, all volunteers have to go through the safe sport training every single year. It's really great training. The first year is pretty long. Then every year you have to go through a refresher course, but it just runs you through obviously needed scenarios to make sure that as an adult, you are appropriate to the children, you're appropriate to other adults and that you're entering into the season with some knowledge of what not and what not to do. Many people would say it's common sense, but it's. It's not for you, it's for the people who don't know. It's common sense and it's it's a training that when you take it, you can understand why you have to take it. So, with that in mind, I thought this was interesting.
Speaker 1:Safe sport training is now required for all 06 and 07 players, so that's 18U. So, moving forward, any players in the 18U age level need to get safe sport training. So, mike, if I'm not mistaken, this is the first time now athletes are being required to take the safe sport training in addition to the adults. I like this move. I'll tell you why Because most of these kids are going to be turning 18 during this time period, within either the first or second year of being in an 18U, not to mention, I just think, from a development standpoint, entering into college and the workplace standpoint, this is really important training for young men and women to get to understand this is what's appropriate. This is not and here's the consequences If you decide to break these rules, not just in hockey, right. So all 18 U level players now required to take safe sport training.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I think. I think it's well so. It used to be like if you wanted a kid to be a volunteer coach or help out. You know you have to go through that process if you were that old, but I think this way. First of all, I love this rule and mandate. I wish they had a different module for the kids, honestly, because I think a lot of it might be just not relevant to them sometimes, and I think it's just. But what I can say is here's how I would do this if I was working with an 18U team, and I think it's just. But what I what I can say is here's how I would do this If I was working with an 18 U team, and I do if you. If you I would not. I would take this as part of your team building exercise. I would literally sit the kids in a room. They all have their own phones, they can go in here and and get on and get their certification, but do it together. Do it together in a room as a team.
Speaker 3:You know, if I'm the safe sport coach, if I'm the coach and I have to do my safe sport, you put it up on the screen and you go through the process with your players Everybody because I know for a fact that most of the coaches that I know that go through space for it just play it in the background. It's common sense If you can't pass safe sport, then you probably shouldn't be coaching anyway. I mean, if you can't, you can't get through what the, what the lessons are. You're probably not set up for success anyway. But in this case these are 16, 17, 18 year old kids. This is the process we should work with them in and I think it just it helps build the importance, like, if you do mission statements and you do team building exercises, like this fits into that whole process for 18 new teams, because then it makes everybody accountable for what they're learning, and the teacher and and the usa hockey has done and the center for safe sport has done a great job at putting this together.
Speaker 3:I first, I think the presentations are great. Yeah, they're not horrible at all. The uh scenarios are very real. Um, they're very, you know, current. But I think it's one of those things where you get in a room with your team, everybody's does together it only. It's only going to take you two hours to do a group and everybody gets their certification at the exact same time. But, more importantly, you use this process to help you as a coach and a manager cover yourself too. You know it gives you the opportunity to say, listen, we're going over all this stuff as a group and as a team and, if you want because you're going to have your maybe one or two team parents or managers that have to be in there anyway like, get them all in there, make it a part of the process of your team building exercise. Don't just tell the kids, hey, by next thursday you got to be safe sports certified and you know, get it. I just don't think there's an impact there. I really don't.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I like that idea of it being a team building and, you know, make it fun for them, say, okay, we're all going to get together this night, we'll have a pizza party afterwards, and then you know that. And you have to make it mandatory. Don't just say you know you can voluntarily come. No, no, if you want to skate with us, we got to get this done, it's mandatory. And and invite parents along too, why not? Um, I think you got it. You got to remember.
Speaker 3:You got to remember because kids will get redlined on their roster. So if you're not, you, there's no man like, there's no chance for them not to do it because they won't be able to play like. It's just you don't get safe sport certified, it gets redlined in your, in your program. So your, your risk manager, your ACE coordinator, whoever you know is running this in your organization, gets to notice that hey, mike Benelli is not certified in safe sport. He can not be with the team, practice, bench, locker room, nothing Like. So this is just if, if you're, if you're, if you're starting goalie, it's not safe sport certified, he's not your starting goalie yeah oh, just I think, having the kids all together.
Speaker 2:Knowing that they went ahead and completed and everybody's doing it together is a great idea yeah, because if you let them do it on their own you know, who knows, if they really are actually paying attention either.
Speaker 3:Yeah, or mom and dad's doing it for them. You know like oh don't do that.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's a mistake.
Speaker 2:I'll tell you guys this.
Speaker 1:I'll tell you guys this. So, so, and Christy, just to Mike's point, one of the cool things about safe sport is that it links right to my USA hockey profile. So once I complete it, it's in there so that my organization can check hey, you did or did not do this right right away. Here's the deal, and this is all I'm going to say. A few things. One I'm not speaking to every coach here, because I think most coaches are going to be pretty cool about this, but there's a few.
Speaker 1:Don't downplay this thing. Don't downplay it as, oh, it's some stupid questions you got to answer. It'll take you. It's horrible, it's annoying, you'll get there. We got to do this for work too. I hate it. I hate it. Don't downplay it. All right, this is something that, first off, any every 16, 17, 18 year old should know about these things before they go to college. Okay, there's lots of different reasons for that user imagination. The other thing, too, is, again, turn it into a a positive. I think it's a pretty cool thing to put on a college application. I am safe sports certified. I went through this and I got the certification as part of my athletic journey. That looks good to a college application. It's also something a lot of other people don't have. Mike said it. Use it as a team building opportunity. Get together all at once and do it. I'll'll reiterate what Mike said. This training is pretty well put together. It's not chalkboard nails on a chalkboard.
Speaker 3:I don't even know if that's a relevant metaphor. And it's just not a PowerPoint presentation. You're not just watching it. No, it's good.
Speaker 1:And they have real interviews on there from real people that have been in real situations. I'll also say this too it starts with this pre-test right, and I'm going to tell you I always do extremely well on these things. Like, I feel like I need to say that for some reason, but I'm not going to lie to you. There's some questions on there that you know, like you know, I don't. I don't know if this is the right answer or not. Now, by the end, you do Okay, but they, they, they present you with some scenarios, especially some multiple choice scenarios, where it's like I'm not quite sure if, if that that's true, or what do you do? These are the questions that really will get you Okay. Let's say you see something, now what? Let's say you one of my favorite ones you saw something three years ago, now what? Okay, now you might think you know the answers to those questions, but there's very clear guidelines on what you need to be doing If you saw something at any point. I don't want to spoil the training, right, but I'm just saying I think most of you listening out there that have taken this training know there's been a question or two on there. You are by the end, and that's why this training is important.
Speaker 1:The other thing is this. The other thing is this um and this is the dark side of it and this will help us segue too but um, 99.9 percent of the people that take this training probably don't need it, but it's that 0.1 percent that need it. That why we all have to take it, and it's worth it, because no one no one listening to this show or in youth hockey wants that scenario to play out Right, and that's why it's so important that trainings like this exist. Look, I never loved HR training at work I never, I know it was always in the way, but I understood why we had to take it Right, because because it's an accountability thing, it's a liability thing, Right. So I think it's great that they're having the late, late teens take this. I think it's important because these kids also interact with other kids within the program and you don't know what you don't know, all right, and this safe sport pretty much lays out. This is what you need to know.
Speaker 2:Right, and there could be, as you said, a percentage of kids out there who have one of these scenarios. Play out right in front of them, right, and they'll have that basic training. Okay, my gut's right, I need to do this and think back on the training and it clicks, and then they'll know what to do and where to turn and who to go to that's really important stuff and I think don't just count it.
Speaker 3:I think it too. It just it reemphasizes the fact that these are children and sometimes they're not getting this education or they're like, oh, that's stupid. Like of course I can, you know, do that in the locker room, or of course that kid's not going to care that I do that to them. But there are kids that care and again this falls under the category of you know, are we, are you know to what extent are we? Are we asking these kids to be adults? But listen, if I have a kid that wants to work with me in a clinic and he's a safe source, certified, and he's gotten all this other stuff done, I love it.
Speaker 1:I think it's like you want, we got to acquire it almost. I'm like this is awesome.
Speaker 3:I can have this kid in the locker room. I can have this kid speaking to my kids, I can have them on the bench, I can have them. You know all these different things. So you know, use it as a positive to, like Lee said, use it as a team building exercise. Use it as a way to reinforce your messaging as a coach to what is acceptable and what's not acceptable. Think but what the law is and keeping these kids out of trouble so that you're not sitting in a safe sport committee hearing when your kid's been suspended for four months for doing something that they probably could have avoided by just, you know, understanding that this is acceptable and unacceptable behavior. And these are human things that we're doing here and not just. You know. Again, we all use the excuse oh, they're just kids, oh they're just boys, they're just. But that's just not reality it doesn't fly anymore.
Speaker 2:Keep proactive.
Speaker 1:Well, I tell you right now, if you're 18, you're not just a kid anymore legally, so you, you gotta know that. The other thing too, and last note on the same sport, is that, um, I don't think a lot of people but I could see how some people might say, oh, that's, that's that, that stuff's going to make you soft. And I can tell you right now that, having taken the training, it's nothing like that. There's nothing in there that I would construe as oh, we're going to make the kids soft, it was all. No, this is really pertinent information. As a parent, I can understand why I need to take this as a coach. I liked that a teenager, a late teenager, would have to take it. Go ahead, mike.
Speaker 2:Right. That stuff is going to make kids leaders and respected, so think of it that way.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and and and the thing's going to come up. That's a money grab. I think it's free. I think it's part of your registration. I don't think there's an extra like. It's not like coaching, education. I didn't have to pay, my God. They're trying to now. Now they're going after the 12,018, you kids? No, that's not what it is. The kids have to be registered with USA Hockey anyway. So it's all part of that system. So there's not an extra $10 hit.
Speaker 1:I'll tell you about a money grab. I got a local rink alliance now getting rid of live barn for their own camera system that we all have to pay for now. That's a money grab. That's another episode. We're all very upset about that, okay, last rule.
Speaker 2:I think that's going to be a trend. I really do.
Speaker 1:It's brutal. It's brutal, it's it's another episode the capitalization of me watching my kids.
Speaker 3:All right, the last rule is going to be 17 cameras in the building.
Speaker 1:Yeah Right, I want the 3D HD experience, okay. Last rule All locker rooms are required to have a safe sports certified person coach, manager, parents in the locker room Anytime the players are in there. I think a lot of people are going to listen to this one and say wait, someone's supposed to be in there all the time by the rule book. Yes, there is supposed to be a chaperone, I guess of sorts, or someone in the locker room monitor, as Mike put it before the episode, at all times. That is what's supposed to happen, so that person needs to be SafeSport certified. That part of it makes sense. I think the big question, mike, again, is people going. I'm not doing that In the sense of I haven't been doing that. So, mike, I'm not doing that. I'm in the sense of I haven't been doing that, so I'm like I'm going to throw it to you. What are your thoughts?
Speaker 3:on this one. So the way we've done it in the past is you go in, you go to like seven different parents. You say, listen, instead we don't have one manager, like one locker room, like everybody has roles, right, you know some. Some people take care of the scorekeeping and some people take care of the scheduling. And the fact is now you have to think about, okay, who's going to be their locker room monitor, and if it's going to be one person, they have to get SafeSport certified. If it's going to be, if you're not going to have one person, then every parent needs to get SafeSport certified. And maybe it's just another opportunity, you know, to get your team in a group setting and have a parent meeting and have everybody do it.
Speaker 3:Honestly, I mean to me, but it is a it here, because here's the scenario coach goes in big loss, yells and screams at a couple of kids, slams the door and leaves 15 minutes later, so and so says something to this kid and this kid says something to that kid.
Speaker 3:There was a locker room brawl, this kid got hurt. Now you're getting sued. Now you're getting called in. Now you're now you're now you're not know, under the regulations of safe sport, the parent that had the problem is now reporting you, and now we have a whole big issue and really, and and I don't, you know, I'm not going to give any, don't take. You know, again, I'm not an expert in this, so don't, don't, don't take, take. I'm not a lawyer, but I don't know if you necessarily have to be standing in the middle of the locker room, but you got to be at the locker room. I'll let Christy chime in here, because I, I just, I definitely want to talk about that dynamic of having an adult in the locker room sometimes, because I do think that to me is a big deal. But Christy, you're you.
Speaker 2:You've experienced this all through your kids right during the youth hockey we we always alternated, so you know would tag your edge. Your turn to be in the locker room and it did help keep it um a friendlier atmosphere because, you know, kids are kids, they pick on each other. Uh, at teenage years they pull out the vapes, right. No, no vaping in the locker room, please.
Speaker 1:Don't put crap in your lungs. That's not oxygen. Sorry, I just wanted to say that. If you want to be a good athlete, don't do that.
Speaker 2:No, it does. It stops a lot of the silliness and sometimes it can get really nasty in there, especially, as you said, after you know a volatile game. The tempers are still flaring and you need a these kids away because you can kind of see the tension or you know so-and-so. Maybe you should talk to him because he seems to be picking on. You know another player and you can get a real good vibe of the team and kind of see when things are starting to bubble up or you can do those preemptive strikes before it gets really nasty.
Speaker 2:So yeah, I think it's an important role that parents play, or whoever you pick.
Speaker 1:I'll just come out and say it Look, kids are capable of doing some very stupid things in the locker room.
Speaker 1:No one's looking. I think an even larger threat is obviously what goes on on the phones and the digital devices outside of the locker room, outside of the team. Not just talk about cyber bullying, but the hiding behind a screen thing. But look, I don't really have a problem with this. I think it's easy for everybody to say, or for people to say, ah, no one watched us when I was a kid. And then I'm also like we did some pretty stupid stuff when no one was watching when we were kids.
Speaker 1:And the other thing, too, is that this is just the world we live in right now. Look, my friends, organizations have to have liability. All right, you know. And when you look at the size, this is a positive and a negative, I guess. When you look at the size of youth sports and the business that it's become, these organizations have to protect themselves and we have to protect our kids. So to Mike's point. I think what all organizations should do is offer safe sport training to any parent that wants to get it for free. Right, because you'll eliminate a lot of. I know that there will be eager parents to jump up and say I'll take that just so I can be involved in some form In terms of the season.
Speaker 1:I think most coaches, mike, that I've worked with have a rotation in and out of the locker room on on practice and game days, like someone's typically in there, and you take turns going in and out, but it never hurts to have some extra help. Obviously, this rule was created because something happened where a adult was in there that was not supposed to be in there and did see something, didn't see something, did something I don't know. It doesn't matter. The point is is that there has to be liability on that adult in the locker room. Also, now with all the 18U players getting certified, you can ask them to volunteer on game days to come in and help you out. Go ahead, mike.
Speaker 3:No, no, but I think it goes. It's a great. It's a great tool, maybe for a coach as well. Right, hey, you're not safe sports certified. I'm sorry, you just can't be in the locker room and you can't, you know, can't be around the kids and makes it. You know, get, get to get kind of get out of jail free card a little bit.
Speaker 3:But I, I will say this you know, when you're working, there is such an important role of what the locker room is. I mean, one of the things we talked about in the show multiple times is, like, what's so great about our sport and I think one of the things that's great about our sport is the locker room is fact that these kids get to be in a place where they're not like in soccer, we just get dropped off and you run on the field and you run home and get in your car and go like you're there's. There's there's long periods of time where kids are in the locker room, and so think about how you're going to do this as a coach. I mean, are they more comfortable you in the locker room? Are they more comfortable with one person in the locker room? Can you, can you be quote-unquote in the locker room by just having the door open and you standing in the hallway. Um, you don't forget. This goes not just for practice games, this is practices. So you have three practices a week. That's three people. That's not like your 24-year-old coach that you hired for the 8U team and he's just showing up four seconds before practice and jumping on the ice. Somebody's gotta be.
Speaker 3:For your organization to be compliant and be safe and not put yourself in a really situation you need to now proactively think about how are those locker rooms going to be monitored for the success of our organization, all week, not just on Saturday morning at 11 am. And this is a big I think it's a huge shift in the rule where it opens up more problems than it this is my opinion more problems than it solves, because now there's so many different gaps in the coverage that we need to account for now. Right, it's true. And think about that Monday, wednesday, friday practice. How hard it is to even get the kids there on time in the first place, how hard it is to find coaches in the first place. Now you've got to find a parent that's willing to sit in that locker room. You know, multiple hours during the week it's going to be, it's difficult, but I think now is the time.
Speaker 3:If you're a manager, a head coach, a program administrator, now's the time to start proactively looking at that schedule and figuring out how you're going to do it. And, to Lee's point, if you're putting an 18U player on the roster as a locker room monitor for practices, maybe that's a great solution. Maybe that is a solution. Or you got to make sure you're telling your coaches listen. If you're going to tell your kids they have to be at the rink an hour before practice, you need to be at the rink an hour before practice and you need to be in that locker room. Or, guess what? You're going to be getting dressed out in the hallway yeah, you might get in trouble, right?
Speaker 1:so look, whether you agree or disagree with the rule or you have thoughts on this, it's the rule now, right? So, as mike's saying, you got you're going to have to make things. One of the things I love about the 18 year olds is, just from a perception standpoint, if I'm a youth hockey player, it's a lot cooler to me if a 17 or 18 year olds in that room and not my dad at certain points, right? So I'm just saying almost everybody we're talking to has an 18 year old aspect here. What a great volunteer opportunity to instill into your program. Assuming there's time.
Speaker 1:18 year olds are very busy. I totally get that. But I'm saying you got at least 15 people now that are certified in safe sport at least, right? Most likely you have more like 30, right? This is a great volunteer opportunity to give back to some of those younger kids, if you're looking for something, and then again helping parents get that. But again, mike, if I was 15, 14, and there was an 18-year-old in there, I'd feel a little more comfortable, just doing what I'm talking?
Speaker 3:Well, that's, it's a double edged sword there. Right now You're going to make sure you have a pretty mature 18 year old in there. I mean, like you know, because they'll go down, they'll just zip right down.
Speaker 1:I'm 100 percent with you on that.
Speaker 3:But again, I think that the rule is there because, obviously, people in the room shouldn't have been there, the influence was wrong, there was no coverage, like well, why the hell was this person in there? Well, because of this. Well, you know, I don't know if safe sport solves the problem of bad parenting, but what it does is it solves. It solves the issue of liability, you know, and I think then, then you need to be proactive as an organization, as a coach, to say, well, we're not looking at this as a liability issue, we're looking at this as a liability issue, we're looking at this as a logistical issue. And how do we solve the problem of this new rule? And one of the things we've got to do?
Speaker 3:It's like I mentioned, there was a new rule that every team had to have three coaches on the bench. Like if the league rule, if the rule of USA, I said, every coach, every team has to have three certified coaches on the bench, or you can't play, can't play. I think the sport would end, the whole midwest would be under. I mean, I've seen teams with one coach. You know one coach on a bench, you know for multiple teams. So this, this, actually, it just adds another staff member right or another layer of another responsibility. Now you know, in in june, july and august is probably the time to attack this.
Speaker 2:I'll say this Exactly Plan ahead Now. You know it's coming and that's why we do these episodes, right yeah?
Speaker 1:Why we're here for you. I will say this One thing I just thought about, mike Oddly enough, this does give you coaches the ability to tell that parent that's about to storm in the locker room. Well, you're not SafeSport certified, so you can't go in there right now right.
Speaker 3:Yeah, you need to beat me up in the parking lot, not in the locker room. Not in the locker room, you can't come in here if you're not safe.
Speaker 1:You know that's going to happen a lot. But look, just reiterating, because we're out of time here, the three new rules Everyone, every youth hockey player, got to have a net guard. No ifs, ands or buts. You're not getting on the ice without that. If you are a U18 player, you must now be SafeSport certified. Again, coaches, make sure, make that a team event. Don't downplay it. Make it something positive, remember you can put that on a college resume. You can put that on a job resume Now I'm thinking about it, whatever you're going to do. And then again, all teams now one chaperone, one somebody in the locker room. An adult has to be there, or someone who's safe sport certified has to be in the locker room at all times. That's the changes for the 24, 25 season and beyond, until they change something else. I hope it's been informative. Great discussion around this. I know a lot of people are having these discussions in their local hockey communities and we love having that discussion with you, mike Christy. Any final words before we close the episode out.
Speaker 2:No, this is easy stuff. You guys can do it, it's not hard. Just takes a little planning and coordination.
Speaker 1:Takes a groan $35, and then you dive into the season, mike any final thoughts.
Speaker 3:I think a lot of it's common sense and a lot of it's going to help. If you do, if you approach it the right way, in the right timing, it's actually a great positive step in the right direction for our sport and, you know, we'll make teams and organizations better in the long run.
Speaker 1:Totally agree. Great episode, guys. Again, if you're interested in more information like this, if you're interested in having conversations like this, make sure you check out our group on Facebook. It's aptly titled our kids play hockey. You can join that. The conversations continue there. You can give us episodes idea there. Excuse me, you can give episode ideas there, something that we always look forward to from this audience.
Speaker 1:But above all, we want to thank you all for taking the time to listen to us once again here on our kids play hockey. Check out our kids play hockeycom for all episodes. But without further ado, we're going to let you go on with your week. Thank you so much, everybody. Skate on, take care and stay out there. We hope you enjoyed this edition of Our Kids Play Hockey. Make sure to like and subscribe right now if you found value. Wherever you're listening, whether it's a podcast network, a social media network or our website, ourkidsplayhockeycom. Also, make sure to check out our children's book when Hockey Stops at whenhockeystopscom. It's a book that helps children deal with adversity in the game and in life. We're very proud of it. But thanks so much for listening to this edition of Our Kids Play Hockey and we'll see you on the next episode.
