Our Kids Play Hockey
Our Kids Play Hockey is a podcast that focuses on youth hockey, offering insights, stories, and interviews from the hockey community. It provides valuable advice for parents, coaches, and players, covering various aspects of the game, including skill development, sportsmanship, teamwork, and creating a positive experience for young athletes. The show frequently features guests who share their expertise and personal experiences in youth hockey, both on and off the ice.
The show features three hockey parents, who all work in the game at high levels:
- Christie Casciano-Burns - USA Hockey Columnist, Author, and WSYR Anchor
- Mike Bonelli - USA Hockey Coach and Organizational Consultant
- Lee M.J. Elias - Hockey Entrepreneur, Author, and Team Strategist
In addition to the main podcast, there are several spin-off series that dive into specific aspects of youth hockey:
1.Our Girls Play Hockey – This series highlights the growing presence of girls in hockey, addressing the unique challenges they face while celebrating their accomplishments and contributions to the sport. Each episode of Our Girls Play Hockey is also hosted by Sheri Hudspeth who is the Director, Youth Hockey Programs and Fan Development for the Vegas Golden Knights.
2.The Ride to The Rink – A shorter, motivational series designed to be listened to on the way to the rink, offering quick, inspirational tips and advice to help players and parents get into the right mindset before a game or practice.
3.Our Kids Play Goalie – This series is dedicated to young goalies and the unique challenges they face. It provides advice for players, parents, and coaches on how to support and develop young goaltenders, focusing on the mental and physical demands of the position.
Together, these shows provide a comprehensive platform for parents, players, and coaches involved in youth hockey, offering insights for all aspects of the sport, from parenting, playing, or coaching to specialized positions like goaltending.
Our Kids Play Hockey
The Ride To The Rink - The Secret Sauce of Hockey Greatness with Legendary NHL Coach Mike Keenan
Are you ready to unlock the secrets of hockey greatness? 🏒✨
Buckle up as this episode of "The Ride to the Rink" brings you hall of fame advice from legendary NHL coach Mike Keenan! Host Lee MJ Elias and Coach Keenan dive into the heart of what it takes to reach the pinnacle of hockey success. From coaching icons like Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux, Keenan shares his wisdom on the perfect blend of talent and relentless effort.
Want to make your mark on the ice? This episode is your playbook! Iron Mike breaks down the essential qualities that separate the good from the great:
- Faith in yourself and your passion
- The grit to work harder than anyone else
- Perseverance through tough times
- Adaptability when faced with setbacks
But here's the kicker — it's not just about talent. Iron Mike emphasizes, "Nothing is free. You can be the most talented... But you also need to know how to work, how to get prepared, and how to be better." 💪
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Key Takeaways:
1. Self-belief is your secret weapon
2. Turn your passion into your playground
3. Always have a Plan B (and C!)
4. Success leaves clues — learn from the greats
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Are you ready to elevate your game? This episode is a must-listen for young athletes dreaming of reaching the NHL. Don't miss out on the insights that could change your hockey career forever!
Click To Text The Our Kids Play Hockey Team!
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Lee MJ Elias [0:07 - 1:14]: Hello, hockey skaters and goalies around the world. Welcome back to another edition of the Ride to the Rink. Today we have one of the greatest coaches in NHL history. He has won the Stanley Cup. He has won gold with Canada. He has won the Gagarin cup, which is the KHL in Russia's championship. And he has coached some of the greatest athletes that have ever played this game, like Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier, Mario Lemieux, just to name a few. There's a lot more. And we want him to talk to you today about what kind of effort, what kind of mindset and what kind of drive you need to have if you want to make it to the highest levels of hockey. So I'm going to ask him a question and he's going to dive right in. Here we go. You've managed some of the greatest players of all time. You've also managed just hockey players and people in general. You've had to manage people in a band, you've had to manage people in college. For the kid out there that's listening and that kid's dream is the NHL or to play hockey at a high level, you've seen it. What is your guide for that kid on this journey? What do they need to keep in mind? What do they need to keep doing to make that opportunity a possibility?
Mike Keenan [1:16 - 2:30]: I think that there's a few things, but a couple would be first of all, you have to have faith in your beliefs, in your passion and what you want to accomplish in life. And secondly, you have to work. Nothing is free. You can be the most talented and if you are the most talented. And again, we cite the people that I coached that were. But they also knew how to work and how to get prepared and how to be better. You know, from the Wayne Gretzky's, the Mary Lamuse, the Mark Messi's, and it goes on in all the hall of Famers I coached, they knew how to work. They had a talent and they had a passion and they cared. But they had to learn how to discipline themselves and work at what they wanted to accomplish. And whether it's music, art, it doesn't matter. Whether you're a technician, a plumber, fireman, doesn't matter. If you want to be the best that you can be, then you have to have that idea that you have to be devoted to developing those skill sets or that ability, whatever it takes.
Lee MJ Elias [2:31 - 2:32]: I love that.
Mike Keenan [2:33 - 3:00]: And at the same time, if it's a passion, then it doesn't seem like work. It seems like you're loving what you're doing. So that's all part of, if you can find that niche that really excites you and you're passionate about, then you should make it happen.
Lee MJ Elias [3:01 - 4:56]: Well, and I love that you led with, with, with faith on that because the faith is also within yourself, right? And for the kids listening, it can be very easy to look outside yourself or that need for other people to believe in you. But Mike, you just kind of said it. The real person that needs to believe in you is you. That comes from within you. So for the kids listening, you know, like you have to be inspired by what coach just said there. But the idea is this, if you want to accomplish anything, this, this is not just for hockey. What, what Mike is saying here. You've got to find that feeling within you to get up and put that work in. And here's the other thing, kids. There's no guarantees. There's no guarantees that, that what you want will become a come to fruition. But I promise you that if you put the work into the time in, not only will you get way further than anybody thought possible, but you will learn so much about yourself and who you are and what you can accomplish that is so important. So I'm going to say it again. Faith in yourself. Faith in general, obviously very important. You have to believe in something bigger than yourself. But you got to believe in yourself and believe. Mike, you know, I'll tell you just a quick story. We were actually in Lake Placid, a place I know you're very fond of, and we were in a tournament. I was so proud of these kids. And I want the parents to listen to know this too, that are listening. These kids were 10 years old, so we're not talking 18, 17. These are 10 year old kids. And before a big game, the messages were, you know, as hard as we work, there's someone out there working harder than us. We gotta be those guys today. And then another kid stood up and said, you know, as hard as we're going, we got 40% more than we think we do. Those were the messages these kids were giving themselves at 10 years old. I was so proud of that locker room before that game. Right. And after the game, obviously. But the wherewithal to understand we need to work. We need to work to accomplish our goal. So Mike, I love that you brought that up.
Mike Keenan [4:57 - 5:19]: Well, it's that easy. And for the kids who to realize it and to understand it, it takes education, takes time. You know, I was very passionate and wanted to be an NHL player, but I didn't have the ability in the end, but I found another way of. Of getting there.
Lee MJ Elias [5:19 - 5:22]: So, yeah, your backup plan worked. Yeah.
Mike Keenan [5:22 - 5:37]: Yeah, there's no guarantees. So if it doesn't work in plan A, then at least you've prepared yourself and you've developed some skills that gives you a chance at plan B or C, whatever the case might be.
Lee MJ Elias [5:40 - 6:18]: All right, that's going to do it for this edition of the Ride to the Ring. Kids, remember, you can ask us questions or send us comments. Wherever you're listening to this podcast. In the description, there's a link. If you click on that, you can actually text us directly. We get those texts and ask us a question. Or if you want to go old school, use an email address. Team at our Kids Play Hockey dot com. Send us an email, let us know. You can send us emails, you can send us audio. You can, however you want to ask us a question, you can go on social media. Figure it out. We'd love to hear from you kids, but that's going to do it for this edition of the Ride to the Rink. Once again, remember, we believe in you. You should, too. Always have fun playing this game. Skate on. We'll see you next time.
