Grassroots: The Minor Hockey Show (Richard Bercuson)
Explore every episode of Grassroots: The Minor Hockey Show
| Pub. Date | Title | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 07 Feb 2022 | Episode 63 - The 90% Factor | 00:53:58 | |
For any coach, there should be a tacit understanding of the need to make practices as game-like as possible. The one possible exception might be the teaching of raw skills. That aside, in order to best teach the game, how many players should be involved in an activity, be it drill or small area game? Shouldn't that number replicate what happens in a game? What is that number? In 2009, Slovakian coach Igor Andrejkovic published a scientific paper based on his breaking down 60 game videos of a U18 team. His conclusions about how many players are actively involved in hockey events or plays should directly impact how we teach in practice. Listeners wishing to read his original paper should email host Richard Bercuson at richard(at)grassrootsminorhockey.com Contact: | |||
| 16 Feb 2022 | Episode 64 - Concepts: What a concept! | 00:54:01 | |
The new coach of the Montreal Canadiens, Martin St. Louis, stated in his initial press conference that he was about teaching concepts, not systems. Whether or not that works remains to be seen. However, the idea of presenting concepts to players directly impacts minor hockey in various ways. In Episode 38, host Richard Bercuson and his guest, Dean Holden, examined the teaching of principles of play vs. systems. Now, with St. Louis' statement as a backdrop, how do concepts come into play for coaches of kids? Contact: | |||
| 23 Feb 2022 | Episode 65 - What a master soccer and hockey coach sees | 00:49:44 | |
John Castrillon's father brought his family from Colombia to Montreal in the 1970s. There, young John, already a fine soccer player, fell in love with hockey (and the story of Maurice Richard whom he once met) after watching it on TV. He taught himself how to skate on outdoor rinks then, at age 14, began to play hockey. Eventually, he was good enough to make a midget team and then a junior squad. He maintained his soccer skills and still plays at a high level. Today, John is a sought-after coach developer in the two sports, having worked with elite teams in both as a coach, evaluator and keen observer of practice approaches and training methods. In this episode, he shares his thoughts on the similarities between the sports' coaching methods and what minor hockey coaches need to do better. Contact: | |||
| 03 Mar 2022 | Episode 66 - Could a club system work in Canada? | 00:43:20 | |
Canadian minor hockey players mostly play within their municipalities or regions. It's only at the highest competitive levels where there is more freedom to move. However, each playing area or association is largely a collection of teams governed by a board. With few exceptions, teams and coaches are on their own with respect to development, training, and direction. In Europe, for instance, clubs have more clearly defined top-down training and guidance with coaching experts and mentors directing every team. Should such an approach happen in Canada? Contact: | |||
| 12 Mar 2022 | Episode 67 - Do you have an open parachute? | 01:08:26 | |
What does Leonardo da Vinci have in common with three intrepid French inventors and Scottish whisky distiller Lord Thomas Dewar? It's all about first having a parachute and then opening it. Without it, the game will remain mired in its age-old traditions and conventions about how it should be taught. Contact: | |||
| 24 Mar 2022 | Episode 68 - It's not the what; it's the how and why | 01:12:34 | |
USA Hockey's American Development Model (ADM) has made huge strides since its 2009 inception. One of the program's original regional managers, Roger Grillo (www.admkids.com/rogergrillo), a successful college coach for 20 years before joining the ADM, provides a unique perspective on the ADM's successes and challenges. He also delves into practice and teaching approaches that are now tried and true, describing what he sees as the three key elements of a good practice. Contact: | |||
| 06 Apr 2022 | Episode 69 - Yogi was right! (Part 1 of 2) | 00:36:54 | |
"You can observe a lot by watching," said Yankees Hall of Famer Yogi Berra. He couldn't have known just important that statement would become for minor hockey coaches. The power of observation is indeed linked to critical thought, self awareness and self reflection, which is to say that all coaches would well to step back a moment and watch themselves. This is what mentors and coach developers do on a regular basis. In this first of a two-parter, host Richard Bercuson dives into a discussion with guest host Dean Holden and previous interviewee John Castrillon, a longtime soccer and hockey coach developer. Contact: | |||
| 12 Apr 2022 | Episode 70 - Yogi was right! (Part 2) | 00:45:03 | |
"We take a minor hockey coach off the ice, stand him at the glass, and we're going to ask him to watch his practice that the assistant coaches are going to run. What does he look for - and why?" So begins Part 2 with host Richard Bercuson posing the questions. Dean Holden and John Castrillon describe the importance of self-reflection in observations, beginning with, as Dean says, the constraints of what the coach even knows. So, even by posing the right kind of questions to the coach, the depth of knowledge to be able to properly and adequately answer is at the core of the issue. Contact: | |||
| 18 Apr 2022 | Episode 71 - Do our coaches need what they're doing in Australia? | 00:49:33 | |
Those who run Australian sports have concluded that the coaching of children has become too structured. Now they're doing something about it. The CEO of Water Polo Australia, Richard McInnes, explains what it is and how they're going about it. Interestingly, it involves many of the same approaches to coaching children as are being advocated in Canada. He also reveals their novel way to entice coaches to become better educated and trained. Here is the link to the cricket video he referenced in the podcast: vimeo.com/184622185. It employs the same ideas USA Hockey used in 2014 when they placed adults on a frozen river to point out what kids see on a large rink. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXhxNq59pWg). Opening and closing guitar music for this episode is "Waltzing Matilda" as performed by Australia's brilliant guitarist Tommy Emmanuel. Contact: | |||
| 03 May 2022 | Episode 72 - The end of patterned coaching approaches is coming | 00:49:53 | |
"How we learn to move" by Rob Gray, PhD, may be the game-changer minor sports, especially hockey, needs to shake up the coaching tree. If you like pylons, patterned drills, and specialty toys on the ice for kids to skate around, follow or go through, then this podcast will not be for you. Best to move on to a different episode right now! Contact: | |||
| 23 May 2022 | Episode 73 - Prof. Rob Gray: "How we learn to move" | 00:56:20 | |
Rob Gray, from Caledon, Ontario, is a professor at Arizona State University where he specializes in perceptual motor skill development. His recent book "How we learn to move," available on Amazon, may very well be what he wrote on the cover: A revolution in the way we coach & practice skills. While his work in Arizona has been primarily in soccer and baseball, in this podcast he seemed pleased to delve into hockey and the myriad of timeworn traditions about how we teach and practice the game he played so much himself growing up. His own podcast, The Perception and Action podcast, can be found at perceptionaction.com. Warning: No pylons or plastic sticks died in the making of this episode, though they may be shoved into storage for a long while. Contact: | |||
| 09 Jun 2022 | Episode 74 - About that conference | 00:36:45 | |
In this final episode of the 2021-22 season, Richard and guest host Dean chat about the June 4-5 coach conference hosted by the Whitby Girls Association that Richard set up, its first ever such conference. The agenda was designed for coaches to reflect on their past approaches, by "opening their parachutes," so as to improve their coaching methods through the latest research and knowledge on how children learn. The conference included presentations by Vic Chiasson and Jim Mercer who have developed a unique program to develop the culture on teams and in organizations. Former Olympic champion Jenn Wakefield also presented on developing proper fitness habits. The podcast includes commentary from Chiasson and Mercer on how they felt the conference went. Contact: | |||
| 22 Aug 2022 | Episode 75 - Observational Insanity: Copy & Paste | 01:15:34 | |
The first show of Season 3 features a discussion with soccer and hockey coach John "the Colombian" Castrillon on his observations of elite team practices. Are teams just recycling timeworn drills? Why? What's missing? He also comments on how goalies are used in practice, what guest host Dean Holden refers to as "punching bags." Contact: | |||
| 04 Sep 2022 | Episode 76 - Deconstructing Deconstruction | 01:05:39 | |
This episode takes the listener from sewing quilts to line dancing to "Achy Break Heart" and finally a western bar in Houston. The journey is all about wondering why we've long accepted that deconstructing hockey skills in practice would actually produce improvement. We know now it doesn't. And Dean puts Richard on the hot seat with an important question. A conversation rife with clever metaphors. Contact: | |||
| 14 Sep 2022 | Episode 77 - Practice Structure | 01:11:52 | |
Once a coach gets past the basic practice template, what are the myriad of priority considerations to have in a good practice? What to teach, when, and, most importantly, how are the key questions a coach should be answering. In this episode, Richard and Dean delve into how to shape practices while also dispensing with some of the myths about what we've long done. Contact: | |||
| 04 Oct 2022 | Episode 78 - A paradigm shift: C-D-E-F | 01:10:42 | |
Neil Sedgwick is the head coach of the Univ. of Northern British Columbia (UNBC) women's soccer team in Prince George, BC. His coaching approach has been radically changed by the teachings and courses offered by Dutch coach Raymond Verheijen who is transforming the coaching landscape. The long-accepted ways of looking at coaching invasion team sports like soccer using the technical-tactical-mental-physical-social criteria need to be re-examined. Since soccer and hockey have much in common, we can see through Sedgwick's experiences with Verheijen how the minor hockey coaching landscape should now also change. Contact: | |||
| 20 Oct 2022 | Episode 79 - Explaining critical thought in coaching | 01:00:51 | |
"A Problem Well Stated is Half Solved," said the late Charles Kettering who headed the GM research department in the mid 20th century. How does this apply to the application of critical thought in coaching, especially in minor hockey? Dean Holden explains what it means and how it applies, referring as well to the work of Robert Ennis ("Critical Thinking Dispositions"). Also mentioned is the 2006 World Cup match between Argentina and Serbia/Montenegro in which the Argentines completed 26 consecutive passes before scoring. Here is the YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GR3Om0WfErA Contact: | |||
| 30 Oct 2022 | Episode 80 - Applying C-D-E-F to minor hockey coaching | 01:00:03 | |
The fascinating C-D-E-F approach taken by Dutch coach and coach developer Raymond Verheijen is the subject of this episode, a sequel to Episode 78 with Neil Sedgwick. Richard and Dean adapt Verheijen's ideas that were designed for soccer coaches and re-package them for minor hockey. They base the discussion on Verheijen's recent guest appearance on the John O'Sullivan podcast "Way of Champions." Here's the link to Episode 294 of that show: Contact: | |||
| 15 Nov 2022 | Episode 81 - Beer League Hockey Practice | 00:53:47 | |
A departure from the normal content as this one scratches an itch: how to get adults who've never played hockey to give it a try. Peter Munro has started a venture called "Beer League Hockey Practice" which invites adult learners in various Ontario municipalities to learn to play the game. But will this also become a breeding ground for new coaches? According to one participant, a coach who's registered in the program, he's unearthed a whole new respect for what he asks his youngsters to experience. How did this get started and where is it heading? Richard discusses with Peter while co-host Dean takes a break to continue working on his PhD. Contact: | |||
| 26 Nov 2022 | Episode 82 - Wherefore bodychecking? | 01:12:37 | |
In the last few months, two Canadian research studies have concluded that bodychecking in hockey should not begin till age 18, when kids are out of minor hockey. One of those studies, headed by the renowned brain injury and concussion expert, Dr. Charles Tator, reached some startling conclusions about long term concussion symptoms. The other study was completed by researchers in Alberta with teenagers in various minor hockey organizations. And so in this episode, Richard and Dean ask if it's time the question not just be posed but also answered: what are we doing? Persisting Concussion Symptoms from Bodychecking: Unrecognized Toll in Boys' Ice HockeyBodychecking experience and rates of injury among ice hockey players aged 15–17 years
Contact: | |||
| 19 Dec 2022 | Episode 83 - S.E.E.P. - Six Elements for Effective Practices | 01:06:31 | |
Organizing a practice is challenging enough. However, Richard and Dean contend that incorporating six key elements will make a practice hum and provide the players with all they need to experience success and enjoy themselves. The first element is Fun. After that comes...well, listen in and find out. Contact: | |||
| 21 Jan 2023 | Episode 84 - Wally Kozak: For the good of the game | 01:14:15 | |
Wally Kozak is a resident of host Richard Bercuson's virtual Pantheon of Canadian hockey developers. Here, he begins by reflecting on his stint with Father David Bauer's national team and its influence on his future as a teacher and coach. Then comes the segue into the importance of creating a mission statement as most recently done with the parents of a U13 girls team. Along the journey, he shares stories of his experiences in developing the exercise. This includes one about how Hockey Canada's instructional DVD series, Goals 1 & 2, once included a third DVD which featured the exercise but somehow never got published. Contact: | |||
| 12 Feb 2023 | Episode 85 - The Language of Coaching | 01:12:49 | |
In recent years, coaching has taken on an entirely new lexicon thanks to research into coaching methods and approaches. Richard and Dean examine some of the key ones pertaining to hockey, ones they feel are essential for the modern coach to not only be aware of but also employ. These include: constraints (as in the Constraints Led Approach), ecological dynamics, TGfU, skill vs. technique, observation, variability, and small area games (aka. small sided games). Contact: | |||
| 08 Mar 2023 | Episode 86 - Raymond Verheijen: The Evolution of Coaching | 01:26:56 | |
Dutch football (soccer) coach and coach developer Raymond Verheijen has developed a worldwide following through books and courses on how to coach, not just football but coaching in general. In this episode he explains the importance of using objective facts and logical reasoning to counter long-standing beliefs on coaching approaches, whether they be in his sport or hockey. Though Richard and Dean had first touched on his work in episodes 78 and 80, hearing from him directly on various aspects of coaching provide a banquet of food for thought on what we do and why we do it. Contact: | |||
| 27 Mar 2023 | Episode 87 - Five Questions that need Answers | 01:22:59 | |
There are questions we need to address in order for coaching and coach development to move forward, utilizing research evidence now available to us. Richard and Dean attempt to answer these questions, which were posed recently by Dr. Mark Williams, a research scientist at the Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition and the University of Utah. Contact: | |||
| 25 Apr 2023 | Episode 88 - Reflecting on a S.E.E.P. Presentation | 00:38:02 | |
S.E.E.P. - Six Elements for Effective Practices - is a presentation Richard created to educate, inform, and assist coaches in improving their approaches. In this episode, he describes how the first one went on April 18 in Oshawa, ON, attended by 27 competitive level coaches. Contact: | |||
| 19 May 2023 | Episode 89 - The Evolution of the Coaching Life of Brian | 01:34:04 | |
It took Brian Gillam nearly 20 years to realize that perhaps his coaching approach had room for adjustment. His epiphany came at a High Performance conference and, since then, his readings about leadership, ecological approaches, constraints, etc. have made him reconsider what coaching the game could be about. As Hockey Eastern Ontario's (HEO) coaching development coordinator, he's also in a position to influence others into seeing coaching in a different light. He has created a YouTube series for HEO about skill acquisition, interviews with some of the key figures in the field. All of which, however, leads to one key question: then what? Contact: | |||
| 15 Jun 2023 | Episode 90 - Follow the leader? | 01:19:37 | |
For Canadian minor hockey to evolve and improve, solid visionary leadership is the key. Richard and Dean invite Rick Ladouceur to discuss what we have and where we can go. Ladouceur is the executive director of Prairie Storm Minor Hockey near Regina. In addition to an extensive coaching and teaching background, he's held key leadership positions in hockey and recreation/sport management. Thus he is able to offer some interesting perspectives. Contact: | |||
| 11 Sep 2023 | Episode 91 - What is Coach Development? | 01:21:51 | |
Season 4 kicks off with Richard and Dean in a pretty deep discussion about the definition of coach development, professionalism in coaching and related topics. It all begins with Richard's follow-up presentation to Oshawa coaches in August when he asked participants to provide their definitions of coach development. Contact: | |||
| 05 Oct 2023 | Episode 92 - Holding my feet to the fire | 01:29:24 | |
Podcast host Richard Bercuson has taken on coaching a U18AA team this season, a somewhat new experience for him even after coaching for decades. In this episode, Dean Holden poses some interesting questions for him to consider as he navigates these waters using a competition or game-based approach. Contact: | |||
| 14 Oct 2023 | Episode 93 - Dr. Stephen Norris - Part 1 | 01:12:19 | |
Stephen Norris, one of Canada's pre-eminent sport scientists and performance experts, has worked with numerous sport organizations including Hockey Canada. He refers to himself as a "performance guide to a chosen few." In this first of a two-parter, we hear about how and why he started in the field and ends with his annual suggestion to a minor hockey organization that was voted down every time he brought it up. Contact: | |||
| 18 Oct 2023 | Episode 94 - Dr. Stephen Norris - Part 2 | 00:50:03 | |
Stephen Norris delves deeper into Canada's minor hockey world, finishing with the challenge: What would you do if declared King of Hockey Canada? Contact: | |||
| 09 Nov 2023 | Episode 95 - Madame President: Where we are - Where we're heading | 01:25:38 | |
Kealy Lambert is a former college hockey player, now a mom, a coach, a lawyer and the president of Bow River Minor Hockey in Calgary. She's seen the game from just about every angle and now, as the head of an organization, she suspects Canadian minor hockey is heading...well...listen to find out where. Contact: | |||
| 15 Dec 2023 | Episode 96 - When kids discover through play | 00:58:45 | |
It didn't look like fun. So Kevin, dad of a little girl new to hockey, decided to "go his own way" by leaving the local "Timbits" program and adopting an ecological dynamics approach. He rented a small patch of ice, invited others to join in, and used play activities to turn the kids on to the game. Now he is on his own discovery path of how to properly introduce and teach the game to children. Contact: | |||
| 21 Jan 2024 | Episode 97 - When science meets art in coaching | 01:19:00 | |
This first episode of 2024 features a discussion about the science that should inform current coaching approaches and how coaches need to now examine the effects on their coaching art. Host Richard Bercuson discusses with Dean Holden and John "the Colombian" Castrillon who has spent decades using game-based approaches in soccer and hockey, even before he was aware of what the science showed. Contact: | |||
| 30 Jan 2024 | Episode 98 - Joe Baker: The Tyranny of Talent | 01:02:08 | |
One of the more important publications in recent years is The Tyranny of Talent by Prof. Joe Baker. Baker is a professor of kinesiology and physical education at the University of Toronto and inaugural holder of the endowed Tanenbaum chair in sport science, data modelling and sport analytics at U of T’s Tanenbaum Institute for Science in Sport (TISS). In this episode, he discusses some of the key points of this seminal work and how they relate to hockey and talent identification. Contact: | |||
| 13 Feb 2024 | Episode 99 - Hockey Factories through a different lens | 01:25:53 | |
Matt Dumouchelle is a writer for The Coaches Site and assistant GM for a junior A team near Windsor. But he also authored a revelatory five-part series, "Hockey Factories" published last year on thecoachessite.com. A second series focusing on five different hockey organizations in Europe and North America will be out shortly. In this episode Matt shares what can be learned from these clubs, their programs and approaches. He also discusses his own journey in sports, with keen observations about our sporting culture, including now being a dad to a hockey-loving six year old. Contact: | |||
| 25 Feb 2024 | Episode 100 - The Value of Small Space Activities & Games | 01:56:06 | |
Brian Gillam, HEO's Coaching Coordinator and Gold Medal Pathways mentor, delves into the myriad of ways in which small or reduced space practice activities are central to how children will develop both their skills and ability to play games on similar sized areas. Gillam is a longtime proponent of ecological dynamics and constraints led approaches. He explains how important it is for children and teens to be trained in space consistent with their developmental stages and what they can learn from the approach. Contact: | |||
| 06 Apr 2024 | Episode 101 - Hockey Coaching Terminology 101 | 01:25:46 | |
Modern coaching approaches include a litany of expressions, phrases, words and acronyms that are sometimes baffling in what they mean. In this episode, Richard and Dean delve into some of the more common ones and relate them to coaches need to understand about them and how to apply them in minor hockey. Contact: | |||
| 08 Jun 2024 | Episode 102 - The Norwegian Blue and Coach Education | 01:27:18 | |
This episode is a unique collaboration with Stuart Armstrong whose podcast is The Talent Equation. His May 28, 2024, show was called "Coach Education is broken." It struck a chord with Grassroots host Richard Bercuson who felt it reminded him of the famous Monty Python Dead Parrot sketch. He connected with Stuart and here's the result: a tripartite discussion with Stuart, Richard, and Dean Holden about coach education's demise. Contact: | |||
| 11 Aug 2024 | Episode 103 - Checking in on checking | 00:58:55 | |
Season 5 begins with an important pre-season look at how contact and checking need to be taught to take it beyond the confines of the current checking clinic module. Richard and Dean examine an approach using spectrums of skill for different ages and levels of play, built within the current four-stage checking progression espoused by Hockey Canada. Contact: | |||
| 30 Aug 2024 | Episode 104 - Are you a new coach - of some sort? | 00:58:13 | |
However you define "new," Richard and Dean discuss what coaches need to consider at the start of a new adventure and the resources they should access. Podcasts: Contact: | |||
| 16 Sep 2024 | Episode 105 - Greg Revak: "I'm just trying to be less dumb." | 01:10:38 | |
Greg Revak, an Ohio-based coach and USA Hockey coach developer, has unique and progressive ideas on coaching the game. His podcast and newsletter hit on various topics which are pertinent to coaches at every level. In this episode, he shares with Richard his personal bugaboos and annoyances about practice design and what we can do better. Contact: | |||
| 14 Oct 2024 | Episode 106 - Are you a transformational coach? | 01:00:54 | |
The modern lexicon of coaching includes terms like transformational and transactional to describe the approaches coaches use. What are their characteristics? In minor hockey, can someone be both? Dean Holden delves into this topic, aided and abetted by host Richard Bercuson who tosses out questions and examples to investigate. Contact: | |||
| 13 Dec 2024 | Episode 107 - Leadership in hockey | 01:30:21 | |
Special guest Dr. Stephen Norris and Dean Holden discuss their recent trip to Kazakhstan as part of an IIHF initiative to grow the game in other parts of the world. What is the impact of this initiative on our own game's leadership? Where are we going? Is it the right direction? An in-depth look at those and other questions. Contact: | |||
| 10 Jan 2025 | Episode 108 - Many tries - Many times - Many ways | 01:18:30 | |
How to get out of the "tick box" practice scenario. Richard and Dean discuss why coaches need to learn that players have to experience skill and tactical content in ways that are closer to competitive situations. This means moving away from the age-old and time worn approaches we've long accepted. Contact: | |||
| 07 Mar 2025 | Episode 109 - What I learned from coaching U11 | 01:17:22 | |
"We do not learn from experience. We learn from reflecting on experience." Host Richard Bercuson spends this episode providing an overview of his season coaching 10 year olds in a unique house league-type environment. Dean Holden poses some pointed questions that has Richard using the "wayback machine" to reflect on the approaches he's used and why. -------------------------------------------- In the introduction, Richard refers to his co-authored novel that was published last year through Amazon: The Burden of Guilt. Contact: | |||
| 13 Mar 2025 | Episode 110 - Meanwhile in Bristol, England... | 01:11:40 | |
Access to rinks, ice time , and cost may be impediments to growing a program in a small hockey market. But not to Chris Benson who helps direct the fortunes of the Bristol youth program in England. Speaking from Riga, Latvia, where his son is attending a hockey camp, Chris passionately describes the challenges and the steps being taken to programming, one of which includes the "management" of parents. Contact: | |||
| 05 Apr 2025 | Episode 111 - Teaching skills using an ecological dynamics approach | 01:27:15 | |
Some years ago, Brian Gillam began to adopt an ecological approach to coaching and teaching the game. Today he is immersed in it as a coach but especially as a "skills instructor." In this episode, he discusses what he does in special sessions, how he does it and why. Brian is the coaching development director for Hockey Eastern Ontario. His website: briangillamhockey.com Contact: | |||
| 13 Mar 2020 | Episode 2: The Coach Selection "Process" | 00:41:34 | |
Richard invites his former TSN co-host Gregg Kennedy to discuss what goes on, or should go on, in the coach selection process. Contact: | |||
| 20 Mar 2020 | Episode 3: Do hockey schools work? | 00:43:38 | |
Rick Ladouceur, a former junior A and AAA coach, has run hockey schools for ages and ages and…well, let’s hear what he has to say about them. Contact: | |||
| 13 Mar 2020 | Episode 1: Golly Gee! | 00:13:50 | |
This first episode reminisces about one of Canada’s greatest hockey teachers and previews the show’s future content. Contact: | |||
| 27 Mar 2020 | Episode 4: Part 1 - Hockey Canada's modified ice program | 00:26:06 | |
Steve Millar has been teaching hockey for a long time. He gladly changed his approach when the new program came about. Contact: | |||
| 03 Apr 2020 | Episode 5: Part 2 - The modified ice program | 00:46:47 | |
"I was skeptical at first," says former pro Corey Lucas, a teacher and coach in the new program. "But it works. It really does." Contact: | |||
| 10 Apr 2020 | Episode 6: The team from hell | 00:45:01 | |
What coach hasn’t had a group that was, at best, forgettable. Here’s the story of one , from former AAA and junior A coach Rick Ladouceur. Contact: | |||
| 17 Apr 2020 | Episode 7: "I don't understand" - The ice time problem | 00:31:48 | |
One of the biggest complaints we hear in the game regards ice time, and this is not at the elite levels. It’s a pervasive problem. Richard discusses this with Gregg Kennedy. Contact: | |||
| 24 Apr 2020 | Episode 8: Being a goalie parent | 00:58:19 | |
What’s it like being a goalie parent? One former (the host!) and two current goalie Dads chime in. Contact: | |||
| 01 May 2020 | Episode 9: The coaching staff | 00:58:45 | |
You've got a team. Now you need a staff: assistant coaches, trainer, manager. Who do you get, why, and what are their roles in games and practices? Contact: | |||
| 08 May 2020 | Episode 10: The Four Seasons of Teaching Checking | 00:26:52 | |
What do Vivaldi and the teaching of checking have in common? Nothing at all. Still, a primer on how and when to properly teach checking skills is always a good idea. When accompanied by Signore Vivaldi's classic concertos, even better. Contact: | |||
| 15 May 2020 | Episode 11: Mentally Charged | 00:38:56 | |
Corey Lucas discovered that his experiences in junior, college and minor pro hockey actually shone a spotlight on his inability to cope with certain situations. Now a teacher and coach, he turned those experiences into a way to help other young players with their own challenges through his company "Mentally Charged." Contact: | |||
| 22 May 2020 | Episode 12: Mind-Body Fusion | 00:38:44 | |
How does a 12-year old cope with his coach telling him he'll never achieve his dream of being a professional soccer player? Matt Caldaroni struggled with that issue for years and eventually did achieve his goal, though briefly. But the event led to him teaming with his brother Chris to create "Mind-Body Fusion," a company that helps young athletes develop the resiliency tools they need. Contact: | |||
| 29 May 2020 | Episode 13: A Player's Journey | 00:56:56 | |
For ten years, Rob Mann’s hockey journey has been on the upswing to where now he’s a bonafide pro. What got him there? How did minor, junior, and college hockey prepare him? What must he do to improve his game? Here’s a candid reflection on a young man’s route to professional sport. Contact: | |||
| 05 Jun 2020 | Episode 14: Combining Technical Skills | 00:55:28 | |
Teaching skills is tough enough without knowing how to effectively combine them to achieve a proper result. In this mini-clinic, Rick Ladouceur, who's taught skills and coached for years, explains the nuts and bolts of this challenging component of coaching minor hockey. Contact: | |||
| 12 Jun 2020 | Episode 15: Teaching Individual Offensive Tactics | 00:43:31 | |
How to apply technical skills to the teaching of individual offensive tactics, the ones Rick Ladouceur says are the "sexy" ones and which the kids all are ready to learn. Part 2 of 3. Contact: | |||
| 19 Jun 2020 | Episode 16: Teaching Individual Defensive Tactics | 00:38:38 | |
In the final part of 3, Rick Ladouceur and Richard dissect how to properly teaching individuals defensive play, employing the right combined technical skills. Contact: | |||
| 26 Jun 2020 | Episode 17: So, you want to be president? | 00:39:31 | |
A conversation with Mark Elsenaar, president of Whitby Minor Hockey. What got him involved and what's it like overseeing one of Ontario's largest minor hockey associations Contact: | |||
| 03 Jul 2020 | Episode 18: Is there a coaching "gene"? | 00:53:00 | |
According to journalist David Epstein's research in his landmark book "The Sports Gene," there are people pre-disposed to certain types of activities based on genetics. However, does a pre-disposition to coaching exist in minor hockey? A conversation with Gregg Kennedy, whose movie night gets interrupted to examine the topic. (Note: Grassroots will take a short break, resuming on Aug. 6 with more great discussions.) Contact: | |||
| 07 Aug 2020 | Episode 19: Unpacking a coach's suitcase | 01:13:24 | |
Dave Leger was a Level VI referee in Ottawa and officiated professionally in Europe. Then he got the coaching bug, beginning with a stint as a high school assistant with Richard Bercuson and moving into junior then college hockey. It is now 22 years later and he has been a professional coach on three continents and in five countries. With a suitcase full of fascinating experiences, he has learned much about the game's culture in these places and what he needs to do to continue to grow as a coach. Contact: | |||
| 29 Jul 2020 | Preview of Episodes 19-20-21 | 00:07:27 | |
Let's have a sneak "peek" at what's coming on August 6. Contact: | |||
| 14 Aug 2020 | Episode 20: Process vs. Outcomes Coaching | 00:51:16 | |
Can we make a distinction between coaches who are motivated by the process as opposed to the outcomes, like wins and losses? Dean Holden, who is completing his PhD in coaching, holds true to his mantra of "Fun-Learn-Return" as he discusses the issue. Contact: | |||
| 21 Aug 2020 | Episode 21: The Law of the Instrument | 00:47:00 | |
There's no evidence that the late American psychologist Abraham Maslow played hockey, let alone coached it. Yet his Hammer Law regarding cognitive bias seems well suited to an examination of how minor hockey coaches rely on so very few tools. Dean Holden is again the guest and he looks at this in more depth. Contact: | |||
| 28 Aug 2020 | Episode 22: Laps, Lines, and Lectures - Don't do 'em! | 00:37:04 | |
A mantra taken up by USA Hockey leaders some years ago in its new development program was "No laps - No lines - No lectures!" What exactly does it mean and what should coaches do instead? A discussion with Gregg Kennedy. Contact: | |||
| 04 Sep 2020 | Episode 23: From gym to ice | 00:48:17 | |
Over 20 years as an elementary school phys. ed. teacher and coach, dealing with hundreds of kids each day, have taught Jonathan Lloyd a few things about coaching. He takes those tools straight into the rink in the evenings as a competitive level minor hockey coach. What has he learned and how does he apply it to coaching hockey? Contact: | |||
| 11 Sep 2020 | Episode 24: The state of Ontario women's hockey | 00:46:17 | |
Nearly 20% of the world's female hockey players are in Ontario, governed by the OWHA whose head is Fran Rider. How does she see the current state of female hockey and where it's going? What about the open boundaries that exist only in the women's game? A discussion with a woman who has been honoured in Canada and internationally for her contributions to women's hockey. Contact: | |||
| 18 Sep 2020 | Episode 25: "All in" - Vicky Sunohara: from Olympian to coach | 00:45:46 | |
University of Toronto women's coach Vicky Sunohara bridged two generations of national team successes as a player. She started with the likes of Angela James and France St. Louis and finished with players such as Jayna Hefford and Cassie Campbell Pascall. Along the way, in Olympic and world championships, she won 15 gold and three silver medals. Now in her tenth year as the head coach at U of T, she's brought what she learned as an athlete to today's young female players. Contact: | |||
| 25 Sep 2020 | Episode 26: "A better way of leading" - Dan Church | 00:49:41 | |
Since taking over the York University women's hockey program in 2004, Dan Church has established himself as one of the game's most complete and well respected coaches. His team has consistently been among the top ten in Canada and he's coached Canadian women's teams to golds at numerous international events, including the world championships. But it's his philosophy on coaching that both sets him apart and creates an example for coaches to follow. Contact: | |||
| 02 Oct 2020 | Episode 27: Grant has an idea | 00:44:51 | |
Minor hockey in both Canada and the U.S. is working hard both at trying to attract newcomers as well as retain youngsters playing the game. What then would it take to help ensure both objectives are achieved? Perhaps a simple idea - a rule - might do it. Contact: | |||
| 09 Oct 2020 | Episode 28: The Coach-Player Dynamic | 01:03:42 | |
The most important relationship in sport is the one between the coach and athlete. In minor hockey, the realm of children, teens and non-professional adults as coaches, it's especially crucial. Dr. Cassidy Preston, a former player and AAA coach and now a sport performance consultant, discusses this dynamic and its impact on him as a player and on today's youth. Contact: | |||
| 16 Oct 2020 | Episode 29: Now about that idea... | 01:07:08 | |
How practical would it be to institute a hard and fast equal ice time idea, as Grant Johnston suggested in Episode 27? Should it even be done? Dean Holden and Rick Ladouceur weigh in. Contact: | |||
| 23 Oct 2020 | Episode 30: What's happened to mentorship? | 00:58:10 | |
It's been over 20 years since the NHL/Hockey Canada Open Ice Summit recommended that a formal mentorship program was central to improving coaching and thus the state of our game. What's happened to that recommendation? A discussion with Ottawa-area coach, mentor, and coaching program instructor Ron Graham. Contact: | |||
| 30 Oct 2020 | Episode 31: Expertise vs. Competence in minor hockey coaching | 00:48:07 | |
Do we expect too much of our coaches? At what level(s) should we expect to see expertise in coaching kids? Is it even necessary. Jim Mercer, a Hockey Canada coaching program teacher, evaluator and instructor with a lengthy coaching background, steps in to evaluate what the game has and needs. Contact: | |||
| 06 Nov 2020 | Episode 32: Where are we with girls in sport? | 00:58:39 | |
Jane King has been a coach, teacher, and advocate for women in sport for decades. She's a featured speaker with the Coaches Association of Ontario and is a chartered professional coach with the Coaching Association of Canada. She pretty much has the pulse of what we need to do to involve more girls in sport, especially hockey. In this first of a two-parter, she examines where we are and where we could and should be. Contact: | |||
| 12 Nov 2020 | Episode 33: Coaching girls hockey - Jane King (Part 2) | 00:44:58 | |
In this segue from Episode 32 about girls in sport, Jane King discusses how to get them into the sport and coach them the right way. While coaching kids of both genders have certain commonalities, she says, working with girls requires some particular skill sets. Contact: | |||
| 14 Nov 2020 | Howie Meeker - A Personal Tribute | 00:14:23 | |
This podcast's first episode was an overview of what was going to be discussed in future shows. However, I used Howie Meeker and his book "Hockey Basics" as my introduction since I believed then, and now, that he was one of Canada's most important hockey teachers. During my earliest coaching days, I once had the good fortune to share an instructional session with him in Montreal. Some years ago, we reconnected, both of which I described in Episode 1. When Howie passed away on Nov. 8 at age 97, all I could think of was the magnitude of his influence on how hockey is taught, not to mention what I took from him. It seemed fitting then that I share with listeners some of what he wrote to me in 2006 as well as sound bites from the DVDs he sent me. Keep in mind he was 82 years old when he jumped on the ice with kids at his summer hockey school and recorded those sessions. Jeepers! Howie sure was somethin' else! Contact: | |||
| 20 Nov 2020 | Episode 35: "Where do I start?" | 00:26:04 | |
Gregg Kennedy is driving almost clear across the country, from Ottawa to northern Alberta, to take over a junior A team. In his 40th year coaching, it's a challenge he both welcomes and looks forward to. In this episode, he explains what his likely first steps will be when he arrives and what he needs to do to get a handle on the team. Contact: | |||
| 28 Nov 2020 | Episode 36: Do development vendors work? | 00:55:14 | |
In recent years, minor hockey seems to have been overrun with private skill development businesses or vendors. Most associations seem to have someone or some group running regular skills sessions with kids of all ages. They do, however, raise a lot of questions about what they do, how they do it, the cost, and whether these sessions truly benefit the players they're teaching. Jim Mercer, an OMHA development leader, coach and instructor, shares his views on the subject. Contact: | |||
| 05 Dec 2020 | Episode 37: BAM! How long does that take? | 01:10:57 | |
In October, the OHL was told by the Ontario government it could only return to play - without bodychecking! Was there any science behind that decision? Is hockey inherently more or less susceptible to Covid-19 than other sports? An American researcher, Dr. Stephen McGregor, completed a three-year study last spring for USA Hockey which produced some surprising results to address that question. Contact: | |||
| 12 Dec 2020 | Episode 38: Principles or Tactics & Systems? | 00:52:40 | |
The minor hockey world is far removed from the pro, college and even most junior worlds. Then why are so many coaches stuck on developing tactics when their players don't yet comprehend why these might or should work? Shouldn't we be teaching core principles of play built on sound foundational skills? Dean Holden returns to discuss this and examine what we should be looking at. Contact: | |||
| 26 Dec 2020 | Episode 39: Past - Present - Future | 00:18:52 | |
A brief junior sojourn. A late night development chat. A shot in the dark. The game through a different lens. And then there's pillaging... Contact: | |||
| 09 Jan 2021 | Episode 40: Back to Slave Lake | 00:52:26 | |
2021 at last! This first show of the new year is with Gregg Kennedy who last spoke from roadside in Thunder Bay on his cross-Canada drive to Slave Lake. He'd just accepted a job as head coach/GM of the Slave Lake Ice Dogs. Now, with a handle on the environment and team needs, he shares what he's seen and needs to tackle in this new hockey environment. Contact: | |||
| 16 Jan 2021 | Episode 41: The Goalie Coach | 00:41:39 | |
It's regarded as the most important position in the game. And yet, finding coaches to work with goalies is challenging, let alone unearthing ones who are skilled and knowledgeable enough to provide up-to-date instruction. In this episode, Richard talks with Stefan Nichols, an Ottawa-based professional goalie teacher, about what goalie coaches need and where to find them. Contact: | |||
| 23 Jan 2021 | Episode 42: How to improve minor hockey boards | 00:55:45 | |
Canada's volunteer-based minor hockey associations are the foundations of the sport. But how efficient are they and what could they do to improve? Is there a place for a type of board or board member training program like coaches, trainers and officials have? Former Hockey Eastern Ontario Executive Director and association president Richard Sennott discusses this. Contact: | |||
| 30 Jan 2021 | Episode 43: Preventing sexual violence in sport | 00:53:47 | |
What seemed to have begun in hockey with Graham James in terms of awareness of abuse and sexual violence has certainly not ended there. Sexual violence is ever-present, as we know from high profile cases, but has also been even more horrifying in the realm of sport. Two university hockey players, Amy Graham and Patti-Anne Tracey, are attempting to make discussions, awareness, and prevention more mainstream through a unique web site and series of lessons. In this podcast, they describe what they learned and how they're going about it. Their site is: https://x2017tet.wixsite.com/teaminsvp Contact: | |||
| 06 Feb 2021 | Episode 44: The Coaching Voice | 00:51:47 | |
Writers talk about their "voices." So do singers who have distinctive styles. What about coaches? Do we have voices and do they change - or should they - from one age group or level to another. Dean Holden, who has a vast background in coaching different levels and is completing his PhD in coaching, discusses how he approached it, especially in his earlier years. Contact: | |||
| 13 Feb 2021 | Episode 45: The World of Junior Hockey | 00:48:47 | |
As Covid has decimated nearly all youth activities, junior hockey has been especially hard hit. For instance, older players have been forced to end their careers early, denied finishes to last season and with practically nothing to show for this season. Trenton junior A head coach and general manager Peter Goulet describes the impact on his club and then describes his approach to finding the right players. Contact: | |||
| 20 Feb 2021 | Episode 46: The Covid Coach | 00:49:36 | |
Yes, minor hockey has been butchered by Covid, with thousands of kids unable to play or practice. A lucky few, especially at the more elite levels, have at least had some ice time. What does the future hold as teams, players and coaches look ahead to a hopeful fall. Oshawa coach Tony Stabile discusses what he's been doing with his AAA group and what the future holds for him and his players. Contact: | |||
| 27 Feb 2021 | Episode 47: Gaston Marcotte: the world's first humanizer | 00:52:20 | |
There was a time when Gaston Marcotte was considered one of the finest hockey teachers anywhere. Though not well known outside Quebec, his teachings, books and hockey school were regarded as vitally important foundations for how the game should be taught. Podcast host Richard Bercuson was at one time one of his instructors, an anglo among francophones. They finally reconnected late last year. Marcotte no longer teaches hockey. Instead, he has set himself a new goal. Contact: | |||
| 06 Mar 2021 | Episode 48: "Kool" waxes eloquent on girls hockey | 01:20:38 | |
At first, while hanging around his hometown Scarborough arena, Steve Kouleas wondered why there were hockey players with ponytails. Then he grew up, became a well known sportscaster and hockey nut and is now host of an NHL Live show on Sirius XM radio. Along the way, "Kool" watched the female game with awe, had two daughters, put them in hockey and saw what they - and he - got out of the game. Oh, and yes, he has thoughts on how to improve the female game, as good as it is already. Contact: | |||
| 13 Mar 2021 | Episode 49: The coaching interview | 00:51:16 | |
A mock interview with a coaching candidate launches this episode into a discussion about how to conduct these things in a minor hockey setting. One of the biggest questions addressed in this podcast is whether or not interviewing coaches is even necessary in most instances. Contact: | |||
| 20 Mar 2021 | Episode 50: Three statements that are development killers | 00:54:51 | |
Anyone who's been around minor hockey for any length of time has heard them, perhaps even used one. From the standpoint of halting personal growth and/or organizational development in their tracks, three common statements are at the forefront. How will minor hockey's leaders ignore them and move forward or, as stated in the podcast, learn to discover new oceans by first leaving the shore? Contact: | |||