Dec. 23, 2023

A Look Back at 2023 with Our Kids Play Hockey

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Season 1 Our Kids Play Hockey

Join us this week as we celebrate the year's end with heartfelt gratitude. The final episode of 2023 draws the curtain on a year of conversations that have been listened to around the world from Toronto to Nepal, uniting our hockey family across the globe. 

We revisit the standout moments that shaped our year, from Tim Cook's ethical quandaries in youth sports coaching to Dr. Alicia Naser's wisdom on emotional endurance. We highlight our top 10 episodes, each a testament to the diverse tapestry of hockey culture. These stories and interviews, interspersed with personal anecdotes, underscore our commitment to nurturing young athletes' growth, both on and off the rink.

As we hit the 200-episode milestone, our enthusiasm is sky-high, and it's all thanks to your unwavering support. We're thrilled to continue this journey, bringing new segments and celebrating the timelessness of our past discussions. Stay tuned for more insights and heartfelt stories as we skate into the future together. 

Remember, every download, every share, and every review you give us helps us foster the hockey family we cherish so deeply. 

Here's to another year of Our Kids Play Hockey, where every episode is a new opportunity to connect and grow with the sport we love.

Text The Our Kids Play Hockey Team!

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00:52 - Our Kids Play Hockey

10:14 - Top 10 Hockey Podcast Episodes

22:34 - Youth Hockey Communication Importance

34:53 - Celebrating Growth and Gratitude

44:15 - Kids Play Hockey

WEBVTT

00:00:08.333 --> 00:00:08.794
Hey, what's up?

00:00:08.794 --> 00:00:13.723
Everybody, we're going to do our Our Kids Play Hockey wrapped up episode today, where we look at the entire year.

00:00:13.723 --> 00:00:37.871
We've got a special gift at the end of the episode that we cannot wait to share with all of you but some really amazing stats this year that we want to share with you, because you're the ones who make this show completely possible and we want you to know how far the hockey community reaches, because so often the conversations that we have outside of the show are about you know, hey, listen, is this crazy, or I feel like I'm crazy, or this world is crazy?

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And it's so important that you know that this is a shared, shared thing that we do across the world.

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Some of these stats we share with you of how far reaching our episodes go are going to shock you but also comfort you and make sure that you understand that the hockey world is crazy but you're not, and that the fact that we have this show in this community, which you really have built and we cannot thank you enough for helping us build it really is a home and a place you can go to to feel some comfort, feel some understanding and to maybe even be crazy with some other people.

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So this is going to be our Our Kids Play Hockey wrapped up episode for 2023.

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It's starting right now.

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I humbly ask you once again at the end of the year you have not.

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Also, you've not done this already please head to Apple Podcast, google Podcast, spotify.

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Give us a five star review, rate us and leave a comment.

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Let everybody know how well we're doing, because that really helps us grow the show and lets us know that we're doing a good job.

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So we appreciate all of you.

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We appreciate you taking the time to listen to this somewhat short episode about our stats from 2023 as we head into 2020 floor with, again, a special surprise at the end.

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Here we go.

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Hello, hockey, friends and families around the world, and welcome to another edition of Our Kids Play Hockey.

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It's Leo Elias with Mike Benelli, and I love the situation I'm in.

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Mike has no idea what the topic is today.

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In fact, our producer doesn't even know.

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I am the only one that knows the topic today, mike.

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We're recording this in mid December 2023 and I have printed out some information here because today, mike, is our annual year in review podcast of everything that we've done over the last year as a podcast.

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Now not to be confused with our end of season review, when we all look at our seasons and the happiness and hell that took place.

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This is the end of 2023 review, where we actually end up thanking all of you, the listeners and the viewers by kind of giving you excuse me a hockey hockey our kids play hockey wrapped for the end of the year.

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So, mike, I'm going to share the stats with you to get in an honest reaction, because I don't think you don't know a lot of these stats and they're going to blow your mind Right.

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Are you ready?

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I'm good to go.

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Let's go, all right.

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So, again, in this episode we're going to be going over where we get listens, where we don't get listens, and then our top 10 episodes from the year, and we'll quickly go over those so you guys can go back and listen to those if you haven't already.

00:03:02.567 --> 00:03:06.110
So, mike, let's just start with the countries that have listened to us.

00:03:06.110 --> 00:03:08.627
Now, understandably, united States is number one.

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Right, we operate in the United States, we coach in the United States.

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Canada making a huge jump this year to 21% of our audience.

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In fact, statistically, chicago has always been our number one city, believe it or not.

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But this year, coming from way down the list, toronto joins Chicago as the number one.

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The people of Toronto are listening to this show.

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Canada, hello, it is good to see you.

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We're happy that we're valuable enough that we have earned your praise as the top hockey podcast.

00:03:39.800 --> 00:03:42.168
Well, it's got to be the largest hockey market in Canada, right Toronto.

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It might be the largest hockey market period.

00:03:47.447 --> 00:03:49.031
Well, yeah, that's probably 10 hockey markets.

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It's bigger than anywhere else, but Toronto is the biggest of the biggest.

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Yeah, and look, just going down the list, and this is in order.

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It says here number one is Toronto.

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So Toronto edges out Chicago, then Minneapolis, minnesota, new York, new York, calgary hello out there in Western Canada.

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Edmonton, hello out there in Western Canada.

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Philadelphia, pennsylvania, and then Brampton, ontario, and then followed by Pittsburgh and Montreal.

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Now this is the cool stat, mike, is that those are the top cities.

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We have over 5,000 cities listed as people who listen to this show and Toronto and Chicago only amassed 4% of our audience.

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So while they're at the top, it's a very small percentage of the overall audience.

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That's how large our audience is and how widespread our audience is, right.

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So even the top two cities only amassed 2%.

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Now here's the next one that goes on.

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Okay, countries that have listened.

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Top five United States, canada, united Kingdom, germany, sweden, finland.

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Then it goes to Japan, norway, australia, france and it goes down from there.

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Just to give you an idea, I looked up who are some of the lowest rated countries, like who's listening?

00:05:01.523 --> 00:05:03.581
This is the.

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I want to call them the bottom five, but these are countries that are listening.

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We've gotten listens in these countries Portugal, nepal, honduras, north Macedonia, nigeria, albania.

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I like it when I'm talking about that beauty model, Albania, somebody.

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You know what I'm talking about Slovenia, benin I think I said that right.

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Turkey listens in all of those countries.

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That's insane insanity.

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Here's another cool stat for you, mike Our podcasting hosts list six continents.

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I think that there's not heavy listeners in Antarctica.

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We have listens on all six continents North America, south America, africa, europe, asia and Oceania, which is New Zealand and Australia, and healthy listens too, not super small.

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Obviously, north America leads the way, and then Europe is right after that A lot of listens in Asia as well.

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So we have listeners all around the world, mike, it's pretty insane.

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I love that.

00:06:01.903 --> 00:06:05.865
Mike, your reaction to the global side of our audience, apparently people who are hockey all over the world.

00:06:05.865 --> 00:06:06.427
Isn't that awesome?

00:06:08.201 --> 00:06:13.913
Yeah, well, it just shows the power of being able to get on and use Spotify or whatever.

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Your go-to podcast platform is that you can hopefully find these listens anytime.

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Listen, that's the reason I love podcasting and podcasts is you can.

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It's on demand, so listen.

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We talk about all the time you're right to the rink, so if all these people are just driving to the rink, listen to us.

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It throws on for the 40 minutes and you know.

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Or your five-minute ride to the rink and you know, and get back on there and debate whether you think we're right or wrong or good or bad, but I listen, especially the people in the ball.

00:06:50.184 --> 00:06:50.927
Yeah.

00:06:50.927 --> 00:06:53.927
Even a listen is always a great thing.

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Well, mike, you brought it up about how people listen to the show.

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I'm looking at the stats here 52% of our audience listens on Apple podcasts, and many of you have left those five-star reviews, which we really do appreciate, on there.

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Another healthy amount of people on Spotify and then there's one here listed says unknown Apple apps, so I'm going to guess that's a split between Apple podcasts and Spotify.

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And then we have some listeners on Google podcasts and iHeart radio, and it's no surprise.

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90% of you listen on your mobile device all right, iphone and Android being the way to do that.

00:07:26.586 --> 00:07:27.689
Here's some cool ones, though.

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We have hundreds of listens, not like one or two Hundreds of listens via a smart speaker or a smart TV.

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So now imagine people coming home going hey, alexa, can you play our kids play hockey.

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Oh, is that what that means?

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Yeah, it is.

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That's cool.

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It's very flattering to us.

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I'll try that.

00:07:44.434 --> 00:07:44.975
You should try them.

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You can be.

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You can be added to the stats here.

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Can I do?

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Hey, Siri, just turn on.

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Hey Siri, turn on.

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Our kids play hockey.

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Mike is trying it live right now.

00:07:54.427 --> 00:07:55.971
Let's see if it's Siri responds.

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Starting, oh, starting, your workout.

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Oh, that's kind of what it is.

00:08:01.088 --> 00:08:01.589
I'll do this.

00:08:01.589 --> 00:08:03.720
Hey, Siri, play our kids play hockey.

00:08:03.720 --> 00:08:06.329
No, my Siri is not listening to me right now.

00:08:06.329 --> 00:08:06.629
Good.

00:08:06.629 --> 00:08:08.423
Play our kids play hockey.

00:08:08.423 --> 00:08:09.586
See if she talks back.

00:08:09.627 --> 00:08:12.824
That's good though, I mean, but that's pretty cool, but I like so.

00:08:12.824 --> 00:08:18.649
So so you're saying smart devices, that means you're, you're, you're going in and asking for it on demand.

00:08:19.572 --> 00:08:22.720
Right, so it's a smart speaker or smart TV would mean that you're, you're.

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You're either navigating it or you've said hey Alexa, hey Siri, play our kids play hockey.

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That's that's pretty amazing.

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Again, again, thousands of listens.

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When you add them together, that's cool.

00:08:32.659 --> 00:08:35.720
So look, look, with all these stats, we're not bragging.

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I think what we're trying to say is thank you.

00:08:38.332 --> 00:08:39.298
Well, I'm going to brag later.

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I mean this is great.

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I think this is we have a global audience and all all six listening to continents, continents listening to this show, which is amazing.

00:08:47.197 --> 00:08:52.331
So the cool part about that mic is it just shows there's hockey all over the world.

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All right, All over the world.

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It doesn't matter where you live.

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Hockey exists everywhere.

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And again, before we get into those top 10 episodes, I do want to thank this audience.

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You have helped us grow a major amount this year.

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We have been consistently listed not just in the top 50, but in the top 10 hockey podcasts.

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That's including all the NHL podcasts, the spit and shiklitz podcasts Henry Glunk was podcasts.

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We are on the same top 10 list as them, pretty consistently now.

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So that that's an amazing situation to be in when you think about how many fans each NHL team has.

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And it's all because you trust us out there and we appreciate that You've submitted your questions.

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We get, Mike and I get a lot of emails and comments, obviously on our computers and in person, from people who listen to the show and just want to have a conversation.

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They don't necessarily want to have their topics on the air.

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So I think that that's just an amazing place to be in, as as the hosts of this show that really just started with the idea with you, me and Christy, of let's just talk about hockey and the culture of hockey, and it's grown a lot.

00:09:52.720 --> 00:09:54.346
So there you go.

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Global audience really amazing stats, you know, Mike.

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What's another amazing stat is that we have almost this year doubled our total listens in our history.

00:10:06.509 --> 00:10:12.111
And now what's amazing about that is we've been on the air for almost, I think, four years right.

00:10:12.111 --> 00:10:14.265
So within one year we've grown that much.

00:10:14.265 --> 00:10:17.720
We've almost doubled our entire library of listens in a year.

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That means that the growth chart is a super pun intended hockey stick chart right now.

00:10:22.576 --> 00:10:23.679
So that's amazing.

00:10:23.679 --> 00:10:27.971
Let's get to the top 10 episodes, because I think that's what people are going to want to know.

00:10:27.971 --> 00:10:34.720
I did ask our host to give us the breakdown here, kind of all time, but also within the year 2023.

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So the number one episode should we start from the bottom and move up, or should we go from the top and move down?

00:10:40.000 --> 00:10:43.730
And I'll do the, do the do, the Dave Letterman top 10 list, top 10.

00:10:43.929 --> 00:10:52.506
Okay, so number 10 from this year, believe it or not, was episode 134, right, which we did a way back in May.

00:10:52.506 --> 00:10:57.091
What you talk to players, coaches and parents can learn from watching the NHL playoffs.

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I remember producing that episode because I remember thinking there's a lot you can learn.

00:11:01.129 --> 00:11:03.124
We had a good time talking on that episode.

00:11:04.967 --> 00:11:34.037
Yeah, and learning, I mean that was like that, because that opened a lot of doors for me saying, wow, you know I am learning, you know this is a great way for me to teach the little the kids I work with, like like this there's no more powerful medium for our kids right now, right Then, seeing what we're talking about, and you know, that learning process is so great, especially at that time we were thinking back to the NHL playoffs because of the excitement and the energy and the games.

00:11:34.037 --> 00:11:35.720
Are there just another level, right?

00:11:35.720 --> 00:11:38.642
I mean it's just so much other stuff going on, it's just a totally different level.

00:11:38.642 --> 00:11:44.211
That makes it, that makes it so fun to you know kind of use as a teaching piece.

00:11:45.072 --> 00:11:50.190
Absolutely yeah, and so and again, just so everybody knows, we'll link all these episodes on the episode description for this one.

00:11:50.190 --> 00:11:57.357
But if you haven't heard any of these and most of you, I'm going to assume, have listened to some of these but if you haven't or you want to relist and you can hear it, so that was episode 134.

00:11:57.357 --> 00:12:05.453
The next one which we recorded in May episode 140, just a few episodes after that, a guidebook to youth sports with Tim Cook.

00:12:05.453 --> 00:12:09.548
That was a great one because Tim Cook kind of wrote a guidebook for youth sports.

00:12:09.548 --> 00:12:10.409
Remember we had him on.

00:12:10.409 --> 00:12:11.072
He wrote that book.

00:12:11.072 --> 00:12:13.306
I have all these books around me somewhere.

00:12:13.306 --> 00:12:19.176
But we did a great job on that episode of really diving into kind of the ethics of coaching.

00:12:19.176 --> 00:12:19.998
I remember that one.

00:12:19.998 --> 00:12:20.720
You know Tim had written that book.

00:12:20.720 --> 00:12:28.629
He was driven to write it because of his experiences in youth hockey and again, I guess you guys got a lot of value out of that episode.

00:12:28.629 --> 00:12:30.712
Moving up, mike, you'll like this one.

00:12:30.712 --> 00:12:31.720
Episode 125.

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This is number seven on the chart Top 10 episodes of the year how to prepare for the next age level.

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You know where this one spawned from.

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We had just finished writing.

00:12:41.446 --> 00:12:45.649
When hockey stops, christy and I or I'm sorry it had been published.

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I was starting to think about a sequel and I thought in the sequel that the main character should be moving up to the next age level.

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So I said let's do an episode about that.

00:12:53.427 --> 00:13:01.491
So nine months ago we did that how to prepare for the next age level and I'm not surprised that's one of our more popular episodes, because it's one you might want to reference every single year.

00:13:02.624 --> 00:13:05.700
Yeah, and right now look and say how you doing Absolutely.

00:13:05.700 --> 00:13:23.475
If you listen to it if you listen to it then and your son or daughter was moving up from 10, you to 12, you this is a good time of the year to kind of look at that and say, wow, did I even look at that, I even consider any of those recommendations and which ones worked and which ones didn't, and chime in and say, you know what?

00:13:23.475 --> 00:13:25.720
You recommended this and this didn't help at all.

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Or you, know, or if you found some comfort in that.

00:13:29.264 --> 00:13:30.485
I mean, I think we've all you know.

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That's the whole idea here is we're all in the same boat and learning and developing on our own kids journey of moving up.

00:13:37.696 --> 00:13:38.221
You know.

00:13:38.221 --> 00:13:39.546
So I think it's you know.

00:13:39.546 --> 00:13:40.489
So, yeah, that was a fun one too.

00:13:41.182 --> 00:13:41.946
It was right.

00:13:41.946 --> 00:13:44.157
And again, I'm sorry that was number eight on the chart.

00:13:44.157 --> 00:13:44.720
I made a mistake there.

00:13:44.720 --> 00:13:46.668
So that was how to prepare for the next age level.

00:13:46.668 --> 00:13:48.384
So look, the next three is number seven.

00:13:48.384 --> 00:13:52.292
Six and five are all episodes with guests.

00:13:52.292 --> 00:13:57.230
I'm going to read them all three Episode 152, emotional endurance with Dr Alicia Nasser.

00:13:57.230 --> 00:14:01.110
136, playing top line hockey with Booneeves.

00:14:01.110 --> 00:14:05.350
And episode 120, how to find your players process with Scott Kelsey.

00:14:05.350 --> 00:14:06.902
Makes no mistake here.

00:14:06.902 --> 00:14:09.546
So I'm looking at one, two, three, four.

00:14:09.546 --> 00:14:18.187
Five of the 10 episodes are guest led episodes, which is pretty awesome because five of them aren't, which means that we're bringing a nice variety of topics here.

00:14:18.187 --> 00:14:22.490
But Alicia Nasser, booneeves and Scott Kelsey I remember all three of those episodes.

00:14:22.490 --> 00:14:23.945
They were all really good.

00:14:23.945 --> 00:14:27.700
Dr Nasser is kind of a sports psychologist for kids and pro athletes.

00:14:27.700 --> 00:14:30.004
Booneeves played for the New York Rangers.

00:14:30.004 --> 00:14:33.131
He has a training facility called Top Line Hockey up in New York.

00:14:33.131 --> 00:14:35.807
I've worked with him with Team Puerto Rico.

00:14:35.807 --> 00:14:38.679
Great human being really does a great job preparing kids in that area.

00:14:38.679 --> 00:14:43.700
And again, scott Kelsey, another author, how to find your players process.

00:14:43.700 --> 00:14:50.720
That was a great episode, just about meeting kids where they're at, which is typically the theme of whenever we do a psychological episode within hockey.

00:14:50.720 --> 00:14:52.042
But, mike, those were.

00:14:52.042 --> 00:14:58.948
I remember each one of those again, five months, seven months, 10 months old, you know so from really earlier in the year.

00:15:00.291 --> 00:15:08.864
And all three I follow on social media and follow their recommendations and what they're doing and kind of how they're impacting the world of hockey.

00:15:08.864 --> 00:15:21.446
So I've always and I've said this from the beginning I love having these guests because it's kind of like our ability to get the secret of their success too.

00:15:21.446 --> 00:15:36.956
And I think one of the things we don't talk about a lot is the off camera conversations, right, and having the opportunity to meet some of these folks and just leading up to an episode and there's a ton of gold nuggets in there as well- yeah, I agree, but nobody else gets to hear this.

00:15:37.570 --> 00:15:41.900
No, well, maybe we'll record some of those behind the scenes, put them out of some extra content.

00:15:43.172 --> 00:15:44.434
Whatever is allowed, whatever is allowed.

00:15:44.434 --> 00:15:46.360
The problem is these would be like four hour episodes.

00:15:46.770 --> 00:15:48.475
Yeah, well, and who has time for that?

00:15:48.475 --> 00:15:48.736
Right?

00:15:48.736 --> 00:15:51.509
So let's go up to number four here.

00:15:51.509 --> 00:15:53.277
So number four is an interesting one.

00:15:53.277 --> 00:15:57.490
So this is the youngest episode on the top 10.

00:15:57.490 --> 00:16:08.380
All right, now, the reason I bring that up is that means that this got a tremendous amount of listens in a very short amount of time, right, because when we get to the top three, those episodes have been around just a little bit longer.

00:16:08.380 --> 00:16:17.163
But I'm not surprised about this one, because I remember, when we put this one together, that we said, okay, this is going to be a really good topic that people are going to hear about.

00:16:17.163 --> 00:16:23.202
So this episode 142, how do I identify athletic talent at an early age?

00:16:23.202 --> 00:16:27.256
Right, I remember putting this one together, mike, and do you remember what the answer was?

00:16:27.256 --> 00:16:34.364
Because I remember I started this one out and I said Mike, tell people the secret of how to identify talent early age.

00:16:34.364 --> 00:16:35.399
Do you remember what?

00:16:36.044 --> 00:16:36.912
your answer was Well, it has to be.

00:16:36.912 --> 00:16:38.158
I can't, you can't.

00:16:38.971 --> 00:16:40.056
Yeah, that's what the answer was.

00:16:40.529 --> 00:16:41.432
I'm still looking for the answer.

00:16:42.134 --> 00:16:43.359
Right, we're all looking for the answer.

00:16:43.359 --> 00:16:45.495
We did go on for about an hour in that one.

00:16:45.495 --> 00:16:47.380
It was a really, really good episode.

00:16:47.380 --> 00:16:56.345
I've actually gotten a lot of emails about that one from people just kind of saying you know, thank you for saying that because I thought I was crazy.

00:16:56.345 --> 00:16:59.529
You know, we get a lot of people I do saying I thought I was crazy.

00:16:59.529 --> 00:17:03.500
I always say you're not crazy, you just exist in a crazy hockey environment.

00:17:03.500 --> 00:17:06.776
Right, the hockey environment, the hockey culture can be crazy.

00:17:06.776 --> 00:17:07.960
It doesn't make you crazy.

00:17:07.960 --> 00:17:10.154
Maybe you do need to be a little crazy.

00:17:10.154 --> 00:17:10.496
I don't know.

00:17:11.750 --> 00:17:23.854
I mean, I just had the conversation with somebody I was working on a project right now and the person's like, oh well that we understand that that person's crazy and that's a hockey person, but you're crazy, like, you're a crazy hockey person.

00:17:23.854 --> 00:17:26.171
I think we actually did an episode on that too, is that you know?

00:17:26.171 --> 00:17:29.919
I said, yeah, I am crazy.

00:17:29.919 --> 00:17:31.582
I'm a crazy hockey parent.

00:17:31.582 --> 00:17:32.443
There's no doubt about that.

00:17:32.443 --> 00:17:39.529
But you know, try to try to be in a rational place when it comes back down to you know pushing and shoving.

00:17:39.529 --> 00:17:51.017
But yeah, that's great, that's a good one, and I think you know, I'm glad people found it worthy of listening, but I hope they shared it and I hope they just said listen, you know how.

00:17:51.017 --> 00:17:59.401
You keep saying that your six year old is destined to be in the NHL, which may be the case, but remember that it's a very, very long journey.

00:17:59.401 --> 00:18:03.863
There was just an article out two days ago right, the kid that's playing for Pittsburgh?

00:18:03.863 --> 00:18:05.135
That never, you know, right Not?

00:18:05.419 --> 00:18:05.519
a kid?

00:18:05.519 --> 00:18:06.065
He's not a kid.

00:18:06.065 --> 00:18:07.601
Well, that way.

00:18:07.601 --> 00:18:08.469
Well, he's older, yeah.

00:18:08.971 --> 00:18:11.625
Right, but I mean just a whole journey that took.

00:18:11.625 --> 00:18:17.509
That's a different journey and if he and if I get you know he wasn't identified at 17 as an NHL player.

00:18:17.509 --> 00:18:20.509
So imagine you know how long it takes to identify talent.

00:18:22.135 --> 00:18:23.501
It's true, that was a really great episode.

00:18:23.501 --> 00:18:24.404
142 again.

00:18:24.404 --> 00:18:25.529
How do I identify athletic talent?

00:18:25.529 --> 00:18:27.115
I'm going to remind everybody again.

00:18:27.115 --> 00:18:30.529
If you're listening to this, we'll put it on the Arkads Play Hockey website in the description.

00:18:31.075 --> 00:18:32.529
Yeah, and listen to it right before tryout season.

00:18:33.473 --> 00:18:33.855
You should.

00:18:33.855 --> 00:18:35.642
Maybe we'll do a redux of that and do it again.

00:18:35.642 --> 00:18:43.308
And, mike, to your point, people did share that one because there was a clear jump in episode listens from number five to number four and it starts with that episode.

00:18:43.308 --> 00:18:48.348
To be fair, number four through number one really are very close, like they interchange a lot.

00:18:48.348 --> 00:18:54.416
Number one has a slight advantage over number two and three, but here we go, we're going to the top three now.

00:18:54.416 --> 00:18:56.281
These are the top three episodes of the year.

00:18:56.281 --> 00:18:59.823
Number three is episode number 119.

00:18:59.823 --> 00:19:05.180
This is another one Mike you alluded to it how to prepare for hockey evaluations and tryouts.

00:19:05.180 --> 00:19:08.490
We recorded that in February, right around tryout season.

00:19:08.490 --> 00:19:10.858
It was a great episode.

00:19:10.858 --> 00:19:13.509
A lot of it had to do mentally with how to prepare.

00:19:13.509 --> 00:19:36.375
But also, mike, I remember you going into some real, real wisdom, dropping a lot of gold in that episode about you know, knowing what you're getting into and not having like pipe dreams of where you want to be, but being realistic about where you are and that maybe trying out for 12 teams isn't the best option, right, and knowing the coaches and knowing what you're getting into so powerful episode.

00:19:36.375 --> 00:19:42.529
I absolutely expect that episode to get more traffic again this February because it was so solid.

00:19:42.529 --> 00:19:44.214
Again, some of these are evergreen right.

00:19:44.214 --> 00:19:45.397
They come around as you need them.

00:19:46.730 --> 00:19:47.571
And they're not changing much.

00:19:47.571 --> 00:19:55.509
I mean the same problems and tryouts that happen you know that existed 10 years ago are still the same here now, today.

00:19:55.509 --> 00:20:03.450
Maybe they're a little more sophisticated, and you know I'm at tryouts now where kids are getting gift baskets and you know like thank you.

00:20:03.630 --> 00:20:04.433
Are you serious?

00:20:04.433 --> 00:20:05.115
They're getting gifts.

00:20:06.011 --> 00:20:10.174
Oh yeah, come to our tryout and you get this gift pack and they're getting like.

00:20:10.174 --> 00:20:28.509
They're getting like it's like an entire, like, it's almost like you're like a reward for coming to the tryout and it's, honestly, in the world that I'm in right now, it's brilliant, like the fact that a kid gets in, you get greeted at tryouts, you get the team's hat and t-shirt and you get like a gift bag before even you're not even made the team On the team yet.

00:20:28.509 --> 00:20:34.529
You're not even on the team and you're probably not going to be on the team and, as we talked about that in the episode, the team was probably picked already.

00:20:34.529 --> 00:20:55.005
You're just funding those t-shirts and hats, but and the four players that are getting to play, but I think it's just like, but to me, like this is like, this is like, listen to it again, dig into it and then, and for evaluators and for parents, listen to it again and then say, ok, well, how can I make this year's tryout even better?

00:20:55.005 --> 00:20:57.518
Or a bear experience?

00:20:57.670 --> 00:20:59.036
You have just given me an idea.

00:20:59.036 --> 00:21:00.661
I'm going to put it on this episode.

00:21:00.661 --> 00:21:01.509
We're going to put it up on our network.

00:21:01.509 --> 00:21:12.362
I'm going to ask our audience via poll and our Facebook group our kids play hockey and some other groups, what is the craziest thing that has ever happened to you and youth hockey?

00:21:12.362 --> 00:21:20.820
And we're going to compile all of those and we're going to create a whole episode about that and I cannot wait to watch your head explode as we read those live on the air.

00:21:20.820 --> 00:21:30.124
And I was just having a conversation with some coaches last night about how hard it is to bring kids into the program because they're trying out for five teams and they wait till the last minute.

00:21:30.124 --> 00:21:37.603
And then they have allegiances to other teams and school teams and some of its business, some of its not, and it's a shame.

00:21:37.603 --> 00:21:41.637
So number three again how to prepare for hockey evaluations and tryouts.

00:21:41.637 --> 00:21:43.321
That was episode 119.

00:21:43.321 --> 00:21:45.237
It'll be there for you all the time every February.

00:21:45.237 --> 00:21:46.333
You want to listen to that one?

00:21:46.333 --> 00:21:48.963
All right, we're down to the final two.

00:21:48.963 --> 00:21:57.969
Second place, episode 126, the path to college hockey with the hockey think tank, which we actually recorded last March.

00:21:57.969 --> 00:22:03.509
Hockey think tank Our friends over there, another gigantic hockey show that we run with in this market.

00:22:03.509 --> 00:22:13.529
That was a great one with Topher and Jeff Levecchio Again, we've known them for a while just to kind of come together and join forces for that one really to talk about again.

00:22:13.529 --> 00:22:17.337
Again, Topher, the host of that show, has been played college hockey.

00:22:17.337 --> 00:22:18.540
He was a captain in college hockey.

00:22:18.540 --> 00:22:25.529
He was a ran a college hockey program at a very prestigious school that everyone on this show knows of.

00:22:25.529 --> 00:22:31.263
But that was a fun episode to kind of to kind of shoot the stuff with those guys on.

00:22:31.263 --> 00:22:32.086
Our kids play hockey.

00:22:34.215 --> 00:22:35.298
Yeah, and those guys are awesome.

00:22:35.298 --> 00:22:48.742
They have such a great breadth of knowledge and contacts and, you know, I think we fall around the same circles but we often have different takes on, you know, certain pieces of the game.

00:22:48.742 --> 00:22:51.671
Right, and it really is great, like that.

00:22:51.671 --> 00:23:07.766
Listen, I'm like that way if I'm listening to, you know, self help books or if I'm listening to a podcast on motivation and or podcast on training, like you just hear from a bunch of different people and you get different perspectives and you get little different pieces of wow.

00:23:07.766 --> 00:23:14.777
You know, I like the way he said that and it made more sense to me the way he described that as opposed to the way we described it, or vice versa.

00:23:14.777 --> 00:23:15.939
I get that all the time.

00:23:15.939 --> 00:23:19.583
I get people that like, oh yeah, of course I listened to all of this genre.

00:23:19.583 --> 00:23:21.025
You know, is that the right word?

00:23:21.025 --> 00:23:30.778
So just genre so so I listen to all this and and it makes me a more informed and educated hockey parent I'm like, yeah, well, that's awesome, that's what we want.

00:23:32.321 --> 00:23:32.943
No, absolutely.

00:23:32.943 --> 00:23:35.349
I completely agree with you on that and it was a fun episode.

00:23:35.349 --> 00:23:45.834
And, again, it was really cool to have them on because I remember, you know, when we started this kind of scene where they were at within the standings and you know again like we're running with them right now, which is which is really amazing.

00:23:45.834 --> 00:23:52.861
We love those big shout out to the guys over the hockey think tank Mike, we have come to the number one episode of the year.

00:23:52.861 --> 00:23:58.426
And this is the point of the episode where I tease the audience by saying do you want to know the number one episode of the year?

00:23:58.426 --> 00:23:59.711
And then we go to commercial.

00:23:59.711 --> 00:24:02.316
No, I'm just kidding, listen, let's just run through them real quick.

00:24:02.316 --> 00:24:08.422
Number 10 through number two number 10, what youth hockey players, coaches and parents can learn from watching the NHL playoffs.

00:24:08.422 --> 00:24:11.068
Number nine a guidebook to youth sports with Tim Cook.

00:24:11.068 --> 00:24:13.564
Number eight how to prepare for the next age level.

00:24:13.564 --> 00:24:16.401
Number seven emotional endurance with Dr Alicia Nasser.

00:24:16.401 --> 00:24:19.252
Number six playing top line hockey with Booneeva's.

00:24:19.252 --> 00:24:22.666
Number five how to find your players process with Scott Kelsey.

00:24:22.666 --> 00:24:26.362
Number four how to identify athletic talent at an early age.

00:24:26.362 --> 00:24:29.348
Number three how to prepare for hockey evaluations and tryouts.

00:24:29.348 --> 00:24:37.041
Number two the path to college hockey with the hockey think tank, and that brings us Mike to the number one episode.

00:24:37.041 --> 00:24:44.598
I'm going to ask our producers to put a drum roll in Mike.

00:24:44.598 --> 00:24:51.781
I love that this is the number one episode because I think it says everything about our audience and what we're trying to do here.

00:24:51.781 --> 00:24:55.868
This episode is over a year old.

00:24:55.868 --> 00:25:00.583
It was recorded in August of 2022.

00:25:00.583 --> 00:25:02.846
This is how popular this episode is.

00:25:02.846 --> 00:25:13.143
It has a large lead over the second place episode, the title of that episode, episode number 89, three things to say to your kids before they step on the ice.

00:25:13.143 --> 00:25:17.491
It is our number one episode, I think, now two years in a row.

00:25:17.491 --> 00:25:33.900
And I love it because, again, what that says about our audience is how much you care about your kids and how dedicated you are to being a great parent, a great leader, a great coach, a great mentor to your kids, because in that episode, we really dive down into that.

00:25:33.900 --> 00:25:36.786
It has nothing to do with scoring goals.

00:25:36.786 --> 00:25:39.672
It has nothing to do with really winning the game.

00:25:39.672 --> 00:25:43.670
It has everything to do with telling your kid I love you, no matter what happens out there.

00:25:43.670 --> 00:25:47.269
I love watching you play and put forth your best effort.

00:25:47.269 --> 00:25:50.662
Again, I get emails all the time of.

00:25:50.662 --> 00:25:51.787
I love this episode.

00:25:51.787 --> 00:25:53.173
I just listened to this episode.

00:25:53.173 --> 00:25:55.221
It's a number one, episode 89,.

00:25:55.221 --> 00:25:57.769
Three things to say to your kids before they step on the ice.

00:25:59.821 --> 00:26:00.563
Awesome.

00:26:00.563 --> 00:26:07.133
It must be the most asked question, or something in Google for parents.

00:26:07.133 --> 00:26:09.263
What do I say to my kids?

00:26:09.263 --> 00:26:11.451
Oh my God, how do I talk to my kids?

00:26:11.451 --> 00:26:17.191
How do I prepare my kids for the game or practice?

00:26:17.191 --> 00:26:21.084
Because we're holding the same boat, Especially if you never had kids like your first kid.

00:26:21.084 --> 00:26:30.974
I was describing to my little guy, my younger son, how lucky he was because his older brother was a complete experiment.

00:26:30.974 --> 00:26:32.218
I don't know what to do.

00:26:32.218 --> 00:26:33.500
He fell off the bed.

00:26:33.500 --> 00:26:34.143
I don't know.

00:26:34.143 --> 00:26:34.703
Is he okay?

00:26:34.703 --> 00:26:37.009
I guess Should we bring him to the hospital.

00:26:37.009 --> 00:26:39.765
The second one falls down the stairs.

00:26:39.765 --> 00:26:42.089
Come on, brush it off, Get up and go.

00:26:42.089 --> 00:26:44.682
But it's like, so that is cool.

00:26:44.682 --> 00:26:50.012
I mean, I would imagine that, and hopefully that changes behavior.

00:26:50.012 --> 00:26:53.617
Right, it changes parents' ability to breathe.

00:26:53.617 --> 00:26:57.060
Look out the car window relax, say.

00:26:57.060 --> 00:26:58.781
I love watching you play.

00:26:58.781 --> 00:26:59.743
Have a great day.

00:26:59.743 --> 00:27:01.268
I hear it Listen.

00:27:01.268 --> 00:27:09.517
I'm in locker rooms all the time getting kids dressed, getting my own kids dressed, getting prepared for programs.

00:27:09.517 --> 00:27:17.323
I'll tell you the one and I'll take credit for this on our because of our podcast, but I hear this all the time.

00:27:17.323 --> 00:27:21.132
I hear you know, we heard it from you know, changing the game project.

00:27:21.132 --> 00:27:32.182
We've heard it from a number of guests that we have like really seasoned hockey people and athletic people, and they all say it in different ways, right, and they all describe it in different contexts.

00:27:32.182 --> 00:27:47.452
But I love watching you play, have fun, enjoy being out there, be kind, you know, go kick somebody's ass, but just, you know, just but just, but just make sure you're having, you know, a great experience.

00:27:47.452 --> 00:27:50.462
And I think if you can just add that in, doesn't it help you?

00:27:50.462 --> 00:27:53.951
I mean, it helps me when I say that it actually relaxes me.

00:27:53.951 --> 00:27:55.423
It relaxes me totally.

00:27:55.443 --> 00:27:56.465
It's a reminder, right.

00:27:56.465 --> 00:28:00.365
It's like okay, you got to get your own mindset and take your own anxieties out of this game.

00:28:00.365 --> 00:28:02.862
You know, mike, I've had people come up to me at the rink.

00:28:02.862 --> 00:28:06.632
It's like you're saying saying, hey, listen, and it wasn't even like so much.

00:28:06.632 --> 00:28:07.758
I heard this episode.

00:28:07.758 --> 00:28:12.451
It was hey, that thing you guys said about saying I love watching you play, that was so perfect.

00:28:12.451 --> 00:28:14.056
That's exactly what I needed to hear.

00:28:14.297 --> 00:28:17.986
Because we do, because we do we just just forget.

00:28:18.406 --> 00:28:21.443
It's a way and sometimes when you're rushing in, you know get the helmet on and get out there.

00:28:21.443 --> 00:28:23.374
You know you got to take that extra second.

00:28:23.374 --> 00:28:24.143
Say it Now.

00:28:24.143 --> 00:28:24.969
Another thing about that episode.

00:28:24.969 --> 00:28:27.750
I'm pretty sure I'm going to go back and give that one a listen to myself.

00:28:27.750 --> 00:28:33.326
I'm pretty sure we also went over what not to say to your kids before they stepped on the ice in that episode.

00:28:34.087 --> 00:28:34.588
And that's just.

00:28:34.588 --> 00:28:35.069
That's just.

00:28:35.069 --> 00:28:38.835
That's just, as I'm afraid most people are here listening to me, you know.

00:28:38.835 --> 00:28:45.924
So I got to, I got to cover myself, but I think it's like, don't let that kid take your ice time, you know, get down there, don't, don't lose that battle.

00:28:46.066 --> 00:28:48.726
Yeah, so it sits you.

00:28:48.746 --> 00:28:51.161
you go out there anyway, you don't worry about the one, two, two, you play.

00:28:51.161 --> 00:28:52.083
You play to your game.

00:28:52.083 --> 00:28:53.185
You don't worry about what he says.

00:28:53.185 --> 00:28:54.229
So I did.

00:28:54.229 --> 00:28:56.890
But I think I love and I do, I like.

00:28:56.890 --> 00:28:59.001
Well, number one is I like the fact that people are listening to that.

00:28:59.001 --> 00:29:12.109
I like the people, that people are searching for that whether and they're finding us, which is cool, but the fact that people are actually actively thinking about that and saying what, what should I say to my kid Like I'm lost here.

00:29:12.109 --> 00:29:15.768
And then you, and then you find out and you hear it and you're like well, that ain't so hard.

00:29:15.768 --> 00:29:17.663
That's not like you know.

00:29:17.663 --> 00:29:20.170
That's not like you know pulling a fingernail out or something.

00:29:20.170 --> 00:29:20.760
This is easy.

00:29:20.760 --> 00:29:22.625
Just just you know.

00:29:22.625 --> 00:29:23.027
I don't know.

00:29:23.027 --> 00:29:24.811
Just say I love watching you play.

00:29:25.039 --> 00:29:27.006
Love watching you play, no matter what happens out there.

00:29:27.006 --> 00:29:28.269
I love you Give your best effort.

00:29:28.359 --> 00:29:33.544
I think we narrow those down to the three things and I'll tell you what your 16 year old gets very uncomfortable with that now.

00:29:33.904 --> 00:29:35.549
Well, that's why you should say it more right.

00:29:35.740 --> 00:29:36.544
You get very, very hard to.

00:29:36.564 --> 00:29:37.990
Sixteen is your chance to embarrass them.

00:29:37.990 --> 00:29:44.069
No, look, I really love that episode because of the impact it's had and the feedback that we've had from it.

00:29:44.069 --> 00:29:57.932
But I think, most importantly, knowing that, that, that our kids are hearing those messages is making an impact on them before they go on the ice right, and every kid should feel good when they go to play hockey right.

00:29:57.932 --> 00:30:03.069
Every kid should be feeling good when they're about to step on the ice not feeling anxiety, not feeling not feeling too much pressure.

00:30:04.021 --> 00:30:09.304
Yeah, and if you're a coach listening to this, you can interject that to the whole team, like you could.

00:30:09.304 --> 00:30:13.162
You can step in for the, for the parent in that case, right Cause you're in the locker room.

00:30:13.162 --> 00:30:17.050
You're the last line of defense for sanity, you know.

00:30:17.050 --> 00:30:25.226
You're the last chance for kids to step onto the ice in a positive mindset and I think that's at the ultimate end.

00:30:25.226 --> 00:30:29.040
It's like listen, whatever happens, guys, girls, we love watching you play.

00:30:29.040 --> 00:30:31.532
This is fun, like your parents should love.

00:30:31.532 --> 00:30:31.753
This.

00:30:31.753 --> 00:30:32.597
This is, this is.

00:30:32.597 --> 00:30:38.450
Even if they're crazy and they're throwing cones on the ice like they, this is the highlight of their life.

00:30:38.450 --> 00:30:39.111
It is.

00:30:39.451 --> 00:30:39.833
It really is.

00:30:40.759 --> 00:30:41.280
And enjoy it.

00:30:41.280 --> 00:30:48.911
And I don't know, as you hear more and more and you talk and people say you know it's, it's like you know, gone in an instant.

00:30:48.911 --> 00:30:52.222
Wow, Look, here's the deal, enjoy it.

00:30:52.222 --> 00:30:53.066
Enjoy the whole journey.

00:30:53.799 --> 00:30:58.702
Like my kids halfway through his youth is nine.

00:30:58.702 --> 00:31:01.881
I mean I can't believe how fast that happened, right.

00:31:01.881 --> 00:31:06.748
And everything I'm told is it's only going to get faster, it's not going to get slower, right.

00:31:06.748 --> 00:31:09.888
And now again, I'm not saying like the second he turns 18, I lose him forever.

00:31:09.888 --> 00:31:13.663
It's the same thing with my daughter, but, man, it's really put some perspective on it for me.

00:31:13.663 --> 00:31:14.768
You got to enjoy this.

00:31:14.768 --> 00:31:20.267
You know whether in here's the quality, mike, whether I'm skating or watching, I love it.

00:31:20.267 --> 00:31:24.951
And one of the things that's been amazing me lately is, you know, I'm 40 years old.

00:31:24.951 --> 00:31:26.786
I still play, still go there.

00:31:26.786 --> 00:31:32.001
I'm at the rink all the time, right, and you know, outside the odd having a cold or something like that.

00:31:32.001 --> 00:31:37.567
Even then it's like man, I still love this, I love it, I love being on the ice.

00:31:37.567 --> 00:31:41.625
It has never waned for me in terms of my passion.

00:31:41.625 --> 00:31:44.780
So I don't want to rob anybody of that.

00:31:44.780 --> 00:31:50.567
And here's the deal Most of us that feel anxiety at the rinks still feel the love for the game.

00:31:50.567 --> 00:31:53.708
We just kind of have to compartmentalize it a little bit when it happens.

00:31:53.708 --> 00:31:57.162
So it's a great reminder and, Mike, I think the point you just made is so huge.

00:31:57.162 --> 00:32:07.327
Why wouldn't you, as a coach, at any level, at any level, be saying, hey, and this is how I would word it I love watching our team play when we work hard.

00:32:07.327 --> 00:32:08.662
That's how I would say it.

00:32:08.662 --> 00:32:12.007
Right, because I don't want them to think if you guys are lazy and play horrible today, I love that.

00:32:12.007 --> 00:32:14.270
I don't love that as a coach, but I love it as a coach.

00:32:14.270 --> 00:32:16.943
I love watching this team work together.

00:32:16.943 --> 00:32:19.582
When we work together, I think it's a great message.

00:32:20.424 --> 00:32:23.428
You know, you don't think that these NHL coaches are saying that to their players.

00:32:23.428 --> 00:32:30.906
When there's dad weekend or mom weekend or parents weekend, and they're all, and they're sitting in the locker room like hey, just remember, when you walk on the ice, your parents are all here.

00:32:30.906 --> 00:32:33.926
They love watching you play, like they're here to see you.

00:32:33.926 --> 00:32:35.541
That's the highest level.

00:32:35.541 --> 00:32:37.288
These are multi-millionaires.

00:32:37.288 --> 00:32:46.384
You know, going out there and playing in front of their mom and dad, and I think that's I don't know, that's, that's that's sport, that's that's what it is I mean.

00:32:46.384 --> 00:32:55.468
And that's where you know whether you played well or not, or or was on the, you know, scored the game winning goal or let the game winning goal up.

00:32:55.468 --> 00:33:15.423
It's all part of the growth process and the journey and and we have to have that and we have to you have to say it to yourself in order for it to be true Like you have to remind yourself that it is a long, long slogging journey and it can go great and it could go poorly.

00:33:15.423 --> 00:33:26.917
It could go poorly for it, it could go poorly for a long time, but but the the light is, you know, you get to watch your kids do something that you like, or you get to do something and see the joy in what they like.

00:33:26.917 --> 00:33:33.761
Maybe you don't like it, maybe you don't like hockey, maybe you don't like 5am practices and cold drinks, and, and and crappy coffee and stale donuts.

00:33:33.962 --> 00:33:35.488
I call it, I call the coffee mud.

00:33:35.488 --> 00:33:37.301
When it's bad, give me some mud.

00:33:37.301 --> 00:33:38.946
Yeah, mud water.

00:33:38.946 --> 00:33:40.681
I think that's actually like some.

00:33:40.681 --> 00:33:41.384
Give me some of that mud.

00:33:42.307 --> 00:33:53.892
Yeah, and I think, but I think, but yeah, no, that's great, but that's, that's really cool, that's a that's a really high you know hitting episode and it continues to get listens even after, after a year or two.

00:33:54.220 --> 00:33:58.692
I'm going to say it's the only episode on the list, you know, not from this year, right?

00:33:58.692 --> 00:34:01.404
So that tells you something about the power of that episode, right?

00:34:01.404 --> 00:34:03.611
Yeah, absolutely, mike.

00:34:03.611 --> 00:34:05.840
So again, three things to say to your kids before they step on the ice.

00:34:05.840 --> 00:34:06.844
Episode 89.

00:34:06.844 --> 00:34:09.190
Still our most popular episode ever.

00:34:09.190 --> 00:34:13.545
Now, before we close this out, I got a couple more more stats and thank yous for the audience.

00:34:13.545 --> 00:34:14.208
You'll want to hear that.

00:34:14.208 --> 00:34:18.143
So this is a really cool stat and this is one of the things I love about our show.

00:34:18.143 --> 00:34:26.070
When we, when we set out to do the show, we wanted to craft every episode in a way that it could really be listened to forever.

00:34:26.070 --> 00:34:34.422
Right, there's very few episodes that we've done, mike, that are like, okay, this is only relevant for this month, you know, or this or this time period, right, they're.

00:34:34.422 --> 00:34:51.534
So this is a really cool stat, except for four episodes and we've done over 200 episodes I don't even know if you know that, mike Except for four episodes, every episode we've ever recorded to has been listened to at least once in the last 30 days.

00:34:51.534 --> 00:34:56.695
All right, and check this out All 200 plus episodes.

00:34:56.695 --> 00:35:01.702
Every episode we've ever recorded has been listened to at least once in the last 90 days.

00:35:01.702 --> 00:35:04.733
That is an amazing stat.

00:35:04.733 --> 00:35:17.534
Most episodes for those of you don't know podcasting most of them kind of die on the vine two or three weeks after they're recorded because you know they're relevant, like you wouldn't listen to a NFL podcast from three years ago about week 17,.

00:35:17.534 --> 00:35:19.181
Right, it's not relevant anymore.

00:35:19.181 --> 00:35:37.898
So that is a testament to you, the audience, that not only are you listening to the show, but you're finding old episodes from the show and, most likely, sharing those episodes with people in times of need or, as Mike said earlier, you need an answer and you're searching and we're popping up and you're giving us your trust and listening.

00:35:37.898 --> 00:35:42.905
But every episode we've ever recorded in the last 90 days has been listened to.

00:35:42.905 --> 00:35:54.563
I don't know what to say to that except thank you to all of you out there listening Also should mention that in the last year our kids play hockey expanded Again.

00:35:54.563 --> 00:36:00.742
We have our kids play goalie now, which is our monthly goal tending show, which is for all all audiences as well.

00:36:00.742 --> 00:36:05.945
We launched the ride to the rink, our little micro show, which we're getting a tremendous amount of feedback from the parents.

00:36:05.945 --> 00:36:10.443
Again, I think a lot of the reasons those are not on the top 10 is because we launched them kind of mid year.

00:36:10.443 --> 00:36:11.771
And ride to the rink.

00:36:11.771 --> 00:36:19.583
I've had so many of you come up to me and say, wow, it's so perfect for the kids, it's, it's exactly the amount of time that they have the attention span for.

00:36:19.583 --> 00:36:32.762
You know, we listen to it and then this is my favorite thing that I hear and then we discuss it on the way to the rink not the way from the rink, because the car ride home is not for coaching, right, but ride to the rink and and our kids play goalie.

00:36:32.762 --> 00:36:45.353
And then on top of that, recently we watched the, the wrap around round table mic where we're celebrating other small independent businesses and companies within the hockey realm which you, you have all gravitated to as we do those giveaways every week.

00:36:45.353 --> 00:36:51.269
I'm not going to lie to you, mike, we were a little nervous about that show when we launched it because we didn't want people to think you know we're soliciting or anything like that.

00:36:51.269 --> 00:36:56.103
But I get feedback on those like, wow, it's so great to hear from these, these family owned hockey companies.

00:36:56.103 --> 00:37:01.864
I'm sure the giveaways to help as well, if you haven't heard those, but people are really enjoying those as well.

00:37:01.864 --> 00:37:12.565
So again ride to the rink, wrap around round table and our kids play goalie all new to the our kids play hockey network, as we're calling it in the past year, so tremendous growth.

00:37:12.565 --> 00:37:18.346
I can't wait for 2024, mike, I mean it's just, it's just been really, really cool to see how this has grown.

00:37:20.101 --> 00:37:24.672
Yeah, I didn't realize there'd be so much math on this episode, but I think it's like it's a hockey math.

00:37:24.672 --> 00:37:27.034
It's a lot to take in.

00:37:27.054 --> 00:37:32.952
There's a lot of stats there we do more geometry and hockey than actual arithmetic, but that's why I print everything out, because I can't do this stuff on my own.

00:37:33.233 --> 00:37:34.961
But I think that's awesome, I think it's more.

00:37:34.961 --> 00:37:36.065
You know, the listeners are.

00:37:36.065 --> 00:38:03.851
The listening audience is great and you know I say this I think every episode we're on I probably hear back and get feedback from just as many people back to me about the conversations we have on the air here, and it just opens up a whole other avenue of meeting different hockey people and coaching and mostly parents I think mostly parents are the ones reaching out and hey, I heard this and what would you think about that?

00:38:03.851 --> 00:38:05.500
Now, that's a slippery slope, right.

00:38:05.500 --> 00:38:07.226
I mean, there's only so much time you can answer.

00:38:07.226 --> 00:38:14.545
That's why the podcasting is so great for me, because you can kind of broadly answer a lot of questions all at once.

00:38:14.985 --> 00:38:16.010
And you can share it too.

00:38:16.010 --> 00:38:17.467
You can say I recorded this.

00:38:18.103 --> 00:38:24.570
Yeah, because if you have an issue, right, if you're a parent of a nine-year-old and have an issue, most likely hundreds of people have that same issue.

00:38:24.570 --> 00:38:26.427
It's not like the first time it's ever come up.

00:38:26.427 --> 00:38:35.226
You know like, oh, I have an offensive rushing defenseman and the coaches don't like that, or what do I do?

00:38:35.226 --> 00:38:41.025
I'm like, yeah, well, everybody, first of all, people love that, I guess, but secondly, it's just everybody.

00:38:41.025 --> 00:38:52.244
A lot of people out there have the same issues and I think, as a hockey director, like in my past life, you know you almost listen to people and say, well, no, no, this is nothing new, this is just don't get like.

00:38:52.244 --> 00:38:53.509
This happens all the time.

00:38:53.509 --> 00:38:55.788
This is every weekend is the same question, right?

00:38:55.788 --> 00:39:11.577
So this is a great way to answer that and you know, I think anybody that listens to the show, that takes the time to send a message or write a note or to send a text message, great, more than happy to answer those.

00:39:11.597 --> 00:39:12.099
That's what we want.

00:39:12.579 --> 00:39:17.570
Because now that interaction probably means that there's other people in the same boat as you.

00:39:18.130 --> 00:39:20.304
Right, well, and Mike, to your point.

00:39:20.304 --> 00:39:21.568
I'm sure you're experiencing this too.

00:39:21.568 --> 00:39:30.148
I can't tell you how many emails, messages, phone calls and in-person meetings start with some variation of tell me if I'm crazy.

00:39:30.148 --> 00:39:36.784
But that's kind of how they always start with the cover Tell me if this is crazy.

00:39:37.802 --> 00:39:39.221
But this is crazy, is this?

00:39:39.260 --> 00:39:42.565
crazy and listen, just so everybody listen to here.

00:39:42.565 --> 00:39:47.248
If you have any questions, like Mike just talked about, you can email us at team at ourkidsplayhockeycom.

00:39:47.248 --> 00:39:50.967
You can submit written audio if you want us to share it on the show.

00:39:50.967 --> 00:39:52.331
We've had a few of those this year.

00:39:52.331 --> 00:39:53.324
I've really enjoyed those.

00:39:53.324 --> 00:40:02.222
You can always DM us online if you can find us and, of course, that Facebook community, our Kids Play Hockey, which grows dramatically every week.

00:40:02.222 --> 00:40:04.226
Right now we got a lot of people coming into that group.

00:40:04.226 --> 00:40:09.911
The conversations can continue there or you can just anonymously which I love post a question.

00:40:09.911 --> 00:40:13.706
We understand the need for an amenity, an amenity, an amenity animosity.

00:40:13.706 --> 00:40:17.068
We understand for you, the need for you to not let people know who you are.

00:40:17.068 --> 00:40:18.322
You know what word I was trying to say.

00:40:18.322 --> 00:40:21.865
You can go in there anonymously.

00:40:21.865 --> 00:40:23.766
There it was.

00:40:23.766 --> 00:40:24.382
Ask a question.

00:40:24.382 --> 00:40:25.942
Anonymity.

00:40:25.942 --> 00:40:27.224
That's the word I was looking for.

00:40:27.244 --> 00:40:31.985
Okay, great, do more of that and it's more fuel for the fire.

00:40:31.985 --> 00:40:34.726
Yeah, I'm going to say it too.

00:40:35.119 --> 00:40:40.144
Mike, as we said before, we have plenty of topics you and I want to talk about, but at the end of the day, we serve you, the listener.

00:40:40.144 --> 00:40:42.927
It's on you to have to, it's not on you.

00:40:42.927 --> 00:40:46.248
We would love for you to tell us more topics that you want us to discuss.

00:40:46.248 --> 00:40:56.590
And, above all, look, before I close this out, I really sincerely want to thank you for your trust in us as listeners and the conversations that we're creating.

00:40:56.590 --> 00:41:15.329
We are experts in the field, mike, but at the same time, we're just two people and I think that the real way through any environment with a group of people is conversations and community and making sure that you're just talking things out in, hopefully, a respectful way, which doesn't always happen in hockey, right.

00:41:15.329 --> 00:41:17.246
So I think that that's been great.

00:41:17.246 --> 00:41:19.987
New shows a lot of listens on all those shows.

00:41:19.987 --> 00:41:24.525
I cannot believe I'm going to say it again on all the six continents, and I wouldn't.

00:41:24.525 --> 00:41:41.788
I wouldn't be surprised if we have a listener in Antarctica when someone visited there, global audience so proud to represent the hockey community with all of you, with the podcast, with our book when Hockey Stops, available everywhere now I have to say it like that, right, and some of the other projects we have coming for 2024.

00:41:41.788 --> 00:41:45.690
So, as we always say, we're with you every week, every week of the year.

00:41:45.690 --> 00:41:48.608
We've done well over 52 episodes this year.

00:41:48.608 --> 00:41:50.179
Last year, we did exactly 52.

00:41:50.179 --> 00:41:53.608
We'll have to look up how many we did, because it's probably in the hundreds.

00:41:53.608 --> 00:41:58.168
And, mike, I've got one more surprise for you.

00:41:58.168 --> 00:41:59.954
Are you ready for that?

00:41:59.954 --> 00:42:02.126
One more surprise, actually, it's a surprise for the entire audience.

00:42:02.922 --> 00:42:04.706
Oh well, I feel so special now.

00:42:04.706 --> 00:42:05.449
But yes, let's hear it.

00:42:06.081 --> 00:42:07.025
I want you to feel special.

00:42:07.025 --> 00:42:08.907
Okay, let me Mike one more surprise here.

00:42:09.300 --> 00:42:10.344
Hello boys.

00:42:10.860 --> 00:42:12.222
Mike Christie's back.

00:42:13.123 --> 00:42:13.485
I love it.

00:42:13.485 --> 00:42:13.925
I love it.

00:42:13.925 --> 00:42:14.487
We've missed her.

00:42:14.947 --> 00:42:16.871
Yeah, we did miss you I missed you guys.

00:42:16.871 --> 00:42:18.353
It's so great to see you.

00:42:18.353 --> 00:42:21.309
So that's the surprise for everybody listening Christie is back.

00:42:21.309 --> 00:42:23.445
She's going to join us throughout the year here.

00:42:23.445 --> 00:42:25.342
The band is back together.

00:42:25.342 --> 00:42:26.105
We can continue.

00:42:26.144 --> 00:42:27.288
Band is back together.

00:42:27.568 --> 00:42:30.570
All right, we thought we were good being in the top 10, but now the Christie's back.

00:42:30.570 --> 00:42:32.065
We will remain in the top 10.

00:42:32.065 --> 00:42:34.445
So, uh, the smart host is back.

00:42:34.445 --> 00:42:35.166
Thank you.

00:42:35.166 --> 00:42:38.239
Yeah, chris, let's be honest, you do keep us pretty balanced here.

00:42:38.239 --> 00:42:40.179
There's just a lot, of a lot of man talk.

00:42:40.199 --> 00:42:42.887
Well, you know, once in a while I get a little emotional too.

00:42:42.887 --> 00:42:45.909
So, uh, I got to have that thrown into to make it work.

00:42:45.909 --> 00:42:48.128
So it's the secret sauce.

00:42:48.244 --> 00:42:49.414
You make the sh.

00:42:49.414 --> 00:42:50.967
You complete Lee.

00:42:50.967 --> 00:42:52.295
That's what you say.

00:42:52.295 --> 00:42:53.182
That's what you say.

00:42:53.182 --> 00:42:54.686
It's just like that.

00:42:54.686 --> 00:42:55.943
You complete us.

00:42:55.943 --> 00:42:58.367
So it's great to have you back.

00:42:58.367 --> 00:43:03.186
So, for those of you listening, that's how we're going to end the episode this little holiday surprise there to end the year.

00:43:03.186 --> 00:43:06.739
Uh, and remember, you can listen to all of the episodes we've done this year.

00:43:06.739 --> 00:43:13.007
All the top 10, all the ones we talked about on the ASAP is episode at ourkidsplayhockeycom or wherever you listen to podcasts.

00:43:13.007 --> 00:43:22.411
And if you would like to give us a little gift, christie, being back is the biggest gift, but please give us that five star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, uh, or wherever you're listening.

00:43:22.411 --> 00:43:31.367
But without further ado, wanted to wish you all a wonderful, happy new year, hope you had a wonderful December holiday and we will see you as you continue on your hockey journey into January.

00:43:31.367 --> 00:43:32.800
Take care, everybody.

00:43:32.800 --> 00:43:35.628
We hope you enjoyed this edition of our kids play hockey.

00:43:35.628 --> 00:43:45.088
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.

00:43:45.088 --> 00:43:49.851
Also, make sure to check out our children's book when hockey stops at when hockey stopscom.

00:43:49.851 --> 00:43:54.570
It's a book that helps children deal with adversity in the game and in life.

00:43:54.570 --> 00:43:55.672
We're very proud of it.

00:43:55.672 --> 00:44:00.012
But thanks so much for listening to this edition of our kids play hockey and we'll see you on the next episode.