If you ask young female hockey players what they worry about most off the ice, the answers often come quietly — or not at all. But the truth is, body image, confidence, and comparison weigh heavily on girls long before they reach elite levels…
As the hockey season winds down, there’s a shift that happens everywhere — in locker rooms, on benches, and even in the car rides to the rink. Some teams are gearing up for playoffs.Some are counting the days until the season ends.And s…
Every young hockey player loves highlights. Toe drags. Trick shots. The Michigan. The moments that make your teammates say “wow” and your parents reach for their phones. But when Pavel Barber — one of the most skilled puck handle…
If you’ve spent any time around youth hockey lately, you’ve probably seen it. A player pulls off a toe drag at center ice…Another attempts a Michigan from the corner…Parents cheer. Coaches cringe. Everyone debates. So whe…
Every young hockey player starts somewhere — usually with skates that feel too big, a jersey that hangs a little too long, and a simple love for the game. In this special Our Girls Play Hockey Mailbag episode, Olympic and professional hockey …
🚗 The Ride to the Rink Matters More Than You Think Many young hockey players believe their best effort starts when they hit the ice. But as Lee Elias, Mike Bonelli, and mindset expert Sandy Cohan explain on The Ride to the Rink, your mindset is alr…
If you’ve ever watched your child lose confidence after a mistake — or questioned how much pressure is too much — you’re not alone. In a standout episode of Our Kids Play Hockey, hosts Lee Elias, Christie Casciano-Burns, and…
Building a Legacy: How the NIHL Sparked a Midwest Girls Hockey Revolution When Bob Apter joined Our Girls Play Hockey, he didn’t just share stats — he shared a movement. The Northern Illinois Hockey League (NIHL) has transformed from a …
One of the most stressful moments in youth hockey doesn’t happen during a game. It happens in a tryout. Every year, young players hear words like identified, selected, and elite. Some kids get picked early and fast-tracked into special progr…
Every January, the World Junior Hockey Championship gives us a glimpse of hockey’s future. And every year, it also exposes uncomfortable truths about how the game is being developed around the world. This season, when Canada was eliminated by…
When Hockey Guilt Creeps In: Why It’s Okay to Miss Sometimes For so many families in girls hockey, the schedule alone can feel overwhelming. Practices. Games. Tournaments. Travel. Add in school, family events, other sports, and the occasional…
Mental Strength Starts Before You Hit the Ice If you’re a hockey player, chances are you’ve felt it before — that nervous feeling in your stomach on the way to the rink. Maybe it’s before a big game. Maybe it’s after a…
Reset, Refocus, Rekindle: Making the Second Half of the Hockey Season Matter The middle of the youth hockey season is a strange place. The excitement of September is long gone. The early wins or losses have settled in. Practices feel repetitive. T…
Why Mental Fitness Can’t Be an Afterthought In youth hockey, we invest enormous time and energy into physical development. We talk about skating mechanics, shot velocity, strength programs, and skills sessions. But when it comes to the mind &…
Building a Hockey Life Beyond the Ice — Lessons for Young Players For many young athletes, the dream is simple: play hockey for as long as possible. But what happens after the final buzzer sounds? What happens when the skates eventually come …
How Puerto Rico’s Women’s National Team Made History — And What Young Players Can Learn From Their Gold Medal Run When the Puerto Rico Women’s National Team stepped onto the small 3-on-3 ice surface in Buenos Aires, few coul…
Introduction: Hockey Isn’t Just a Game — It’s an Entire Ecosystem Most kids grow up dreaming of playing college hockey, the PWHL, or maybe even the NHL. But what they don’t see — because no one shows them — is th…
Train the Brain, Change the Game: How Kids Can Build Hockey IQ Every Day When parents think about helping their kids become better hockey players, the first ideas that come to mind are usually the classics: skating lessons, more reps, more shooting…
When you’re a young hockey player dreaming about playing professionally someday, it’s easy to imagine the bright lights, the jerseys, and the big games. What’s harder to picture is everything in between — the travel, the pres…
🧠 How Cognitive Training Builds Smarter, More Confident Hockey Players Featuring insights from cognitive-performance innovator Satoshi Takano Hockey parents hear it all the time: “Your kid needs more Hockey IQ.”But what does that actua…
The women’s game is changing — fast. And if you’ve watched the PWHL this season, you’ve seen it clearly: the game is faster, stronger, and more physical than ever before. On a recent episode of Our Girls Play Hockey, Lee sat…
Every hockey parent has had a moment where they look at the bench and think: Does it really take this many adults to coach a youth hockey team?For one listener, that question became impossible to ignore — and the letter he sent us started a co…
As families across the country gather for turkey, stuffing, and time together, the Our Kids Play Hockey crew is doing what they do best — sharing stories, laughter, and a whole lot of gratitude with their hockey family. In this year’s T…
Hockey Life Balance: What It Really Means for Young Athletes Finding balance between hockey, school, family, and personal life is one of the toughest challenges young athletes face. But is true balance even possible—or is it really about prio…