June 8, 2024

Leading The University of Michigan Women's Ice Hockey Team To New Heights with Head Coach Jenna Trubiano

In this week's episode of "Our Kids Play Hockey," hosts Lee Elias, Christy Casciano-Burns, and Mike Bonelli welcome Jenna Trubiano, head coach of the University of Michigan Women’s ACHA Division I hockey team. Jenna shares her inspiring journey from a late-start youth player to leading one of the most promising women's club hockey programs in the country.

Key Topics Covered:

Jenna's Hockey Journey: Discover how Jenna went from learning to skate at age nine to becoming the head coach at her alma mater, the University of Michigan.
Challenges and Triumphs: Jenna discusses the unique challenges of leading a club hockey program and the incredible accomplishments of her team, both on and off the ice.
Academic Excellence: Learn about the balance and importance of academics within the Michigan program and how Jenna emphasizes education alongside hockey.
Building a Culture: Insight into the culture of commitment, community outreach, and collaboration that Jenna has instilled in her team.
The Future of Women's Hockey: Jenna's thoughts on the growing opportunities in women's hockey, the impact of the PWHL, and the demand for a Division I NCAA women’s program in Michigan.
Advice for Aspiring Players: Practical tips for young athletes on how to stand out in the recruitment process and the importance of taking ownership of their journey.

This episode with Jenna Trubiano highlights the dedication, passion, and hard work required to build a successful women's club hockey program. Jenna's story is a testament to the power of perseverance and the importance of creating opportunities for female athletes. Whether you're a player, parent, or coach, Jenna's insights offer valuable lessons on leadership, community involvement, and the future of women's hockey.

Text The Our Kids Play Hockey Team!

We're powered by NHL Sense Arena!

NHL Sense Arena, is a virtual reality training game designed specifically to improve hockey sense and IQ for both players and goalies. Experience the next generation of off-ice training in VR with over 100+ drills and training plans curated from top coaches and players.

Use Code "HockeyNeverStops" at Hockey.SenseArena.com to score $50 off an annual plan!

Have A Topic You Want Us To Cover? Let us know!

Please Be Sure To Subscribe & Leave A Review For Us On Apple Podcasts, doing so helps our show grow!

Follow Us On Social Media:

00:51 - Women's Hockey and Academic Excellence

15:18 - The Role of Female Coaches

25:24 - Boosting Women's Hockey Identity at Michigan

37:42 - Parental Guidance in Youth Sports

43:54 - Character and Community in Hockey

53:53 - Women's Hockey Growth and Impact

WEBVTT

00:00:07.894 --> 00:00:14.471
Hello hockey friends and families around the world, and welcome to another edition of Our Kids Play Hockey, powered by NHL Sensorina.

00:00:14.471 --> 00:00:18.992
I'm Lee Elias, with Mike Benelli and Christy Casciano-Burns, and our guest today is a great one.

00:00:18.992 --> 00:00:24.827
We have the head coach of the University of Michigan Women's Division I hockey team, jenna Trubiano, joining us today.

00:00:24.827 --> 00:00:34.609
Michigan native Coach Trubiano was a previous player and captain of the Wolverines from 2013 to 2017, before being named an assistant coach after graduating.

00:00:34.609 --> 00:00:37.128
She took over the head coaching duties in 2021.

00:00:37.128 --> 00:00:40.509
Ladies and gentlemen, please join me in welcoming Coach Trubiano to the show today.

00:00:40.509 --> 00:00:42.728
Jenna, welcome to Our Kids Play Hockey.

00:00:43.420 --> 00:00:44.243
Thank you for having me.

00:00:44.243 --> 00:00:45.067
I'm super excited.

00:00:45.560 --> 00:00:50.121
We are super excited to have you and, as we do in most episodes, we have to start with the origin story.

00:00:50.121 --> 00:01:00.401
You had an extremely Michigan hockey journey as a youth athlete, having played for the Bell Tire team and Little Caesars organizations before joining University of Michigan as a freshman for it.

00:01:00.401 --> 00:01:08.432
I don't know if there's a more Detroit or Michigan-based path in hockey, but tell us about how the game found you and that journey overall.

00:01:09.072 --> 00:01:10.875
Yeah, that's a great question.

00:01:10.875 --> 00:01:15.085
So I didn't come from a hockey family.

00:01:15.085 --> 00:01:16.269
I actually started pretty late.

00:01:16.269 --> 00:01:22.433
I started skating when I was 9 or 10.

00:01:27.653 --> 00:01:32.600
And yeah, pretty uncommon and impossible.

00:01:32.620 --> 00:01:32.941
No, just go ahead.

00:01:32.941 --> 00:01:43.674
Yeah, it was, uh, like I didn't really realize it until I was and learned to skate and I was watching the red wings and I told my dad I want to play hockey and he's like, well, you got to learn how to skate and he didn't play hockey and my mom and my older brother didn't play hockey.

00:01:43.674 --> 00:01:54.945
So we went to Mount Clemens Ice Arena and I picked it up pretty quickly and I fell in love with it and tried out for the Mount Clemens Wolves and made the team.

00:01:54.945 --> 00:02:20.780
My name was the last one on the list and that's when I realized, you know, I wanted to continue playing hockey and I worked my way up, played for Veltire, like you mentioned, and my first year of 16s I tried out for Little Caesars and had a really great tryout and I was offered a spot and I accepted the offer and that's when I realized that, okay, I can play hockey in college.

00:02:20.780 --> 00:02:22.304
Like I came to that realization.

00:02:22.304 --> 00:02:26.181
It was top, I think, three program at the time in the nation.

00:02:26.181 --> 00:02:28.727
They had just won a national championship at that level.

00:02:28.727 --> 00:02:31.673
And yeah, it was.

00:02:31.919 --> 00:02:40.331
That was really it and kind of going through the recruiting process and I'm sure it'll come up, but there's no division one women's ice hockey programs in the state of Michigan.

00:02:40.979 --> 00:03:03.606
Wayne State did have a program until 2011, which was the end of my sophomore year of high school, and they actually played at the rink that we played at Detroit, but they folded, you know, right in front of our face and at that level a lot of the kids and the students and the women are looking to play Division One hockey or Division III hockey.

00:03:04.468 --> 00:03:15.603
And for me, academics was always number one and I, you know, I wasn't committed to Wisconsin, I wasn't committed to Minnesota, I didn't really.

00:03:15.603 --> 00:03:31.687
I looked at Ohio State, but that's another story and for me, like I really didn't want to sacrifice my academics just to play hockey and ironically, I grew up a Michigan State fan, so I'd never been to Ann Arbor and I applied to Michigan.

00:03:31.687 --> 00:03:39.229
I got in and by that time, senior year, I knew exactly what I wanted in a school and then I found out there was a women's ice hockey program.

00:03:39.229 --> 00:03:44.372
So it was very much a reverse path for me to get to Michigan.

00:03:44.372 --> 00:03:49.931
But kind of, as you talked about my background, like I think everything happened that was supposed to happen.

00:03:49.931 --> 00:03:55.450
So that's just a little bit about my background and I'm obviously still in Ann Arbor.

00:03:55.551 --> 00:03:58.420
So yeah, I gotta hit the pause button rewind.

00:03:58.420 --> 00:04:01.807
Did you say no Division One programs for women?

00:04:01.807 --> 00:04:02.990
Did I hear that?

00:04:03.409 --> 00:04:03.631
right.

00:04:03.631 --> 00:04:05.554
Yes, that is correct.

00:04:07.621 --> 00:04:10.068
How is that even possible this day and age?

00:04:10.068 --> 00:04:11.472
How is that possible?

00:04:12.800 --> 00:04:12.941
I.

00:04:12.941 --> 00:04:26.574
You know I wasn't around when some decisions were made, but there are seven men's Division One ice hockey programs in the state of Michigan at the NCAA level and currently zero for women.

00:04:26.574 --> 00:04:37.002
And Michigan has the largest discrepancy Um all the other major markets, such as Minnesota, massachusetts, new York, are all about.

00:04:37.002 --> 00:04:39.286
You know even.

00:04:40.146 --> 00:04:41.149
Yeah.

00:04:41.149 --> 00:04:46.016
I gotta tell you you the D1 programs do recruit heavily in Michigan.

00:04:46.016 --> 00:04:51.432
When my daughter played, there were a couple of young women from Michigan on the team.

00:04:51.432 --> 00:04:57.052
Obviously they're leaving your state because you don't have that program.

00:04:57.052 --> 00:05:00.069
So you would think somebody would wake up and see that.

00:05:01.980 --> 00:05:07.473
Yeah, big thing for me is education and advocating, so I'm happy to be on here.

00:05:08.062 --> 00:05:10.932
Continue to talk well, let's advocate, right, guys?

00:05:10.932 --> 00:05:18.821
I think it's it's not jenna's fault, obviously, that there's no division, one women's hockey, but I mean being, I think, one of the ways to step towards that.

00:05:18.821 --> 00:05:23.927
Looking at your you guys instagram posts and having, uh, how many is it?

00:05:23.927 --> 00:05:43.761
Uh, academic, all Americans, I mean it must be a culture then, right, cause you're, you're, you know, christie just brought up the recruitment process and going to a school Now on the men's side, is traditional at those big schools Michigan, boston college, boston university Like you know, you're getting recruited because it's really become a minor league for pros, right?

00:05:43.781 --> 00:05:49.728
So a lot, a lot of guys will say, oh, you come to Michigan, spend a year or two, go sign a pro contract.

00:05:49.728 --> 00:05:59.305
Now you're playing pro On the women's side, although it's growing right with the PWHL and there's opportunities to play pro hockey at the next level.

00:05:59.305 --> 00:06:10.492
But academically, like to your point, michigan is such a strong institution academically and what you've done with your own student athletes there, with all these academic All-Americans.

00:06:10.492 --> 00:06:19.067
Maybe can you talk a little bit about that culture then that you've built without needing the Division I piece hanging there.

00:06:19.067 --> 00:06:31.916
You know, the fact is, obviously these young ladies are committed to being great hockey players, but also understanding how important that Michigan diploma is.

00:06:33.221 --> 00:07:00.187
Yeah, it's, I think, very similar to the mentality that I had, and something I think about when I go out and recruit is that I didn't know Michigan was an opportunity for me to play hockey at any level, like I really had crossed off all the schools in the state because I was educated by my coaches who I was looking to guidance for that.

00:07:00.187 --> 00:07:21.853
These are the NCAA options Like this is what we see you pursuing, and I mean 10 years ago the PWHL didn't exist and I always had the mindset and fortunately in my upbringing, like my academics, like that was going to carry me as a female in the workforce.

00:07:21.853 --> 00:07:24.182
It was, you know, the connections I made in school.

00:07:24.182 --> 00:07:29.793
It wasn't the fact that I played hockey, it was, you know, everything in the classroom and beyond.

00:07:29.793 --> 00:07:44.668
So that really helped narrow my search and for me, part of what I want to do as a head coach of our program is make sure that women in the same position that I was in.

00:07:44.728 --> 00:08:14.906
So maybe, like looking at some smaller D1 schools, like obviously the top kids go to the top programs, but there's this huge population of other students and you see it in the ACHA in general, like ACHA hockey is really really good hockey and we have two players on our roster last season that transferred from NCAA Division I programs to come to Michigan for the academics and then hockey was a bonus for them, like I'm sure it played a part in their process in deciding of, maybe, where to go to school.

00:08:14.906 --> 00:08:29.196
But it's a huge draw for those students that you know aren't recruited to Wisconsin, minnesota, ohio State, that want that big school experience and maybe their offers are smaller schools but they want to be able to have that big 10 experience.

00:08:29.196 --> 00:08:40.913
They want a more urban campus, they want to be 20 minutes from the airport, you know, four hours from Chicago, like all of those things factor into where students are deciding to go to school.

00:08:41.840 --> 00:08:58.450
Can I just follow up on that last question, lee, because you mentioned, like even your own coaches didn't even bring up the ACHA, which most don't Like, like I think a lot of us as coaches get the ego that well, if they're not going to NCAA, then really there's no other really alternatives.

00:08:58.450 --> 00:09:09.206
But what we forget and obviously I think even the kids that I advise and work with, like you got to think about, unless you're going pro and you know you're on a pro when you're 15, like you, you, you, you.

00:09:09.206 --> 00:09:12.126
I mean we've had a lot of, you know, obviously, late bloomers.

00:09:12.126 --> 00:09:23.169
But unless you're going to make a career out of hockey, then the first objective has to be well, if hockey can fit into the greatest academic experience I can have, that's my number one goal.

00:09:23.169 --> 00:09:24.192
So I mean what?

00:09:24.312 --> 00:09:24.432
So?

00:09:24.432 --> 00:09:25.695
What is your like?

00:09:25.695 --> 00:09:34.996
Is that an easy pitch then for you If somebody says, hey, I'm going to so-and-so, I could go to NCAA, division one school, so-and-so, but it's not Michigan, you know it's not Michigan.

00:09:34.996 --> 00:09:38.966
So how do like, what is that discussions like, sound like for you?

00:09:38.966 --> 00:09:49.471
Uh, when, when you have these girls in the, in the um, in the hockey office, or on the phone, or in your recruiting process of you know.

00:09:49.471 --> 00:09:58.048
Guess what we do here looks like NCAA Division I, except you know we're not going to win a national championship.

00:10:00.400 --> 00:10:07.351
Yeah, I think back to my own experience and Michigan recruits for itself.

00:10:07.351 --> 00:10:11.191
There's no lack of interest in the University of Michigan.

00:10:11.191 --> 00:10:27.337
The University of Michigan had over, I think, 100,000 applicants for first year students this past year, which is the most they've ever had, which also presents challenges for our program and other non varsity programs, because I have no pull on the admissions process for our program and other non-varsity programs.

00:10:27.337 --> 00:10:38.692
Because I have no pull on the admissions process, so I can have a 4.0 student that's, you know, top of her class, and she still gets waitlisted and there's nothing I can do.

00:10:38.692 --> 00:10:44.150
So it presents challenges and for a lot of these students, if they get into Michigan they will come to Michigan.

00:10:44.230 --> 00:11:01.691
But the biggest barrier for us is the admissions process and when students reach out to me, we are getting more and more interest, it seems, every season because of how successful our program has been on the ice and also our presence on social media, which is a huge tool for us.

00:11:01.691 --> 00:11:06.061
But ultimately it's those kids that are top of their class.

00:11:06.061 --> 00:11:07.344
It's a very niche community.

00:11:07.344 --> 00:11:07.946
It's okay.

00:11:07.985 --> 00:11:34.509
I need an elite female hockey player top of her class, amazing extracurriculars, things that set her apart from other students at her school that might be applying to Michigan, like all of those things are really what I'm looking for, and, at the elite levels and, having played at the AAA level myself, sometimes those extracurriculars, there's just not enough time for it.

00:11:34.509 --> 00:11:44.302
So we get a lot of interest from, you know, students that might have done like a post-grad year and they're taking classes elsewhere.

00:11:44.302 --> 00:11:55.931
And we have, I think, next year we haven't announced it yet, but we have three transfer students joining us that have done a post-grad year or have gone to school somewhere else, that have applied to transfer to Michigan and have gotten in.

00:11:55.931 --> 00:12:07.827
So I don't have access to the portal, but there are ways to get creative with it and I think that's what our recruitment model is going to look like, because Michigan is so competitive.

00:12:07.827 --> 00:12:12.307
But to go back to your question, this is as good as the portal.

00:12:12.788 --> 00:12:13.109
Trust me.

00:12:16.022 --> 00:12:17.508
But I mean, and your social media.

00:12:18.803 --> 00:12:29.721
I know Caitlin could probably post it, but your social media is awesome, so whoever does that and gets your girls doing what they do, it's an awesome follow if you have a chance to follow them.

00:12:30.261 --> 00:12:33.870
Yeah, they're great and I'm so glad that you gave them a shout out.

00:12:33.870 --> 00:12:43.162
I started the Instagram back in 2013 myself, but I'm still trying to navigate the reels and focus on the coaching side of things.

00:12:43.162 --> 00:12:50.274
But we've got two great people with Sophie and Carly that have kind of taken on that role and grow our program on the social media.

00:12:50.860 --> 00:12:51.643
It's so fun.

00:12:51.643 --> 00:12:52.244
You know that.

00:12:52.244 --> 00:12:53.486
That's the fun aspect of it.

00:12:53.486 --> 00:13:01.210
I'm curious, jenna, did you have any women coaches through your, you know, youth hockey journey?

00:13:01.210 --> 00:13:09.120
Were they role models for you journey?

00:13:09.120 --> 00:13:09.881
Were they role models for you?

00:13:09.881 --> 00:13:15.916
Because now, seeing you as head coach, that is so important because young girls can look at you and say look what I can do, I can be her.

00:13:15.916 --> 00:13:21.908
I know my daughter didn't have any women head coaches.

00:13:21.908 --> 00:13:33.761
There were a couple of assistant coaches which were great for her because they're the ones who really pulled her aside and said you have talent, you can play college hockey.

00:13:33.761 --> 00:13:39.734
The men never said that to her, it was the women coaches, jen and Kristen.

00:13:39.734 --> 00:13:41.601
Thank you for that, by the way, if they're listening.

00:13:41.601 --> 00:13:46.950
I was just curious did you have role models growing up through the hockey years?

00:13:49.234 --> 00:13:56.667
I love this question but I don't love my answer because I never had a female head coach Growing up.

00:13:56.667 --> 00:13:59.472
I had two female assistant coaches.

00:13:59.472 --> 00:14:16.831
So actually one of my learn to skate instructors was a coach of the team that I tried out for and made, and I do think she played a part in me earning a role on that team, because if I hadn't made that team, I think I I don't even know what would have happened.

00:14:16.831 --> 00:14:18.687
I don't really have a backup option.

00:14:21.380 --> 00:14:23.548
Your story sounds just like Sophia over here yeah.

00:14:25.081 --> 00:14:34.014
Yeah, yeah, um, and I think for me something that I'm learning, um, and I just finished my third season as a head coach.

00:14:34.159 --> 00:14:39.000
But kind of going back to what you talked about, role models, like I don't know what a female coach is.

00:14:39.962 --> 00:14:53.640
A female head coach is supposed to act like, is supposed to talk like, like I, I'm trying to figure that out and I've been fortunate to meet some really great role models within the last few years.

00:14:53.640 --> 00:15:12.850
And actually Angela Ruggiero's sister was one of my biology teachers in high school, so I met Angela when I was in high school, um, which is really cool and yeah, it's just really trying to figure out, like, how am I supposed to coach a group of college-age women?

00:15:12.850 --> 00:15:15.062
And I relate to them in a lot of ways.

00:15:15.062 --> 00:15:45.433
I had the same experience or a lot of the same experiences, but like it's, it's always a learning process, yeah, and I'm very open about that, or I try to be open about that with our leadership group and the team and our coaching staff, because I only ever had coaches that would yell at us and that was the motivator Like, oh, coach is yelling at us and throwing trash cans and he's angry, you know, um, and that's just not acceptable.

00:15:45.940 --> 00:15:51.490
Like it's not acceptable today from anybody, and we're seeing that now, but yeah.

00:15:51.580 --> 00:15:52.705
What's your coaching style?

00:15:52.705 --> 00:15:53.587
What would you say?

00:15:55.221 --> 00:16:00.149
I'm really big on communication, so I love communicating.

00:16:00.149 --> 00:16:18.456
I think collaborating is really important as well, because I can, in my mind, think something works, but if the team, for some reason, isn't able to buy into it, I want to understand why they feel that, you know, maybe they don't understand something or they're not seeing it.

00:16:18.456 --> 00:16:24.986
So I'm really big on collaborating and communicating and it's a two-way street.

00:16:24.986 --> 00:16:33.044
It's not what I want for the program, it's what the team wants, and I think that's really important and that's a huge part of why we've gotten to where we are today.

00:16:33.044 --> 00:16:41.400
It's because the team the makeup of the team wants to be competitive, and I'm a competitive person and I'm going to do what we need to do to stay competitive.

00:16:42.364 --> 00:16:46.602
Well, jenna it sounds like you can write the playbook for how to be a female coach.

00:16:49.008 --> 00:16:50.591
So, jenna, I'll tell you a few things here.

00:16:50.591 --> 00:16:52.679
One is my, my daughter's seven years old.

00:16:52.679 --> 00:17:12.486
She plays and she has a a female head coach for her elementary school team and I'm just now seeing it through her eyes how much that means to her and how empowering that is for her and it's it's also awesome that her hockey journey is starting with that and not either ending or discovering that as a teenager or someone in their youth.

00:17:12.486 --> 00:17:28.853
So you know, I think that that's an important point to make to everybody listening just to kind of keep that in your mind that if you have a daughter that plays or you have young ladies on your team, that matters right to be able to see someone like you there that can have a conversation with you back and forth.

00:17:28.853 --> 00:17:32.886
It takes all of everybody, it takes a village to make it happen, but something to keep in the back of your mind.

00:17:32.886 --> 00:17:34.684
I also want to bring this up too.

00:17:35.080 --> 00:17:45.894
I've been coaching 20 years, from professional all the way down, and it all started for me at an ACHA school in a program that I was in the same position as you, running the entire thing.

00:17:45.894 --> 00:17:47.541
And I'll tell you what.

00:17:47.541 --> 00:17:49.165
There's three things I've learned.

00:17:49.165 --> 00:17:55.747
One is that I have one at the pro level and I have one at the ACHA level and I'm proud of both of them.

00:17:55.747 --> 00:17:59.181
All right One does not trump the other.

00:17:59.181 --> 00:18:00.364
Right Winning is winning.

00:18:00.364 --> 00:18:10.005
Number two is that coaches in your position, I believe, do a lot more from a 360 point of view than coaches that just coach.

00:18:10.005 --> 00:18:11.788
There's not a right or wrong in this.

00:18:11.788 --> 00:18:14.241
But this brings me to number three.

00:18:14.241 --> 00:18:31.148
A level of passion and dedication and understanding that you have to have to do what you're doing is going to serve you years beyond, and I think that for so much of my career I was bashful to say I coached at an ACHA school, and now I say it with a lot of pride.

00:18:31.148 --> 00:18:41.707
In fact, that jersey of the team I coach, which was also my alma mater there's a lot of similarities hangs in my office and I put it up and I tell people about it because I'm proud about it.

00:18:41.707 --> 00:18:47.464
So I just wanted to say that, since we had that conversation, that that I think what you're doing is amazing.

00:18:47.586 --> 00:19:06.349
I think that the job that you have to do is harder than most coaching jobs, from every single aspect, from recruiting to media and marketing, to the actual coaching, to making sure that you say communications there and you keep focused, because it can be very easy sometimes for the athletes to fall on a crutch with this as well, and you have not done that.

00:19:06.349 --> 00:19:17.730
You're a trailblazer in the space and while it is ridiculous that Michigan is in that position with women's hockey, it starts with people like you and teams like the Michigan Wolverines, who they are.

00:19:17.730 --> 00:19:21.263
They are the Michigan women's hockey team, division one hockey team, no matter what anybody says.

00:19:21.263 --> 00:19:33.607
So before we move forward, I just wanted to, I guess, proclaim that and tell you that and I generally mean this that I look up to coaches like you, right, once you get to the top and you're getting paid to do it.

00:19:34.230 --> 00:19:44.153
It is an undertaking and it's wonderful and it's hard and it's all that stuff, but I look up to people in your position that have made that decision to go back to spend a ridiculous amount of time.

00:19:44.153 --> 00:19:46.780
And again, people say full-time job.

00:19:46.780 --> 00:19:48.546
Right, this is more than a full-time job.

00:19:48.546 --> 00:19:50.701
This is your heart, your soul, your mind, your body.

00:19:50.701 --> 00:19:59.101
And then you have the responsibility of all these other people they're not much younger than you underneath you, and you all have to build a team and trust each other and find a way to the promised land.

00:19:59.101 --> 00:20:06.612
To me, that in itself is bigger than the game, so I just wanted to thank you for that before I get into my next question.

00:20:07.933 --> 00:20:08.394
Thank you.

00:20:08.394 --> 00:20:21.653
That means a lot and I'm super happy that you all asked me to be here today, and I'm really looking forward to the future of our program, whatever it holds for us.

00:20:22.314 --> 00:20:22.493
Right.

00:20:22.493 --> 00:20:26.229
Well, I will return that and say that we are privileged to have you on this program today.

00:20:26.229 --> 00:20:27.692
All right, now my next question.

00:20:27.692 --> 00:20:32.545
I'm pivoting here a little bit A lot of parents that listen to this show.

00:20:32.545 --> 00:20:35.672
When I was coaching, we wanted nothing to do with parents.

00:20:35.672 --> 00:20:40.942
At the collegiate level and up, we didn't want to talk to them, and I feel like that that has shifted a lot in recent years.

00:20:40.942 --> 00:20:53.605
I had the privilege of sitting in front of Dawn Staley, who's a championship NCAA coach, and I was shocked how immersed she is with the parents and she kind of took the approach of look, they're the most important people in these kids' lives.

00:20:53.605 --> 00:20:55.391
We'd be crazy not to speak with them.

00:20:55.391 --> 00:20:57.144
So she has a monthly Zoom with the parents.

00:20:57.144 --> 00:21:02.596
Are you involved with the parents of your players and how do you feel about parents in general?

00:21:02.616 --> 00:21:15.744
Yeah, we so, historically our program, we have never involved the parents in any way, right, and that has shifted, especially last year.

00:21:15.744 --> 00:21:18.150
Um, we started to do.

00:21:18.150 --> 00:21:30.568
We had some parents that wanted to help initiate some programming with the parents, just getting them more involved, because we would have parents show up to the rink and like we're like well, we've seen you here before, do you have a kid on the team?

00:21:30.568 --> 00:21:39.869
Like you know, like we don't even know who the other families are and, like you said, they're huge, one of the most important parts of our program.

00:21:39.869 --> 00:21:44.092
So that is something we have focused on, especially this past year.

00:21:44.200 --> 00:21:51.693
We've had some parent gatherings, like pregame gatherings at Regents Field, which has our weekly coaches show.

00:21:51.693 --> 00:21:54.189
It's on Main Street in Arbor, it's phenomenal.

00:21:54.189 --> 00:22:06.291
They're huge supporters and we get all the parents there and they do their pregame festivities and if the coaches have time, they'll swing by and say hello to everybody and thank them.

00:22:06.291 --> 00:22:23.589
But yeah, it's, I mean, times are changing and especially when kids, students, come to campus, you know, I like to have a current athlete with me or to be present so that we can kind of separate.

00:22:23.589 --> 00:22:38.730
And then obviously parents have concerns that maybe they don't want to express in front of their children and it's the other way around, like, maybe sometimes a student has questions for a current student athlete that they don't feel comfortable asking in front of their parents.

00:22:38.730 --> 00:22:47.309
So, yeah, it's, it's a huge part and, yeah, I'm very thankful we have some really awesome families involved with our program, especially the past few years.

00:22:48.011 --> 00:22:51.039
We have some really awesome families involved with our program, especially the past few years.

00:22:51.039 --> 00:22:59.766
Yeah, I'll tell you that now that I'm in my 40s, most parents just kind of generally trust what I'm saying after I present it to them.

00:22:59.766 --> 00:23:08.186
But when I was in my early to mid-20s coaching especially college and again some of these kids were a couple years younger than me that wasn't always so easy for parents to say, well, what are you doing with my child?

00:23:08.186 --> 00:23:22.496
But I'll tell you, what was funny is that when I presented the plan and I presented this is how communication and trust and all these things work on the team there was there was extreme acceptance of okay, this, this young person has it together, right.

00:23:22.496 --> 00:23:33.407
So I bring this up because, again, a lot of parents listen to the show and it can be very easy as a parent Mike's going to relate to this to just say, well, you don't know what you're doing and I've been watching this game my whole life.

00:23:33.407 --> 00:23:36.827
That's why, look, parents, you never have to agree with a coach, ever.

00:23:36.827 --> 00:23:37.770
You never have to.

00:23:37.770 --> 00:23:42.184
I'm not saying blindly follow a coach, but I am saying to the coaches it behooves you.

00:23:42.184 --> 00:23:48.392
As you said, jenna, just to introduce yourself and explain listen, you're the most important person in your kid's life.

00:23:48.392 --> 00:23:54.045
I have them for so many hours a week and it's it's, this is what I'm presenting to them and I want you to know it.

00:23:54.045 --> 00:24:00.961
You don't have to agree with me, but I would appreciate it if we could all walk forward on this path together, because that's the only way the team is going to survive and win.

00:24:00.961 --> 00:24:09.295
And when you get egos involved or you get what's best for just your kid which I'm not saying you shouldn't do involved, it can really derail the ship.

00:24:09.295 --> 00:24:26.184
And again, jenna, what you're building there requires complete buy-in, really, not just from the players but, like we said, from the families, because and we know this a coach can be teaching a kid for two hours and you can go home and a parent can completely dismantle that in 10 minutes if they want to.

00:24:26.184 --> 00:24:28.682
It's the responsibility, it goes both ways.

00:24:29.365 --> 00:24:32.343
I'm going to, I'm going to reiterate not every coach is great, not every coach is perfect.

00:24:32.343 --> 00:24:35.207
At the collegiate level division one, Obviously, I think you know what you're doing.

00:24:35.207 --> 00:24:36.807
You don't get hired there if you don't know what you're doing.

00:24:36.807 --> 00:24:38.863
But that's something I wanted to ask.

00:24:38.863 --> 00:24:42.031
You mentioned TV shows.

00:24:42.031 --> 00:24:44.365
Mike mentions your social media accounts.

00:24:44.365 --> 00:24:46.089
There's a very.

00:24:46.089 --> 00:24:51.964
You know, if you search for Michigan women's hockey, it's not hard to find online.

00:24:51.964 --> 00:24:54.771
But I do know in your position that you do a lot more than, probably, coaching.

00:24:54.771 --> 00:25:02.461
So I want to talk about the identity of women's division one hockey at Michigan and how you've gone to develop that Cause.

00:25:02.461 --> 00:25:05.622
It's a bit of an uphill battle, as we've talked about in the beginning of the show, to do that.

00:25:05.622 --> 00:25:07.710
So why don't you walk the people through?

00:25:07.710 --> 00:25:15.955
I don't know if we have enough time, but everything that you do and how you've boosted that identity of that team?

00:25:15.976 --> 00:25:17.019
I definitely don't think we have.

00:25:17.019 --> 00:25:28.112
Yeah, I'll like on a.

00:25:28.112 --> 00:25:31.695
I'll just think about it on a weekly basis.

00:25:31.695 --> 00:25:47.173
Um, and kind of going back to talking about our social media, we have two other members of our social media team, including myself, so we're always communicating about what posts we have.

00:25:47.173 --> 00:25:49.460
We do birthday posts for the players.

00:25:49.460 --> 00:25:55.990
I was at an event yesterday, so hopefully we'll get some content up on there.

00:25:56.932 --> 00:26:07.991
But something that I learned really quickly, especially as a freshman in 2013 at the University of Michigan like there is a demand for this for women's hockey in the state of Michigan or at the University of Michigan.

00:26:07.991 --> 00:26:10.944
Like there is a demand for this for women's hockey in the state of Michigan or at the University of Michigan.

00:26:10.944 --> 00:26:20.623
And one of the first things I did in 2013 was like spam everybody on the team about inviting people on their Facebook page, because Facebook was a huge platform back then.

00:26:20.623 --> 00:26:22.407
Like people will follow this.

00:26:22.407 --> 00:26:23.731
Like you need to send it to everybody.

00:26:23.731 --> 00:26:26.766
So we've kind of had that same mentality.

00:26:26.766 --> 00:26:40.892
On the social media side, we've got a LinkedIn page, which I just created pretty recently now, which is getting a lot of traction, and those are all things that we have to keep up with.

00:26:40.892 --> 00:26:45.442
Obviously, we don't have full-time staff, so I'll help out on there.

00:26:45.442 --> 00:26:47.203
We've got threads now as well.

00:26:47.203 --> 00:26:55.648
Tiktok is something I'm not an expert in, but it is something we try to post on.

00:26:57.049 --> 00:26:58.471
We have our weekly coaches show.

00:26:58.471 --> 00:26:59.811
So Arbor Broadcasting.

00:26:59.811 --> 00:27:03.234
They stream our games completely free of charge.

00:27:03.234 --> 00:27:11.521
We've done that since I think it was before COVID, I think it was 2016.

00:27:11.521 --> 00:27:26.689
They are heavily involved in the community and something that is really helpful for us in terms of recruiting is that if an out-of-state student does come to michigan and their families cannot be at every game, arbor broadcasting will usually have the game um.

00:27:26.689 --> 00:27:31.644
So that's a huge tool for us and obviously to have that film to watch back as well.

00:27:31.644 --> 00:27:38.807
But we this past season connected with Regents Field, who is on Main Street, ann Arbor.

00:27:38.807 --> 00:27:45.050
I'm not sure if any of you have been to Ann Arbor, but Main Street's very historic and beautiful.

00:27:45.050 --> 00:27:51.871
So to have a presence on main street and to have one of our jerseys hanging up there now as a relationship that we've been building.

00:27:51.871 --> 00:28:09.406
So we're there every Wednesday during the season, so throughout the week, obviously trying to come up with questions with our co-host, mark Wiseman of Arbor Broadcasting, and then got practice two to three times per week practice planning lineup decisions.

00:28:09.880 --> 00:28:10.683
Yeah, the hockey stuff.

00:28:10.683 --> 00:28:12.125
Right, All the hockey stuff's there too.

00:28:12.300 --> 00:28:21.611
There's the hockey stuff and in the off season, you know I'm hoping to announce something pretty exciting pretty soon.

00:28:21.611 --> 00:28:24.779
I have to figure out some logistics with that Are we getting a scoop here.

00:28:24.779 --> 00:28:26.733
Are we?

00:28:26.753 --> 00:28:27.479
getting a scoop yeah.

00:28:28.507 --> 00:28:36.508
You can tell us, they don't tell anybody, we won't tell anybody yes, hopefully in august.

00:28:37.390 --> 00:28:51.460
Um, but last week I was at the acha meetings um for the representatives of each program to vote on league specific issues and to have discussion um finalizing scheduling.

00:28:51.460 --> 00:29:07.528
And because we're at yost and with the men's varsity program really it's their rank and we're a tenant um we've had to already change some things around, so our schedule probably won't come out until the big 10 schedule is released in August.

00:29:07.528 --> 00:29:33.953
So that presents challenges too, and a lot of kind of what we're doing right now is trying to figure out what our roster may look like for the fall, because students that have been admitted to Michigan, that have put their deposit down, you know, just trying to navigate, making sure that players that are planning on returning with our team process.

00:29:33.993 --> 00:29:35.316
Everybody will have to try out again.

00:29:35.316 --> 00:29:50.365
But there are some players that we do contingently commit to if they're deciding between Michigan and maybe another program, so that they have that verbal commitment and know that we are interested in them, program um, so that they have that verbal commitment and know that we are interested in them.

00:29:50.365 --> 00:30:02.882
So really having those conversations with players right now and um working with our leadership group and there really is no off season um probably more busy in the off season than I always say absolutely for you.

00:30:02.902 --> 00:30:08.971
So I've seen all coaches are yes, I always say that the off season is just the time of year.

00:30:08.971 --> 00:30:09.814
We don't play games.

00:30:10.054 --> 00:30:11.943
Right, that's exactly true.

00:30:11.963 --> 00:30:13.964
That's all it is, we're just not playing games right now.

00:30:14.066 --> 00:30:16.788
No, how does a player get on your radar?

00:30:16.788 --> 00:30:19.180
Obviously you do not want to hear from parents.

00:30:19.180 --> 00:30:24.000
You don't want them calling you up and saying my kid is a star player.

00:30:24.019 --> 00:30:26.546
Jenna, my seven-year-old daughter, is ready.

00:30:26.546 --> 00:30:29.393
Right is a star Jenna, my seven-year-old daughter is ready.

00:30:29.413 --> 00:30:30.535
She is ready to be a Wolverine.

00:30:30.535 --> 00:30:36.142
Ready to be a Wolverine.

00:30:36.142 --> 00:30:37.365
You don't want to hear from Paris, but do they email you?

00:30:37.365 --> 00:30:38.248
Do they call you a personal phone call?

00:30:38.248 --> 00:30:39.191
Do they let you know?

00:30:39.191 --> 00:30:41.298
Hey, I'm going to be at this showcase.

00:30:41.298 --> 00:30:43.782
Here's some video clips of me.

00:30:43.782 --> 00:30:46.626
How do they get on your radar?

00:30:47.528 --> 00:30:49.470
that is a I love that question.

00:30:49.470 --> 00:30:50.191
Again.

00:30:50.191 --> 00:30:56.708
It really I would say most students probably email me first to initiate contact.

00:30:56.708 --> 00:31:06.006
There are some recruiting tools where players can submit interest but, as I talked about earlier, our target athlete, athlete.

00:31:06.006 --> 00:31:22.057
It's a very, very niche market because if somebody doesn't have the grades to likely get into Michigan, realistically I don't really have the time to talk with them for 30 minutes and educate them on our program.

00:31:22.599 --> 00:31:23.261
Jenna, if I may.

00:31:23.261 --> 00:31:28.313
Sorry, I really apologize to interrupt, but I need the parents to hear what you just said, cause and the kids too.

00:31:28.313 --> 00:31:33.367
Right, your academics are essential If you would like to play hockey past high school.

00:31:33.367 --> 00:31:37.186
Yes, we gloss over that fact.

00:31:37.186 --> 00:31:46.950
A lot of like oh yeah, grades are important, they're really important, and if you're going to put your heart and soul into the game, part of that is doing it in school as well.

00:31:46.950 --> 00:31:50.863
And if you can do it on the ice, you can do it in the classroom.

00:31:50.863 --> 00:31:51.644
I apologize for interrupting.

00:31:51.644 --> 00:31:52.886
I had to say it back to you.

00:31:53.588 --> 00:32:09.640
No, it's the most important thing for us, because unless a student has the chance of getting into Michigan like if they put theirself in a position to be considered for admission to Michigan that's great and I'd love to have a conversation with them.

00:32:09.640 --> 00:32:19.079
But if not, because I work full time in addition to coaching, it's really hard for me to have a 30 minute conversation with somebody that will probably not get into Michigan.

00:32:19.079 --> 00:32:23.887
Right, and it's something I don't love about the position.

00:32:23.887 --> 00:32:32.406
I'd love to be able to talk to everybody, but, realistic, with my 24 hours in a day, it just it really can't happen.

00:32:32.406 --> 00:32:39.523
Um, and I've had students you know really some really good emails.

00:32:39.523 --> 00:32:43.882
They talk about their GPA, their grad year, their position, what Jersey they wear.

00:32:43.882 --> 00:32:51.585
All of that information is really helpful because even if I don't respond right away, I can still pull it up in my email.

00:32:51.585 --> 00:33:00.806
And I have live barn, I've got flow hockey, I've got all of those tools that I can watch most games.

00:33:01.527 --> 00:33:20.063
And this past season I was fortunate to be able to make it to some high level recruiting events, including Stony Creek, which is a really, really big event I think it was the first year post pandemic that they had it with American teams this year and I was wearing my Michigan stuff and people are like, oh my gosh, michigan.

00:33:20.063 --> 00:33:26.074
And I'm like, yes, we have a program, so just like being there in person is.

00:33:26.074 --> 00:33:28.646
It sparks a lot of conversation as well.

00:33:28.646 --> 00:33:30.825
But I get a lot of emails.

00:33:30.825 --> 00:33:33.530
Players will call me, players will text with ACHA.

00:33:33.530 --> 00:33:52.115
There's no rules, so they can really do whatever they want, whatever they're comfortable with, and that's what I tell them too, like if they you know, for emailing, and we hop on a call like, hey, if you're comfortable, if you have a quick question, like usually text is the best way to get a hold of me because I'm running around a lot.

00:33:52.115 --> 00:33:57.207
So you know, some players will text me, some will call, some will email.

00:33:57.207 --> 00:34:00.101
Um, but it's really whatever they're comfortable with.

00:34:00.101 --> 00:34:02.202
If I get an email, I usually.

00:34:02.222 --> 00:34:04.285
But, as you know at that age.

00:34:04.285 --> 00:34:05.826
You know at that age.

00:34:05.826 --> 00:34:20.887
You know, when the young woman turns 16, 17, 18, thinking about college hockey, you also get flooded in your inbox and this happened to us of agents, recruiters.

00:34:20.887 --> 00:34:26.896
You know companies that will represent you and get you into the best colleges.

00:34:26.896 --> 00:34:29.208
We immediately deleted them.

00:34:29.208 --> 00:34:31.507
Do you pay attention to that?

00:34:31.507 --> 00:34:37.432
If you hired somebody to sell your kid basically to you?

00:34:40.202 --> 00:34:43.251
I would say if it hits my inbox, I'll take a look at it.

00:34:43.251 --> 00:35:04.648
Something that does happen, though, which I know I need to work on, is educating these groups of people like what we're looking for, because I think sometimes I get an email and a student might not have a GPA that fits within the admissions range, and it's.

00:35:04.648 --> 00:35:05.789
I don't.

00:35:05.789 --> 00:35:08.152
It's a time, right, right, right.

00:35:08.512 --> 00:35:10.355
So crouch your inbox.

00:35:10.355 --> 00:35:10.936
You don't need it.

00:35:11.481 --> 00:35:11.681
Right.

00:35:11.681 --> 00:35:13.644
So there are those things that come up.

00:35:13.644 --> 00:35:20.668
Um, if it hits my inbox I'll usually look at it whether I'll be enticed to respond.

00:35:20.668 --> 00:35:27.505
That's kind of another story, um, but for me I try to stay really organized, like setting up calls.

00:35:27.505 --> 00:35:33.748
Um, because I do work full time, it's really hard for me to take a cold call, especially midday.

00:35:33.748 --> 00:35:40.510
So those are all things that factor into when I can have conversations with players.

00:35:40.829 --> 00:35:44.882
Is it worth it for a parent to do that, or can get a young woman to do it on her?

00:35:45.003 --> 00:35:45.143
own.

00:35:45.143 --> 00:35:54.815
So me personally, I I think the athlete should own their recruiting experience.

00:35:54.815 --> 00:35:57.929
I love that.

00:35:57.929 --> 00:36:09.469
You said that You're welcome and it's the same thing I tell my athletes too, like if they have a comment, question or concern, like come to us directly at some point.

00:36:09.469 --> 00:36:36.061
You know, we're especially with our athletes, like we're all adults and we need to be able to have those conversations and you know, if students can have those conversations when they're 16, 17, it makes them probably more experienced to have it when they're 18 and dealing with me or another college coach and really advocating for themselves as well and I saw that in with my own daughter.

00:36:36.521 --> 00:36:45.726
Her personally, making these connections with the coaches really helped mature her and got her ready even now in her job interviews.

00:36:45.726 --> 00:36:50.327
You know she had to go for a job interview the other day and she said this is easy.

00:36:50.327 --> 00:36:58.585
I did this with so many college coaches when I was looking for a college to play at, so she was very comfortable.

00:36:58.585 --> 00:37:13.657
So for parents, let your kid take the reign here because it will benefit them later on in life when they're hunting for that job and they have to go in front of you know, somebody that they've never met before their first job interview.

00:37:13.657 --> 00:37:15.824
They've got that under their belt, it's.

00:37:16.043 --> 00:37:20.778
It becomes easier for them well and I advocate for that at younger ages.

00:37:20.778 --> 00:37:28.530
I think one of the mistakes that we make as parents sometimes is a kid gets to 16 or 18 and go you talk to the coach and it's like, well, you've taught me nothing on how to do that, mom.

00:37:28.530 --> 00:37:35.344
So I always say I advocate for the starting honestly, attend you and all that means.

00:37:35.344 --> 00:37:42.572
By the way, it doesn't mean tell your kid go talk to the coach, but it's hey, if your kid has an issue or you have an issue, discuss it with your kid and then go to the coach.

00:37:42.572 --> 00:37:48.724
I have my son do that, you know, and my I have my son do that and my daughter say ask your coach.

00:37:48.724 --> 00:37:57.809
And again, it's pretty innocent at 10U, but you have to explain to them and this is the term I always use with my kids Christy is, you need to learn how to speak to adults.

00:37:57.809 --> 00:37:59.751
You need to learn how to talk to adults.

00:38:00.592 --> 00:38:03.614
Put the phone down and talk to them personally.

00:38:03.914 --> 00:38:08.697
Right, don't be looking around the room, don't text them, look them in the eyes and talk to him.

00:38:13.219 --> 00:38:18.201
I don't tell them the secret that all adults are actually still children, but I do tell them that you need to learn how to speak to adults, because it's an important thing that you can advocate for yourself.

00:38:18.201 --> 00:38:30.266
And look, if my 10 year old is terrified, I'm not forcing him to go do that, but I am planting the seeds of if you have a or something that's a little controversial maybe in how the team is being run.

00:38:30.266 --> 00:38:31.744
You should be asking that.

00:38:31.744 --> 00:38:35.786
And again, parents look and I'm going to make Mike laugh.

00:38:35.786 --> 00:38:36.568
I'm a coach.

00:38:36.940 --> 00:38:40.010
There are plenty of times during the season when I'm not coaching my kids team.

00:38:40.010 --> 00:38:42.208
I want to go up to the coach and say hey, what are you doing?

00:38:42.208 --> 00:38:44.423
Like, like we're not developing these kids?

00:38:44.423 --> 00:38:45.085
What are you doing?

00:38:45.085 --> 00:38:49.072
But the reality is, the first person I should go to is my kid.

00:38:49.072 --> 00:38:55.820
Yes, Right, Because I'd say eight out of ten times your kid's not even aware of it and they're having a blast, Right?

00:38:55.820 --> 00:39:00.710
I had a parent last year who was very disgruntled about how the team was being run.

00:39:00.710 --> 00:39:03.347
His kid was not happy and I said well, have you asked your kid that?

00:39:03.347 --> 00:39:09.583
Well, no, I can just tell this kid was not unhappy.

00:39:09.583 --> 00:39:10.246
This kid was very happy.

00:39:10.246 --> 00:39:14.483
While the concerns were somewhat valid, it was like you gotta, you gotta understand that the conversation piece um jenna.

00:39:14.523 --> 00:39:25.489
Go back to you see that jenna and the young woman you're coaching, you can tell who's kind of taken ownership of their own paths I can yes.

00:39:26.911 --> 00:39:29.534
That should be something to note for the entire audience here.

00:39:29.534 --> 00:39:34.572
Right Is that it's obvious when someone has taken it upon themselves to speak for themselves.

00:39:36.222 --> 00:39:42.585
I can add one thing just in there too, but it's also because they're probably well coached how to advocate for themselves, right.

00:39:42.585 --> 00:39:49.487
I mean it just doesn't happen naturally for most kids, like that's a process that takes place, to Christ's point, you know, later on in life.

00:39:49.487 --> 00:40:13.927
We all talk about why kids play sports, and a lot of it's because of these leadership qualities and these communication ability and the ability to talk with another adult and work things out within a locker room and with within a staff, and I think that's so important, especially at a really high institutional level where they are on their own.

00:40:13.927 --> 00:40:16.748
I mean these girls aren't living with mom and dad anymore.

00:40:16.748 --> 00:40:31.891
I mean they're on their own and you're the parent, you're the person they're going to look to for that advice, and I think that's why I think, in a lot of ways, I think that's why this is changing a bit, where parents are probably more are creeping into the college ranks.

00:40:32.161 --> 00:40:39.273
Listen, I know I know parents right now that are involved with their pro players, coaches.

00:40:39.273 --> 00:40:40.581
I mean that's a fact.

00:40:40.581 --> 00:40:47.610
I mean not, you know not certain aspects, but you know, maybe that's our fault as parents for allowing this to.

00:40:47.610 --> 00:40:50.074
You know, fester all the way up.

00:40:50.074 --> 00:40:55.730
And then you know coaches are at a disadvantage too, right, because now the kids have such an easy out.

00:40:55.730 --> 00:40:58.422
If they're not, if they don't like you, they just go into the portal and they transfer.

00:40:58.422 --> 00:40:59.344
They don't like it anymore, right?

00:40:59.344 --> 00:41:04.766
So I think that's an epidemic we're seeing at the men's level especially where you know, kids, kids have.

00:41:04.786 --> 00:41:07.070
They've never spent more than two years in a program in their life.

00:41:07.070 --> 00:41:09.193
It's both women and men's at all levels.

00:41:09.460 --> 00:41:32.168
It's just easy to lose If you're a parent listening to this and you have an opportunity to play for somebody like Jenna, understanding that it is noticeable when a player advocates for themselves, recruits for themselves, sells themselves, whether that was successful at the end or not, it's just part of the learning process.

00:41:32.168 --> 00:41:33.181
And you got to.

00:41:33.181 --> 00:41:41.286
You know you got to step back and be like it is painful, right, because as a parent, you'll watch like, ooh, is that really what you're going to write, is that really what you're going to say?

00:41:41.286 --> 00:41:46.206
And you're like, okay, well, go ahead, try, you know, just throw it out there, see, you know, just throw it out there and see what happens.

00:41:46.206 --> 00:41:48.851
That's right, let the kids it is Let them fail.

00:41:49.393 --> 00:41:51.998
It's okay, right, jenna Nope.

00:41:52.659 --> 00:41:57.248
Well, I will say this Parents, you do a great job.

00:41:57.248 --> 00:42:07.672
It is nothing easy about being a parent, and it is the hardest and the greatest job in the world, but you can derail your kid's hockey journey if you are doing this incorrectly.

00:42:07.672 --> 00:42:23.931
In terms of overstepping boundaries, Jenna, I want to move on to a segment I've just created in my mind, called so your kid wants to play college hockey right, and you've just mentioned it a few times throughout the episode that there's a recruitment aspect to your job and that there's a lot of young women that want to come play for the University of Michigan.

00:42:23.931 --> 00:42:25.585
So talent's a prerequisite.

00:42:25.585 --> 00:42:26.307
We talk about this.

00:42:26.307 --> 00:42:28.309
To make this team, you have to have hockey talent.

00:42:28.309 --> 00:42:29.550
You're not getting on this team without it.

00:42:29.550 --> 00:42:30.831
We talked about academics.

00:42:30.831 --> 00:42:31.833
That is a prerequisite.

00:42:32.273 --> 00:42:35.197
Now we get to the tryout and there's a lot of young women on the ice.

00:42:35.197 --> 00:42:40.153
Now what is the separator for you when you go into picking that team?

00:42:40.153 --> 00:42:43.985
Are we looking at character and, if so, what types of character?

00:42:43.985 --> 00:42:46.835
What are you looking at to pick the team?

00:42:46.835 --> 00:42:57.190
Because I think this is an important aspect for parents and the young athletes that are listening, especially the women of when you're looking to play for a college hockey team or a high level hockey team.

00:42:57.190 --> 00:43:03.384
Your talent's part of the equation, but when you're looking to be part of a successful program, that is not the full equation.

00:43:03.704 --> 00:43:10.902
Jenna, I'm saucing the puck to you equation, jenna, I'm saucing the puck to you Perfect.

00:43:10.902 --> 00:43:25.028
Like you mentioned, character is a big thing and for our program specifically, something that we need is we need players that are willing to buy into our program, and that means it's 10% on the ice and 90% off the ice.

00:43:25.028 --> 00:43:26.891
90% of what we do is off the ice.

00:43:26.891 --> 00:43:36.822
So that means, hey, if you're interested in community outreach, we do community outreach events, like find ways for us to get involved in the community.

00:43:36.822 --> 00:43:45.628
If you like, we do a lot of fundraising events as well, and we need our players to show up and own those things Right.

00:43:45.827 --> 00:43:46.769
With our program.

00:43:46.769 --> 00:43:55.266
It's not just show up and practice and play hockey, it's all of those things behind the scenes that our players are doing that actually make this happen.

00:43:55.266 --> 00:44:18.632