NHLer, Olympian, and World Junior Champion Adrien Plavsic

SPEAKER_00 1:23

Hey everybody, it's Lee. Uh today we have an NHLer, a Olympian, a world junior champion, but above all, a great human being. Adrian Plazek joins us today on Our Kids Play Hockey. He played for Team Canada. He also had a lengthy NHL career and then a career in Switzerland in the Pro League over there. We touch on everything from the experience of going to play Division I college and Olympics and World Junior Championships within a few year period all the way to his life today, which is really focused on the mental fitness and well-being of everybody. But we talk about specifically, obviously, youth athletes and hockey and his life and journey through the game. It's a fantastic episode. So make sure you check it out. Also, I'm really excited to finally let you know our new website, game7group.com, is up. If you are a parent or a coach or even a business owner looking to do some team building this season or for the year coming up, we have now uh put that all together on game7group.com where you can get a uh 15-minute call to look at your business with us, and you can do everything from a one-day Zoom session to an in-person session to a year-long thing if you want to. But uh, as you know, team building is an incredibly important part of success. The teams that win do it, and we have worked with a lot of teams that have won. So if you're looking to improve your team for this year uh or this fall, whether it's sports, business, nonprofit, medical, anything, head over to games7group.com right now. Uh book that 15-minute meeting with me, uh, and we can go over uh uh the plans for the future and how to get your team to where you want them to be uh this year or this season. But without further ado, let's jump into this episode with Adrian Plasic on Our Kids Play Hockey. Hello, hockey friends and families around the world, and welcome to another edition of Our Kids Play Hockey. I'm Leah Lias with Christy Cash and O Burns in Syracuse and Mike Benelli, who's out in Norway right now. And we are joined today by a former collegiate pro and Olympic defenseman who played for UNH before skating through an eight-year NHL career before moving to the Swiss National League for another 11 years where he currently resides. He's joining us from Switzerland today. His resume also includes the highly coveted World Junior Championship gold in 1990 and an Olympic appearance where he won a silver medal with Team Canada in 1992. Uh, following several years coaching after his playing days today, he's a dedicated life coach, which, in his own words, supports high-level achievers and helps them find ultimate success by matching their vision and goals with their innermost essence. We are absolutely going to dive into that and how it applies to your kid today. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Adrian Plavsik to the show. Adrian, welcome to our kids play hockey.

SPEAKER_02 3:56

Yay.

SPEAKER_04 3:59

Thank you. Thank you so much for having me. Um, looking forward to yeah, sharing my experience and what I'm doing now and really trying to make a difference. Uh, you know, the things that I learned hockey when I played was so much different. And I think today we have so much information and resources. So I'd love to share and hopefully give back, give something back that you know, kids can use, parents can use as well. So I'm looking forward to it.

SPEAKER_00 4:31

I'm looking forward to it too. You know, so Adjan, one of the funny parts about being the host of this show is I want to dive right into the mental health and the mental fitness stuff and pick your brain about that. But I know that our audience always uh uh uh loves a little bit of background and a little bit of uh hockey before we dive into the mental stuff behind the hockey. So I'm actually have a very specific question for you that could probably allow you to do both. Um, but I want to focus in on your college and and world junior and Olympic time period. That was a lot of heavy hockey in a short amount of time. So can you tell us about that process, both from a hockey standpoint and a mental standpoint of that, of that, you know, several years of your life? Because suddenly you're on a division one collegiate stage, then you're on the world stage, both junior and Olympics. I mean, that's that is not little things there. That is that for Canada amongst other teams. And then you win, uh, if I'm not mistaken, your gold medal in the world junior championship uh was the first time that it happened in a while, and then your Olympic silver was it hadn't happened in decades, correct?

SPEAKER_04 5:33

Yeah, I'm not sure how far back with the Olympics. So we have silver medal thing interesting in '92 in Albertville was a non um the NHL players were not available, so they they kind of changed. Some some years allowed it, right? And others not. So we had like a lot of guys had opportunities, uh, but we still had some pretty amazing players like Lindros was coming into his into his career. So, you know, he was part of our team. So we had some really, really amazing players. I think for me, I think the age was 15, 16, where I just really took off, you know. So I my parents came from the former Yugoslavia, and so hockey was not, you know, part of that culture, really. Uh sorry about that. I'm gonna um and um so I grew up playing soccer and hockey, and uh, I just knew like watching hockey night in Canada, that you know, as a 10, 12 year old said, this is what I want to do. So I spent my days um either playing street hockey, um, being you know, organized hockey, but we had the outdoor rinse because Montreal was really cold, so all the tennis courts were turned into rinks. And I was like, I I was out there all the time. I think that was what eventually is a you know, someone who was average in the beginning, all of a sudden I just took off like around 14. And it happened so fast, you know. I mean, it happened so fast. Midget started, people starting noticing me, and then I was, you know, uh predicted to go um, you know, fairly high. I had a scholarship um where that's what I decided. Uh offered me uh a scholarship for four years, ended up staying a year. And you know, it just happened so fast. You're just playing, and then you know, there's a lot to take in. And my parents were not at all like they didn't know much about hockey and having to decide for agents and this. I mean, I I wish I would have had a little bit more support and a little bit more guidance and and mentorship. I think that that is so important for you know someone you know going from you know real simple life into the limelight because you're just thrown in. And so I think in one way it was it was overwhelming, but you you do what you do. And you know, I got to you know a certain level um that um I got to experience the highest league, the NHL, the Olympic Games. So I'm proud of my accomplishments. I I know I left some on the table, and this is kind of what I want to share, you know, today with young kids to really understand what what how can you optimize, you know, in terms of having the best experience, but also, you know, reaching your potential, uh, which everybody's different. Some are slow learners, some start slow, you know, our are late bloomers, others are you know really good at the start.

SPEAKER_02 8:55

You know, and we're gonna dive more into that. I was just curious, do you have like a favorite memory in the NHL that you could share?

SPEAKER_04 9:03

Um well, I I think what stands out is 92, the Olympics. When I came back, I actually got I came back for the last 16 games played for the Vancouver Canucks. I was drafted by St. Louis, but was you know traded, I think was my first year. I was traded to Vancouver. And honestly, I got back and I thought the game was slow in the NHL. So because we played on you know the big rings and you know, the Russians, all these teams skated really well. And I uh last 16 games, I was a defenseman. I love to play offensively. So my childhood heroes were even Bobby Orr. I I didn't really see him, but everybody knew he revolutionized the game. But I loved Coffee the way he skated and and Ray Bork. So, you know, getting points, skating up in the play, I ended up, you know, with I think 11 points in 16 games for the Canucks in the fetch, and then had an amazing playoffs. And that's when I signed my one-way ticket into the NHL because you know, most guys, unless you're you know first round pick and they you know see you as a you know solid NHL or not everybody gets the one way when I played right off the bat. So like that's where I felt, you know, I kind of really stepped in and I said, wow, this is what is possible for me. And and same thing in the playoffs, I was you know, eight points in 12 games, something around that. So for a D-Man, and I was just in uh I just felt I was in a in a zone. And um, and uh yeah, that that was the most memorable, you know, time because um I just kind of had that breakthrough that you know every young player is looking uh to create for himself.

SPEAKER_00 11:09

You know, one thing I want to note here, and and we try and find common themes in these episodes, Adrian, is uh you said you you know that that 14 to 16 age period is like when you made that decision, if you will. Like, you know, kind of more of a passion decision of, hey, I love this, right? And it kind of echoes this theme. I'm not knocking youth development in the sense of, you know, that's hockey today. We we start kids young, uh, but it just goes to prove that the drive and the passion has to be there. If that is not there, it's it's not gonna happen for you, your kid, or anybody, anybody in between. And and you cannot take that and put it in a kid. It has to organically develop. And then you can help them culture it. You can encourage them. Um, the other thing, too, is it shows you, again, on a physical side, that 14 to 16 is that time period where athletes really become athletes. There's no nine-year-old that I can look at, or Mike can look at, or Christy can look at, or anybody can look at, and say that nine-year-old is going to be the next, I'll use Eric Lindross because you said it, right? Or Connor Bedard or whatever you want to say, right? This process is not uh set and that that age time that that 14 to 16 is a really critical time. And if you haven't built up a passion for the game and you haven't built up good physical and mental strategies within your kid at that point, that's also the burnout age. Mike, am I right? Like 14 to 16 is where we start to see the second cliff after kind of kind of squirting pee-wee.

SPEAKER_03 12:37

Yeah, I mean, I think we do more damage to can't miss kids than we help the late bloomer, in my opinion. I I think we just I think that's where you know, oh, that's can't miss kid. That kid's gonna be so-and-so. It's and then we do then we all of a sudden we start intervening. And we try to say, oh, I'm gonna help make that kid where you know get where he wants to go. And and whether that player just doesn't want to get there or doesn't know how to get there, and and and to Adrian's point, didn't have the tools and didn't have the support structure. And I mean, it sounds like Adrian, it sounds like you, you know, I mean, in a in a in a kind of a positive way, you navigated that world uh where you must have had really good people recruiting you and asking you to play for them because they didn't manipulate the situation. It sounds like you know, they let you develop in your own uh time frame and they took the skills that you had and and and worked them within the structure of you know who their team was and and and and being good people overall, right? And I don't think uh now that we're we're getting into these situations with kids getting recruited. I mean, I was just with a panel a couple of weeks ago where you know there were the family advisors speaking with uh you know nine and ten-year-old uh parents, uh seriously talking to them, like there's a there's a there's a plan for you. And I'm like, you know, that's tough, but but but it's uh but again, yeah, I think we know that. I think at thir at 13, 14, I mean it's not a it's not an untrue statistic. That's when people decide they don't want to play. And then and it's also the time when players decide I want to play. Like I want this, and that's great. Those are the those are the best ones.

SPEAKER_02 14:13

Can I pause here? What do you I'm I guess I'm lost? Nine and ten year olds with a family advisor. That's another episode.

SPEAKER_03 14:21

We're gonna go to the nine and ten year olds with a family advisor.

SPEAKER_00 14:30

Well, technically, we're family advisors for nine and ten-year-olds, but the family advisor.

SPEAKER_03 14:35

I mean, nobody got my nobody got my joke on the panel, but I'm like, your family advisor is your family. Like that's who your family advisor is. But I can but I think it's uh and I and I but I do think I think it's uh you know, I think what we're all doing is is professionalizing kids earlier and earlier and earlier and earlier. And I mean, obviously Adrian does this, Lee does this every day with with the groups he works with. You know, that's a huge piece of the puzzle of development, right? Because all that other stuff doesn't it doesn't it actually affects your kids in a much more negative way than a positive way for the most part. Again, there are the players, we know that we see them every day. Adrian, you probably played with a million guys who are like this this kid's not not missed, no miss. This kid's gonna be, he's gonna be in the NHL, and you're probably the only kid in your whole team that's played the NHL. So it's just it you drive it, and I think that's a great story that you know you're the one that found a way to get outside, play, explore, you know, find your own game. And uh, you know. So I think there is a is there there, I I I do appreciate the fact that it's a little bit of naiveness there in your family, right? That it it it may have helped you, who knows?

SPEAKER_04 15:43

Well, I I look at I compare it if you know the Finnish school system, what ended up happening is they they were way behind, you know, in terms of stat and they they thought uh outside the box, and luckily, you know, not having uh the pressure. What they did is they started letting children be children, you know, for a longer period of time. So go out in nature, explore that, just let you know our natural connection to nature, to life just unfold as it is without manipulation. And all of a sudden, you know, there's no exams before I think before the age of 12 or 11. And then what ended up happening is their school system, like the the marks and and in terms of you know international performance, they just went right up. So um, you know, I I do think that's real proof of you know, then you're trying to put an agenda and you're not allowing you know kids to develop because when you think about it, a child learns to walk, learns to speak. No one's telling him to do any of those things. And I'm um yeah, I'm a true believer that that needs to, you you need to create a solid foundation and and that's a child's essence, you know, that he feels I know myself, you know, and then from that place, you know, what helped me is I always had the passion, you know. So if I didn't have it, uh I I don't think I would have put in as much time and um I would have been drawn into because I I did grow up in in circumstances that weren't always easy. And I think the fact that I was so hawky was my sort of escape where I could forget everything. I that's what kind of kept me, you know, in a good place. And so um to say yeah, I everybody's story maybe is a little bit different, but I do think um that makes a lot of sense to me. Let kids you know develop. And then you know, once you get to a certain age, like Lee said, 14, 16, then you can start, you know, implementing yeah, just thinking about what's the future ahead and and you know, talking about that and preparing them for for that, like because it's it's not all rosy and you know, there's uh there's things that you need to know, and it's not just going out and and playing the game of hockey like you did as a kid.

SPEAKER_00 18:26

Adrian, you just said something again I want to tap on. And and again, I I do want to actually get into your international hockey career, but but as the show goes, you say things and and I like to kind of pull threads. You know, you said I I know myself, I knew myself. Now, now look, any teenager, any young adult, they're finding out who they are. And I think one of the things that we don't focus on enough is that we inadvertently are telling kids, hey, you're a hockey player. That's who you are. And your life and your success and your failures are based on the score or your the outcome or how hard you work today. And what ends up happening is, and I've seen this, and it and it's rough, you get a sometimes an 18 to 22-year-old who is so burnt out and they don't know who they are, and their whole life is wrapped up in the success of the game. And I don't believe the success of the game comes from that. I think that, especially in the interviews we've done and the people we've spoken to, the people that really do find success in the game, like yourself, know who they are. And they have an understanding of community and giving back and gratitude. And again, look, it's not every single athlete that's ever played pro sports, obviously. But I find this to be common across people that have succeeded. It wasn't so much forced on them. You know, they were given good ideals at home. So, can we just talk for a quick minute or two about maybe from a teenage point of view, where that is still developing and what parents and coaches can do to help these children, and they are children at that age, we forget that sometimes, discover themselves.

SPEAKER_04 20:06

Um, I guess in in many ways, it's like giving them the options. I love the when I hear um kids trying different sports, you know, through developing skills because uh, you know, everything every sport um allows you to develop um different skills. So everything that you can use, but also, you know, I think having friends and um a real family, you know, a family life, I think that's really so important. And so I I have to say, you know, in my story, what held me back somewhat is that I did not completely know myself. Like I knew that I loved hockey, and that was sort of my escape. And but I also felt that you know I I wanted to please so much, you know, that that was kind of my pattern. So it's like instead of you know going out there and playing the game, you're like distracted by, oh, what's he think of me? What's um that person think of me? So I think the biggest thing I I believe is like creating stability within the home life where, well, I just feel you know so comfortable. I can talk about everything, you know, because in hockey you're gonna fail a lot, you know, a lot more than succeed. And so, you know, being able to be open and share those things, be vulnerable, and and especially in my time, guys, you know, boys were not really, you know, you were told this is how a boy behaves. And um, but I think just being able to express yourself and and creates a sort of you feel strong because you're not you know holding stuff in. If I look at my life, I I tended to suppress a lot of stuff. And I think my experience was performance anxiety, it was because I felt like I can't share like what's going on inside me. And so imagine like a pressure cooker, you're keeping everything bottled down, and then it's gonna come out somehow. So uh I think home life is is huge and having really good friends that that's so important, community. Um, and then obviously a coach that you know brings, especially in those early years, that makes the game fun, you know. Like I did have some, luckily some coaches who, you know, made it, you know, so fun. And I recall like 6:30 a.m. practice, you know, I was there at 5:30, you know, I was the Zamboni. I knew he'd done the ice, the lights were on. I said, like, let's go. And my dad was like, you know, really nice enough to bring me because I think he saw how invested I was in in hockey.

SPEAKER_00 23:07

You know, Adrian, I want to ask this too now. Um, you're an international hockey person, right? You've been in many different places. Um, I'm watching this documentary. On Netflix right now, uh about Schwarzenegger, it's just called Arnold. And it's really good, right? Christy, you've had seen that too.

SPEAKER_02 23:23

My husband watched it and gave it a great review. He was talking about it before. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 23:28

Well, one of the things that stuck out to me on it, and and and I'm gonna kind of reverse this into a question was that you know Arnold's from Austria, he loves Austria, but he talks about the mentality of Austria kind of in his youth, and that it wasn't you don't go become a bodybuilder, you don't go have dreams. And he knew that to come to America or North America, that's where dreams could happen, right? But he always kept his roots in Austria. He goes back there all the time. Um, and it made me think that I was fortunate enough to live overseas for many years and to see a different perspective, right? Now, uh you you spent 11 years playing in Switzerland in a pro league over there. So my question to you is I'm interested in what from a world view did that open you up to? What are the things that you saw that maybe people who have never left North America don't see that you learned from? And this can go both ways. It's things that you saw in North America that it's not over there, but also the worldly view of being in another country and playing hockey in another country. I love that you said earlier that the NHL seemed slow to you when you got back because we kind of have this um uh probably not unfair balloon view of the NHL, but that's not the only way hockey's played. Uh, and and when you and when you watch international competition today, it's a it's it's a it's a different game in a lot of ways, right? So uh there's a lot of information there, but I'm always interested in perspectives from people who have played, lived, married, uh uh overseas, and how that can impact our audience.

SPEAKER_04 24:59

Well, for sure, first of all, the NHL has changed now. There's you know, I I would have been way more suited. Um, you know, we had hooking and holding, you know, and referees let that go slashing. So I was like, you know, I was a skilled player, but I had to fight Marty McSorley. A lot of people did. Like I was like right in between really being skilled. You know, I had like you know, 30 points in the NHL as a D man. I I'd be high ticket right now.

SPEAKER_00 25:31

So Kale McCar level, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 25:33

No, well, maybe not kill, but you know, there's a lot of great what they're looking for now is puck moving defensemen. So I wasn't, you know, it's whether you're either a top uh OD or you're gonna slug it out cross-check guys. So so I think the game now is probably faster, you know, and and so there was a lot of holding slowing down. So when I went to the Olympics big rings, you had the best of the rest of the world, like you know, you had uh Zubov, Malachov, who played there, you had uh Bikov, who's a legend in Russia as well. So the game was quick, and I just you know, you you play fast and then you get into the environment like soon after, and you go, Wow, I have time, you know, like I didn't feel under pressure and I had time, and so the environment's so important in you know, allowing you know these skills to flourish. Uh, but what I learned in in Europe is that I guess in Canada, school um balanced life was not really, you know, you you played junior, you went to university. Looking back, I I think I wasn't really mature enough, like 18, you're playing with 30, 30-year-olds, 32-year-olds in the NHL. And, you know, looking back, I would have said that if I stayed, you know, in school till I was 22, let just your you you develop, you know, you mature. I think that would have benefited me. And I think certain NHL teams are good at recognizing that whether a player is ready or not mentally, because you're thrown into an 82-game schedule where you're gonna get beat up. It's a grind. So recognizing, you know, which young players are are ready for that, and in terms of Switzerland, um, you know, they they mix, they're they're not just solely focused on hockey, they're already thinking about, you know, even some guys are working a little bit, even playing pro. So they're kind of thinking already, you know, what's after hockey. And Simon Sinek, uh, is it Simon Sinek? He talks about it. Simon Sinek, yeah. Yeah. So he talks about something really interesting that touched me is that hockey like pro athletes struggle. A lot of them struggle because they're so they just know hockey and everything's about them. It's all about you, it's all about what you can do for me so I have a great career. And what he says is that sense of community, not everybody, you know, creates it, depending on you know how you grew up. Some do naturally. So they have all these connections afterwards. I didn't. So you you're thrown into you know this other life where I could be, you know, selfish, but now I have to bring value, I have to learn new skills. And so he talked about a quarterback who knew that he realized that his days playing in the NFL, I can't remember the name, it's really an interesting conversation. He talked about he used his career to create his platform, realizing that you know, that's just something he does. And the way he's going to impact, you know, thousands of people is is after, you know, and and so he's already has this bigger vision of what he's trying to do. And and football was just a small part of it. So I think you know, having that guidance and people see because you're you're what ends up happening as a pro athlete, you're so your shiny object is like, oh, I can be a star, there's money, and you think that's gonna last forever, but like anything, it doesn't. And then, like, have you done anything? You know, have you built something, you know, while you're in the prime, while you're able to influence. So now I find myself like really, I have to, you know, find new resources, bring value in a different way. So really reinventing myself, and it's really it's hard work. Um, and um, and you can see why a lot of athletes struggle after you know their careers.

SPEAKER_00 30:28

You know, one of the things we've discussed in the show before is these kind of three pillars, um, not to keep you from being depressed, but when when you start to have a lack of these three things, that's when depression sets in. And those three things are you just tapped on one of them is community, the other two are purpose and identity. And I think what happens with our young athletes sometimes is we get so wrapped up all three into just the game. And then, Adrian, as you just said, the game goes away at some point for all of us, right? Or or the ability to make a living in the game goes away, right? I don't think the game ever leaves us, to be fair. But the community you make both in and outside of hockey is very important. We talked before about identity and not having it only wrapped in to I am a hockey player. It's I am a son, a daughter, a person, um, I have other interests and then purpose, uh, which is something that that that I know you have found here recently with your work now as a life coach and a coach, um, a mental fitness instructor. I mean, the the the list kind of goes on. Um I know that you and I believe heavily in certain methodologies that can help athletes and other people get present, um, and then in giving them and helping them find the tools to do so. I'm interested about how did you discover that side of the journey, right? And then I do want to dive into your tips for parents, coaches, and athletes uh from a mental standpoint now, right? And and it goes so far beyond hockey, it affects every aspect of your life. But there was a clear turn, it seems, with you into this field uh uh a point in your life. Tell us about how that happened.

SPEAKER_04 32:05

Well, I think like anything, um, you know, they say that your struggle, you know, ends up the thing that kind of you're looking for solutions. So naturally, um, you know, the times that I did get into flow in my career was, you know, most of the time I I really struggled with like being able to relax. And so I think the nervous system, the way it's wired, especially in our younger years, you know, like my parents, I I love my parents. We grew up in survival because they have a history, you know, like in Yugoslavia, there was all these wars, and like that's how they grew up. So life was like freaking surviving is your you gotta survive. So when your nervous system is wired like that, you're like you, you it's just you just feel a little bit different. So I always kind of said, I'm doing what I love. Like, why am I not relaxed? You know, why why can't I just like um you know, I I I knew that somewhere I should be enjoying this more. And so that kind of put me on a quest of like, what can I do to, you know, to you know, quiet the mind, but also the nervous system, because I think it's really so much about that and and you know, and positive intelligence, um, you know, the saboteurs is as we call them, is all these adaptive patterns that we pick up in childhood. And um, you know, we're we're adapting, we're we're you know, we feel like it's a place of fear, of lack. And so we're like, oh, I gotta be super, you know, perform like super, and it's never good enough. Like you can imagine where that's gonna lead, you know, or that kid who's avoiding, you know, like, oh, I have these feelings and here these thoughts. So I'm just I'm not gonna engage as much. So there's all these things that are happening in unconsciously, and so I think um, you know, building what you said is like the human, like, you know, making sure that that that there's a solid foundation, and from that place, I mean, you can enjoy your life. Hockey is part of life, and you're supposed to enjoy it. Doesn't mean it's always going to be easier, but you're gonna be able to put it in perspective and you're gonna be able to reach out, you know, you're not gonna feel alone. And so my journey kind of took me everything from mindfulness to you know, understanding. And um, you know, I had yeah, some interesting things happen in life too. Um, and and maybe I don't know if this is uh a part of what I I share, but I think I'm really open about my story. I had a brother who took his life, you know, at a fairly at 25, I was 27, and I was trying to build an NHL career. So just understanding that this place inside you that that has to be good, you know, when that when that's good, when you're in a good place, then you're you're just going to be able to navigate, make good decisions. Um, so I think um, yeah, and in the performance becomes it's easier to get yourself um into a place, it's easier to bounce back from a bad game versus I remember sometimes it took me like, you know, I would make a mistake, or you know, something was written in the papers, and I go, man, it's still in there. Like I go, what's going on? So you're going, like, can I let that go? And that letting go process just happens naturally, but it's very much to do with your inner beliefs, you know, and those are kind of hiding. Most people don't know what their you know beliefs are. It's like somewhere I feel lack, I feel I'm not good enough. And that's kind of running the show, operating from you know, back there, and you're not really noticing, you're simply reacting to the emotions it's creating, the thoughts that it's uh bringing forth. So I think definitely there's so much we can do, you know, for young kids, just teach them like, hey, it's okay, you learn strategies and and learn that, you know, sometimes thoughts you don't have to, you know, get so caught up in them. And create, I love that is you know, what is it from the book, uh The Search for Meaning. Uh Victor Frankly goes between uh um between uh stimulus, um, there's space, there's a space, there's a response. The the more space there is between a stimulus, the more you can respond the way you want to. And I think that's so key. Teaching kids, you know, to be more mindful and and to kind of understand their emotions, their thoughts, and and give them tools that they can, you know, navigate because hockey, like many sports, it's like quick, you're gonna make mistakes, you're gonna lose games that are close, you're gonna, you know, cost the game. And how do you bounce back and feel like hey, my my self-worth is kind of I feel solid, it's untouched. Okay, I'm disappointed, I might be down, but that self-worth, that foundation remains untouched.

SPEAKER_02 37:57

And maybe we can talk a little more about that. Go ahead, Mike, you're laughing.

SPEAKER_03 38:01

No, no, just like I'm like, I'm like, it's so frustrating. I don't mean to interrupt you, but what's on my head here? Like when you hear Adrian speak, and when you hear a lot of these really great athletes that we've had on, and motivational professionals that work in this every day, and then you leave, you know, a bunch of Yahoos like me coaching kids uh, you know, that that that aren't like professionally trained, you know, to understand what a child's mind and emotions go through. That's the last thing we need to do is work on power plays and penalty kills in education, and and it's more all of this. And and I've been and I'm a you know coaching education geek. I mean, I've you know I've done all my USA lacrosse, USA hockey, USA soccer, baseball. Like I just love hearing like all the other educational institutions and sport and how they teach um for the fundamentals, right? But all of that really goes out the window when you you know, Adrian, you said it that you can't even let go of a bad play from four games ago that you're still thinking about it because somebody else brought it up and they're in your head, and you're in your head. And I think that neutrality of learning that the past is the past and the and the and the future doesn't matter, you're in now, like right now we're in a in a in a neutral space that you control. Many of us as coaches with the with in youth programs um aren't equipped to even understand that piece. And I think that's where you know we have this huge disconnect in the educational piece of teaching our kids because yeah, we could do all this other stuff, and and I just wonder how many kids we're missing on a daily basis from reaching their own potential, because we don't even know how to spot that.

SPEAKER_02 39:49

Right. And even with parents too, because I gotta be honest with you, you know, when we first started in hockey, I had no idea what an emotional roller coaster we were gonna be riding. The highs can be so high, and the lows can be so low, and within the day, I mean you might have the worst game in your life, and the kids feel like crap, and then the next hour or two, they play another game and they're super hot. I mean, nobody really prepares you for that, too, you know, even even from the parent side of it.

SPEAKER_04 40:25

Yeah, for sure. I think one part too is like, you know, where you I think especially I see this when you're young, you know, playfulness is so important, like maintaining that playfulness because playfulness is like that's the sort of the muscle. It's everything grows in playfulness, it's that fertile ground ground where it's that there's so many positive emotions, and in that place everything can kind of flourish. And obviously, you know, as you get older, you have to get a more pro routines and that. But you know, when I look at you, we talked about Jager, like why he played so long is because like I see a kid, the kid's still in him. Retsky was a lot like that. Um, so I think that playfulness is really it's so huge. When it starts getting serious, way too young. Oh my god, that's a that's a recipe, that's a disaster waiting to happen. Something will go, you know. So, and give you an example in Belgium, like um, you know, they with soccer or football as they call it, they they did something really interesting. They they they were you know dropping in terms of you know talent and performance and world stage. And so they started creating smaller fields, so playing less kids, so two on two, three on three, so more touches, more fun. And all of a sudden they started, you know, developing. So at the end of the game, uh, at the end of the day, sports is a great feature, it's a great way for kids to develop, regardless whether you know, they make it to the top. It's well who who makes it, you know, one, two percent. So using like what what do I learn from playing sports, you know, and and keeping it really organic, especially early on. You're you know, you're you're getting in touch with your senses, you know, hockey. Yeah, your hands, your feet, you're learning all this, and and being able, you know, to see. And I I recall when I played, you know, and I was, you know, too anxious, my vision just like everything, looking down, looking, and you can tell, you know, and you go, how do I how do I get myself out of that place? And so I think a lot of it is just teaching them to relax, even though they might be a little bit anxious, and you know, it's all right. And and so you can, you know, start using breathing, um, you know, early on, teaching kids. I'm I'm I do breath, I have a practice, a meditation practice. And I think uh as I get older, I'm it's more and more because I realize that it's such a fundamental part of being healthy.

SPEAKER_02 43:27

Um so yeah, uh, I don't know what the initial question because I I went, it's just it's just a the question is what advice would you give to parents who are just starting on the out in this journey and they're and they're not prepared for this emotional roller coaster. I I love the idea of introducing the breathing and the meditation because none of that was ever an option for us. Nobody ever talked about that when we started our hockey journey.

SPEAKER_00 43:56

It still barely is, Christy, just so you know. When I when I introduce that to teams, they they go, you want to do what? I'm like, just trust me.

SPEAKER_02 44:06

How much of a difference can that make, you know, for not even just the kid, but just for the parents who go crazy in the stance?

SPEAKER_04 44:14

Sure. Yeah, because they're so kind of attached. And I like I said, I think the biggest piece is be there's support, support the kids, playfulness, like okay, like, and then you know, talk about uh, you know, get the kids to open up about the experience of losing, you know, of winning, you know, even if you score three goals in of a game, uh, three goals in a game, and then the next game, you know, you're still on that, you're not gonna, you're not gonna be present. And I think what Mike said is that that's the goal, is that life happens in the present moment. So if you're like dragging stuff, you know, from the past into the future, you're you're not fully present. So I think ultimately you're like make the experience the focus, the main focus, and teach kids how like what do you need to be totally present for this experience? So uh playfulness. is is huge. Like I'm I'm big, you know, it's a it's a game. And then you know within that playfulness of that's there as a foundation, I think a lot of good things happen. And then you can teach them, you know, um you have a bad shift, you're frustrated, like you know, get back to the bench and you know just grab you can grab your stick and breathe a few times. That could be an anchor in you knowing that you have to you're gonna be out there in 30 seconds. So from that place where you're totally frustrated like you're gonna be one step behind. You're gonna be you're you're not gonna be in a state to react because hockey happens so quickly. So you know kind of you know help I guess coaches can help that way. But uh yeah just for parents I think just really supporting um and I think a lot of parents just you know get caught up in in this short vision you know and it's everything's taken out of context when really it's a long ride to get back to even if you go pro it's about you know being consistent and creating the environment where a kid can be you know totally himself and and be consistent.

SPEAKER_03 46:39

So yeah I think Adrian I think for our our families right and the people that we tend to speak to and speak with and and you know really revolve around kind of this podcast and the the the the youth level is to almost be the advocate back to the organization that this is what's important. Like I don't need another power skating clinic. I need this like and we can do this as you know it's so hard for a parent to be alone on an island and say oh my kid's gonna do you know visualization training and and motivational breathing and like that's really difficult for an 11 12 15 year old child to be in a room doing that like before a game when it's the right thing to do and everybody else like what the hell's wrong with this kid and who do these parents think they are like it just that's what happens and I think it so I always advocate that that's why we want to do it as a team. Now whether every team member utilizes it or not is that's another story. But if we if we looked at this as a as a practice like if we taught it as a way of in our development structure it doesn't become foreign it becomes practice it becomes part of your development. And I think what happens most people I know where we are um see it as oh that's what that that's what that that that one family's doing that thinks their kid's going to go pro. Well no they're the kids doing it so that they can enjoy the sport but we're doing it because we want to have a better team. You know if we want to be if you want to be the best teammate you have to be your best self. Right? And then if you could be your best self you can now contribute to the team. So I think it's just a it's a funny thing how we look at these these non-on ice activities and don't see them as as or more important than the time we spend on the ice and that playfulness and free play and free and the freedom to explore the game is actually where the best players in the world develop and we don't see that because nobody's watching the kid in the park and nobody's watching the kid go to the tennis courts that are frozen and demanding they go out there and skate. They're just doing it. And I I think that's uh and I and I so I would implore the people that listen to you and and the people that were on this you know that work with Lee and that that they that be the advocate for this because if it helps your kid and you can help your child help the rest of the team it helps your kid. Right? So if you want your team to be successful and you want your kid to get noticed then help your team and that's the sport we're in unless you're gonna go play tennis or golf or something like that.

SPEAKER_02 49:11

That is the piece that is missing consistently it really is.

SPEAKER_00 49:17

I agree.

SPEAKER_03 49:18

Well because it's it's for us it's me me like I'm gonna do this for my kid but yeah but your kid can't be successful without the team being successful. That's what's great about our sport. I mean that's what's great about hockey isn't it what are you talking about Mike what are you what are you talking about man that's not with the 10 goals that's the kid no go ahead Adrian but Adrian it's your show so yeah maybe I agree but I think that I think that's just like that those kind of things that you can like that you see and maybe maybe really talk about like because you're in Europe and you're in you know you're in like these Scandinavian countries that you see it right you see it at the the way the children are worked with at the youngest levels. And the sad part is like where I am right now in Norway and talking to the Norwegian hockey they want to be like like they they're trying to make things faster. They're trying to make all-star teams earlier I'm like no no no this is where you don't go down this route like the the the ability to just to just be a player and and be with your friends and enjoy coming to the rink and and and having that is really what the secret sauce is that's why a town of you know 400 people can produce NHL hockey players you know and and and they can be successful.

SPEAKER_04 50:24

And and you said something interesting about you know visualization all all related to imagination. I mean kids kids are uh what is it Einstein said like imagination is more valuable than knowledge because whatever we create you know I remember when I used to go to the rinks I imagined me being in front of 2000 people no one was telling me do that because I watched hockey night in Canada and I think somewhere I was planting seeds you know in my mind and and how you know it will all work. So I think that especially and what I found in hockey you know we used to have like you know drills when I think back and there's 10 kids in line and one's doing the drill and they're all sitting there and waiting and I go oh my god like creativity like creativity throw a puck out there let them you know figure out let them like as as they learn to walk as you know toddlers they're gonna learn to play hockey so those first few years should be like man touch the puck skate like you know have fun create that environment where you know everybody loves everybody's excited oh I have hockey today I have hockey today um you know imagine that what would happen i i guarantee you there's a lot of good stuff that that would happen and so yeah I think Finland and you know they're really good at recognizing you know what is when do you introduce something because even you know when they do you know deadlifts and these major squats the movements where I see a lot of kids they you know they're playing high levels but they haven't even learned a a movement pattern like squatting and so the the Finns and Swedes I find are really advanced in that they they teach them you know the body uh movement patterns which are like you know those are our that's how we move those are the movements that are important to to life and even as you get older so these things still serve me as I'm still you know moving to to stay young. So I think they're really good at at uh you know putting those in place. So I I hope I answered your question.

SPEAKER_00 52:51

Oh you you did Adrian look I I get a whole page of notes here that I want to get over because and and and for those of you listening not watching this you know there's a lot of passion coming through in Adrian's face when he when we talk about this and and not that you didn't have that when you talked about your NHL career but you you it's I guarantee you the faces that you're making visually right now are the same ones you were making on the tennis courts as a kid. You can see the passion coming through um you know going back to that Artle documentary you kind of just talked about this and and I'm gonna say what he said you got to keep in mind that that this is Schwarzenegger talking so you know he's always very forthright but he said dreams are bullshit vision is everything. And what he was trying to say was that it it's not enough just to have a dream. You have to visualize it. And it's funny you talked about 2000 people Adrian because he talked about standing on a stage as a kid thinking about 2000 people watching him win Mr. Universe and then it happened and then he visualized being the best movie star and then it happened and then he visualized being you know in pol and then it happened he visualized it. He didn't just think it um so that's important. A few minutes ago though Adrian you said something very very profound and I want to I want to repeat it because it kind of was like a almost a light bulb type statement for me. You said everything grows in playfulness it's fertile ground man that is a great quote uh and and I want to make sure that everyone listening equates this well beyond hockey. You know in my work whether it's with businesses nonprofits doctors hockey players this is true in every environment when I work with a stagnant business that's what's missing. There's nothing fun about it. There's no play and you know what's funny is we'll go in Adrian will do a nice really simple team building exercise have them smile and all of a sudden they want to be at work the next day right now the misconception is we do this one time and everything's fixed right it it it you have to consistently and constantly be in you know implementing I did breathing yesterday I did it yeah like Mike to your point I was gonna say this too I wrote this down uh we talk about the mental fitness and we talk about all the work that we do with teams and and uh Adrian for for your um like for your knowledge here it's like you know we do breathing exercises with young teams we do lots of team building Mike I've never had a team this is for everybody listening I've never had a team come back to me at the end of the season or the end of a session and go boy that was a waste of time I really wish we were working on the power play instead of that no one has ever said that to me at least not to my face as it's like that right you know this stuff works and and Mike you know I find in in the line of work and Adrian I'm sure you do too is that the the stigma that surrounds it the the way I actually have to almost convince teams is hey you'll win more now it depends how you define the word winning but you'll win more if your kids do this. That's how I get attention typically and then once we dive in I think in Adrian I'm gonna talk about positive intelligence in a second the world kind of opens up and you realize like look winning the game is really not the goal it's a goal amongst many goals right um so for Mike and Christy I wanted to bring this up um Adrian and I are both in a in a in a program with positive intelligence and you brought up before I think this is important we discuss this saboteurs right and and they I kind of equate them to kind of the pressure voices in your head we all have them Adrian you said it right they're developed in our youth uh and they come in different forms for example you gave some examples earlier mine was restlessness right whereas I always have to be on to the next big thing and my brain is pushing me go to the next thing find the next thing and it's funny because you don't realize that's a saboteur. In fact that for many years in my life I thought this was just a great driving force that I don't stop. And I realized I was never present I was always to the next thing and when I became conscious of that and there's other saboteurs that that again for those of you listening you can find these things that you have when you become conscious to them then you can switch Adrian to the sage mindset. And and you can't see this Adrian I'm in my office right now I have the sage perspective poster up on my wall and I always have it there. And in short for everybody listening again and my Mike and Christy the sage perspective is how can I turn you know negatives into positives in my mind I was at this is a funny timing on this uh Mike convinced me to go to the uh USA hockey goaltending uh coaching course yesterday I am now a bronze goaltending coach somehow I don't know how that happened I would never call myself a goalie coach but but I got that but one of the things that one of the the coaches said yesterday Mike was every goal against is a gift and it was that was a sage mindset of if it goes in the net you can learn from it right they're not all going to be pretty and some of them are going to be more obvious than others but it's can you take the goal against and learn every time it's a gift. Yeah I I am just like you Adrian I'm so passionate about teaching this to our youth and and adults for that matter but the youth take to it we need to be implementing these methodologies into the younger audience because we're doing the opposite all right and and just to give a kind of a a a rounding out to this you know you can see at the NHL level the teams finding success right now are being coached by individuals who seem to understand this. They want it to be playful they want it to be fun they understand it's a job but you you can see it in in Colorado in Tampa Bay right in Vegas you know the the the coaching style is let's enjoy this together that is a lot different than the way things were done when I was a kid Adrian when you were a kid all right you know with with kind of some of these old school coaches. But with that said and this is what this is why I do what I do Adrian this is probably why what you do what you do we uh we just saw a Russian player take his own life last week at 22 years old or less I believe I was on the ice the other week with my daughter and we were just it's a sticking puck and she was just you know making snow angels and having a good time and you know I kept this in our little space and at the other end of the ice I'm not kidding you Mike this would have pissed you off is a a I'll say a tier one coach with obviously his kid he's screaming at his kid and his kid is screaming back and this is a sticking puck and I'm sitting there watching I'm like what the hell are you guys doing? Like neither one of you wants to be here right and and so I still see this stuff and those were saboteurs on both ends with that father and that son just colliding over and over and over again. No consciousness now I try and approach that with grace too if like you know I'm not gonna go up to those guys on the ice and say hey you know you're conscious but you know I I I hope for those two right like I hope they can discover this as a community and Adrian this is me turning this into a question now. Obviously I get passionate about this too as a community we can commit to these ideologies. If you're listening to this show you obviously believe in it because we talk about it all the time but it is so important that you give yourself grace with this process of being present your mind is your mind is wired to not stay in the present moment.

SPEAKER_04 1:00:11

It wants to explore as you said Adrian wants to be creative but I you talked about if you can find that gap bring it in and become present and not worry about the past and not worry about the future man solutions just present themselves right if those if those if those uh I I used to call them negative voices I call them pressure voices now if they hijack your mind you're not gonna be able to make great decisions right so agent I I guess I'm throwing it back to you for more of a comment when when it comes to the game but I I see this it's still prevalent Mike made the great point before of there's this stigma if if I go to a team and say no I'm a mental skills coach they go yeah but what what is that gonna do what what is that going to do for us right I just would love your your general thoughts on this well I I totally agree I mean you know in terms of turning a negative into a positive so I do think you know some you know the the the hot stove the hand on the hot stove you can be frustrated you know and and be there for a second that that could be a driving force and you could feel you know angry because you know you maybe you're not showing up the way you wanted but ultimately that has to lead you to a place of expansion you know expansion to me is that that's where you're going to play your best if you're contracted forget about it everything's slower your muscles are responding but you know your vision's impaired um so it's really about you know realizing okay you can experience that but you know how do you how do you step into a state where you feel empowered where you know you're gonna make progress and that's all you know about expansion. So I think you know that's really important and and realizing that you know most kids put enough pressure on themselves. So if there's you know pressure plus pressure from the outside imagine you know someone like you said a young kid at 22 taking his life like that's that's crazy. Imagine what's going on in someone's head you know to be able to to do that. So you know realizing you know it's really our responsibility to understand you said something really to touch me yeah it's a business you know there's got to be a level professionalism but that in itself is the bigger picture is life. That is all within life and what's life you know life is I mean if you're not waking up feeling good empowered you know happy experiencing joy whatever you do you know it's it's just not going to feel the same way. So we have to like you know get them to get excited about life. Okay this is a part of life and and that's how we should teach hockey like part of life something that can help you evolve even raise your consciousness level you know so you know in terms of like hey okay I felt anger I saw it you know I saw it and I I grabbed it you know and I said okay cool I can handle that I can out right I'm gonna I'm gonna turn it into something I'm gonna use that energy you know of getting angry frustration and I'm gonna turn it and and be a sort of what do they say alchemist you'll turn it into into something and you'll use that energy and you're gonna step on then you know next time on the ice and you're gonna make a great play you're gonna have this surge of energy so teaching them those principles of life because we're playing the game of life you know hockey's you know just one of the things that's always changing so you can be playful with that too the game of life right absolutely that's and that and that's Lee's point too it's gonna help you win like you know like we tell the kids all the time like which wolf are you going to feed today?

SPEAKER_03 1:04:12

Like you're gonna feed that that negative horrible you know self-defeating wolf or you're gonna feed the the good wolf like and I think it's like you know but that's but if parents and coaches understood that it's actually it's not like voodoo it's actually how you're gonna win like it's it's the better way it's the better way to learn and win.

SPEAKER_00 1:04:30

Well and Mike I want to add this too and and Adrian this is the one that I find um is the stigma with what we do is there's this misconception that if you're present and peaceful you will lose your competitiveness. And it is quite the opposite all right I am I've always been competitive I've had more success with that competitiveness being present than when I felt like I needed to be angry to succeed or or as you said I wasn't an alchemist right I didn't use the energy efficiently. And you know I I I have become more competitive in a positive way since being present than when I wasn't and here's the thing and this is how I also break the stigma because that's just my word who am I right? If you look at the greatest of all time most of them had an ability to be present better than anybody uh we talked about Schwarzenegger very present person. Kobe Bryant very very present person and they've talked about this they they success leaves clues right uh I remember in the Michael Jordan documentary right The last dance I said it the most important part of that documentary was not that the Bulls won that last championship. It was people his his teammates said in the documentary he is the most present person I have ever met he's also probably the greatest competitor in modern history in sports it it's there my friends the the the the clues are there the success stories are there all right and and you know what the funny part about it is there are so many examples of people that are not present failing at the highest levels that it makes you wonder in the first place of why are we subscribing to that over and over again. And look the answer is this we're just learning about the mind now. This is a really recent discovery when you think about it, right? In terms of oh like my mind is a muscle and I can train it. And this will be kind of my last question for you Adrian because I'm hogging on the mic time here. But one of the keys we didn't talk about here is this we're talking about the importance of mindfulness, the importance of being present. We did not talk about the importance of practicing it. Right. And it it is it is such a key part of it is you don't just achieve mindfulness and you have it. You're not just present all the time and probably unless you're like a Buddhist monk sitting on a mountain not speaking somewhere, which is again no offense to them. That's not going to be me I don't I don't necessarily want that life but this is something and this is the the course that you and I take that or the certification that we have is to consistently and constantly practice this multiple times a day. And and I'm at a place with it and Adrian I don't want to speak for you I'm at a place with well I've been doing it for over you know a couple of years now that it's it's natural to me now to just snap my fingers and okay I'm gonna have present for two minutes Um and man, the the the power of that, what that has done for me personally, professionally, with my family, with my kids, has been life-changing for me. Right. And I'm curious if you're having the same experience. And then also how how do you practice your mindfulness every day?

SPEAKER_04 1:07:33

Well, I think, yeah, so well put. Uh um what I love saying is, you know, we all have an essence to us, you know, like a nature. And, you know, just like you were five, you know, 10, like, and now you're older, you know, like which version of you is real? Well, they're all, you know, that essence. And when you do those reps, you know, you're kind of connecting to that essence. You know, I I love to return, you said, like competitiveness because you hear that has to look a certain way. You don't know what's happening inside of someone, you know. He might be like, so I love this. I'm like, and a perfect example is Bruce Lee. You know, I love using Bruce Lee. Like, you know, you're talking about, you know, just delivering a punch. It's not like wasting all your energy, it's like being really intentional. And it's really almost to the point where you're feeling the energy, you know. So there's, I think there's a real R to it, you know, really sensing and and so it's really to me, it's like getting in touch with that essence, you know, and your inner resources. And what's that feel like? Can you, you know, make that come alive and see how that shows up? And so, like I said, it's not the one making the most noise, it's the one who has, you know, the ability to focus when everybody's like totally distracted, when you know they're down two goals, and you know, there's someone who's saying, Okay, I'm good, I'm I'm focused, I know what I need to do. And then all of a sudden, that ability to focus, I think, is really is so important in life. And there's so many distractions. You know, they even talked about now that you know there's someone in terms of working with the phones, you know. So you're constantly on your phone being distracted, you know, and that's you know, taking away from you know, everything, you moving toward, you being engaged in practice, the way you're showing up. So really recognizing that that your attention is being can be hijacked at all times, especially now. And to me, a sage, you know, a sage skill is is your your ability to focus, you know, it's like and that is really, I think kids learn we're examples. So they learn by doing, you know, just like the the line learns to, you know, there's some instinct to it, but they learn by simply watching. So if we're the example, we can say very little, but we're gonna create the environment where you know there's gonna be success, there's gonna be focus, there's gonna be calm, you know, there's gonna be uh all the things that you need, I think, to succeed.

SPEAKER_00 1:10:39

Totally agree with all of that. Mike, Christy, I again I know we're getting short on time. Is there anything else you wanted to ask?

SPEAKER_02 1:10:46

That's great. I mean, I think it is going to become even more challenging as we look at where our kids are headed and um you know their attention spans are getting even shorter, and um, you know, the discipline isn't quite what it used to be either. So there are a lot of challenges ahead. And I think if parents can get on board with this philosophy, even if you know you don't have a bunch of people around you, you're the only one, you know, you're you're you're peddling against the dream that's going against you, you're gonna benefit from this. So um it's fantastic, and I think your timing is perfect, uh, especially now with what our kids are going through.

SPEAKER_03 1:11:29

Yeah, and it wasn't it wasn't too long ago, you know, guys are you know, smoking darts in the locker room, you know, between periods. So everybody learns there's always there's always there's always uh you know, there's there's evolution, right, of the player and the mind and the body, and we learn that we have to, I mean, you know, we talk about these you know great athletes, the Jordans and the Woods and the you know the mental, but but Adrian, I mean, you're in a one percenter. I mean, you're you're you're you know, you're in the same boat. I mean, in my opinion, and I look at guys like you and say, okay, there's like one percent less of the population in my world, which is hockey, right? That that have played in the stage that you've played in. And if our parents can take just you know, your experiences and and you you know what you're seeing, and the fact that you're around other great athletes and you've seen, listen, I play with some like really great guys, right? And there were a lot of guys that I'm like, I don't even know how they got through the day. Like they just like you know, they they imagine if you had these tools uh, you know, when you when you were 10, 11, 12, and us as parents had the tools that said, hey, you know, just like right now. I mean, I I can't imagine a kid going into junior hockey without knowing what the weight room is and and and and and having a nutritionist and all that kind of stuff, right? So as we develop this knowledge, I mean I think you know, following people like yourself and obviously Lee and and and knowing that you know we can uh utilize these great resources, that's actually much, much easier to get to now, right? Because it's all here. I mean, this is like you don't have to explore, you just have to Google. You know, I think it's so it's I think it's just an easier way for us to do it, but maybe, or maybe we have to be off the phone a little longer, maybe we don't have to Google so much, but uh get somebody else to tell us. But I think it's great. I really appreciate you coming on because it just uh you know gives a little more inspiration as we go through the summer and you know into the into the year to find out how to how to put these things um to work, you know, with our teams.

SPEAKER_04 1:13:23

I can I share one more thing I find is just uh uh grab me something I'm learning in the master coaching that I'm doing. I do this, is we talk about making contact. So making contact is like, okay, we see you, I see Lee, but actually, do I really like see, you know, the person and making contact, we talk about in our coaching circle as the carrier wave of communication of so many things, of transformation. So when you see that kid, you see the person, not what you're wanting, what your intellect, what you know the agenda is. You actually see how can I serve, how can I serve that kid? What does he or she need like right now? So you create that contact where you see that, you know, person. And I think like if we you know show up in that way and imagine like even the relationships, the level of trust that there's going to be found. And uh these kids will go, you know, they'll do everything when they feel like, wow, this person cares about me, but it's not just kids, it's I adults as well. So I want to put that piece of like really connecting, you know, like connecting with you know those kids, whatever you're doing and coaching, and you know, drop the agenda a little bit and create that contact, and then you'll see amazing things will happen.

SPEAKER_00 1:14:50

I think, Adrian, to your point, if you do that, you're coaching a human being. If you don't do that, you're just coaching a hockey player, right?

SPEAKER_01 1:14:57

There you go.

SPEAKER_00 1:14:57

And and great coaches, not limited to hockey, create better people. And we we say on the show all the time great people become great players, not not the other way around, right? Great player doesn't mean you're gonna be a great person. Uh, Adrian, you're a great person. I want to tell everybody if you enjoyed this episode, make sure you follow Adrian on LinkedIn, uh last name P-L-A-V-S-I-C. All right. Um, Adrian, is there other places people should go? I mean, you put some great content on LinkedIn. I just didn't know if there was another place.

SPEAKER_04 1:15:23

Yeah, I think uh right now, Beyond Performance is what I'm gonna have a website up and running, so I can share that with you. But LinkedIn is the main place I kind of put, you know, my contacts so you can look at Adrian Plastic or Beyond Performance, and you'll see me there. And I'm slowly getting active on on Facebook and Instagram, but uh my website is where really I'm gonna share what I do, so um, yeah, I'll I'll give you that information if I can and when is ready. But yeah, I totally appreciate it. It was a real pleasure to exchange.

SPEAKER_00 1:16:01

Uh it goes both ways, and I'll say an Olympian, a world junior champion, NHL, but above all, a great human being that trumps all of those, all those are pretty good credentials there. But that's gonna do it for this edition of Our Kids Play Hockey. Uh, if you have loved this episode, make sure you give us that five-star review wherever you're listening. Share it with your friends, put it in your team communication, share Adrian's story with the people out there. We need to get these messages out there. But uh, for Christy Cash, John Burns, Mike Vinelli, and Adrian Plapsek, I'm Leah Lyas. We will see you on the next edition of Our Kids Play Hockey. Make sure to have a great week, everybody. See you soon. We hope you enjoyed this edition of Our Kids Play Hockey. 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, ourkidsplayhockey.com. Also, make sure to check out our children's book, When Hockey Stops, and When Hockey Stops.com. It's a book that helps children deal with adversity in the game and in life. Very proud of it. Thanks so much for listening to this edition of Our Kids Play Hockey, and we'll see you on the next episode.