The Power of Proper Fueling in Youth Hockey with Enduraphin Founders Danny Drake & Mike Dalberth

Lee MJ Elias [0:08 - 1:05]: Hello, hockey friends and families around the world, and welcome back to another episode of Our Kids Play Hockey. I'm Lee Elias, and I'm joined by the beautiful Mike Benelli and beautiful Christy Casciano Burns. And today, we're exploring a topic everyone talks about but can't always get right. Sports nutrition. Simple, meaningful habits that support performance recovery and growing bodies. For our experts today, we're lucky to have Danny Drake and Mike Dalberth, co founders of endurofin. Not to pitch their products, but to help us understand what works and what doesn't for youth athletes when it comes to fueling. Right, we'll be dividing. I'm sorry, we'll be diving into common questions parents and coaches have about nutrition. Won't be dividing anybody, but we're gonna talk about what you can prioritize, what to avoid, and how to find practical pathways that support both energy and enjoyment of the game. It is actually a very strong, serious topic. Friends, we see what your kids are eating. As coaches, I know you have to find things quickly sometimes, but there are solutions. Guys, welcome to our Kids Play Hockey. 

Mike Dalberth [1:06 - 1:15]: Thanks for having us. Definitely an electric intro. I will say. I will say you could include the beautiful Mike and Danny next time, but it was great. 

Lee MJ Elias [1:15 - 1:45]: I was going to give other descriptive words. I'm a writer, right? You took electric from me, so now I can't even use that. But how about the informative Mike and Danny, right, when we get into it? Because, guys, listen, nutrition is actually one of the topics we get asked about a lot. And I. My belief, and I think all of us here, is that it's. It's never as hard as people think it is, right? It just takes a little thought. So let's just start with this one. What's one nutrition strategy that gets overlooked even when it makes a huge difference in young players? 

Danny Drake [1:47 - 2:15]: Yeah, I think I can rip there first, Mike. But I think a lot of times, you know, in this day and age of. Of Instagram and kind of that beautiful image of what we all should be, we're looking for that kind of heroic dose, right? It's like this one thing that we can do, and it cures. It cures all. And in reality, I think it comes comes back to habits, right? 

Danny Drake [2:15 - 2:15]: The. 

Danny Drake [2:15 - 2:28]: The small habits throughout the day, you know, from. From eating breakfast to lunch to dinner, right? And knowing ultimately what your goals are as an athlete, you know, from a protein and calorie input. 

Danny Drake [2:28 - 2:29]: Right. 

Danny Drake [2:29 - 2:33]: And then realizing, you know, if. If you could be successful at winning breakfast. 

Danny Drake [2:34 - 2:34]: Right. 

Danny Drake [2:34 - 2:35]: And then winning lunch. 

Danny Drake [2:36 - 2:36]: Right. 

Danny Drake [2:36 - 2:39]: You're on the road to success day in and day out. 

Danny Drake [2:39 - 2:39]: Right? 

Danny Drake [2:39 - 2:49]: And it's, it's not this one, you know, shoot the moon supplement or, or thing that you take. It's the little things that you do every single day. 

Danny Drake [2:49 - 2:49]: Right. 

Danny Drake [2:50 - 3:03]: And I think, you know, as, as you look at the, the busy schedule of a parent and you know, this young hot hockey athlete nowadays, right. There may be gaps right. Between breakfast, lunch and dinner. 

Danny Drake [3:03 - 3:03]: Right. 

Danny Drake [3:03 - 3:11]: And that's where I think the parent comes in and plays a big role in making sure they have those healthy snacks along the way. 

Danny Drake [3:11 - 3:12]: Right. 

Mike Bonelli [3:12 - 3:33]: And guys, I think it's important to point out to parents it's never too early to start that nutrition journey with your kids. Start them out little, little toddlers before they even hit the ice. Talk about that how you can introduce these concepts to your kids at a young age that will carry with them throughout their lives. 

Mike Dalberth [3:35 - 4:03]: Absolutely. I mean, our parents influence a lot of the decisions we make right from the very get go. And some kids are blessed with parents that have good eating habits and that gets passed through to them and some just aren't. But I think, you know, it's kind of a relationship that goes back and forth too, right. I mean, I know, you know, when I was a kid I was blessed with parents that did live kind of a more natural eating, healthier lifestyle, but my parents were also super open minded when I would come back to them and have an idea of something that we could eat that would be a little bit healthier. 

Mike Dalberth [4:03 - 4:03]: Right. 

Mike Dalberth [4:03 - 4:29]: So it kind of can be either one that really helps. But if the goal, like Danny said, is to get healthier as an overall, it's really the little things. You know, at the very beginning when this question was introduced, you know, you mentioned that it's not hard, it just requires being, you know, informed a little bit. So I think it kind of starts with that desire to want to know like what is a healthy versus unhealthy decision and then how can we consistently do those small things? Well, that that's what leads to success. 

Danny Drake [4:30 - 4:58]: Just I've got a little two year old girl, right. I think it starts, it starts even at that age, right. It's building those, those fun eating habits, right. It's the, you know, the fruit is as exciting as that ice cream, right. Like if, if you can, if you could start it there, then, then it's normal for, for your, your kid to grow and, and just do that naturally. I think that's, it starts as young as, you know, when they're starting to consume Food. 

Mike Bonelli [4:58 - 5:01]: You're right. Normalcy is. That's the key. 

Lee MJ Elias [5:01 - 5:57]: Yeah. You know, I want to add it in too, because you brought up a really good point about the educational side. You know, I think sometimes we parents get shamed and guilted and like, well, you just. You go to McDonald's and it's because you're lazy. And the truth is, you know, look, there might be a little bit of that, all right? But I've also been in the car when my kids are screaming. And the truth is this. We have to figure out how to, you know, educate parents so it's not like, okay, there's a fast food restaurant. I just have to get them out of the car. When your brain can go, okay, well, look, maybe I should have these snacks ahead of time. Maybe an apple is what they need. There are easy things to get, but if you don't think about them or don't know about them, you may not get them. Right? So, Danny, I want to actually turn to you real quick here. Like, why don't we start with some actionable items and go over, like, the things like, you shouldn't eat, like, you should not do this. And maybe it's with repetition, you know, Like, I think anything once in a while might be okay, right? But what are the things you really should not be eating before a game and after a game? 

Danny Drake [5:58 - 7:15]: Yeah, I think, I think the. The obvious ones, right, To. To everyone here, right? We. We see, you know, the. The quick food options on every corner as we're driving to the, to the rink as. As parents here, and it is convenient to be able to go in there and get the food. And in our busy lives, I don't think that should be shamed. But, you know, choose. Choose better options, right? If. If you need to be on the go and, and fast pace, right? There's. There's a. A fresh kitchen right here in Orlando similar to, you know, the. The Cavas and Chipotle's of the world, right? Like, choose. Choose the healthier option and then I think be more. Be more programmed with it, right? That's. That's kind of the. The solution to, you know, staying away from those don'ts, right? Like the, the fat fried food right around lifts. Like, you're gonna feel slow when you're skating. And, and like, I think for. For a young athlete, they're intuitive. They can. They could feel their bodies, right? Like, they're gonna. They. They need to start to realize, hey, when I consume this, the food is gonna start to digest within about 30 minutes. 

Danny Drake [7:15 - 7:15]: Right. 

Danny Drake [7:15 - 7:17]: How are you feeling? 

Danny Drake [7:17 - 7:17]: Right? 

Danny Drake [7:18 - 7:25]: And start to dial in what they like and dislike and then you'll be able to inform those habits, right? They'll be inspired to do it. 

Mike Bonelli [7:25 - 8:41]: You know, I think, I think when you look at your nutrition as a family, right, and you look at it from the holistic perspective of I have to, I have to not only feed my athlete, but, but I have to incorporate the rest of my family into this other piece, right? So you might have a high performing athlete, but you also have other people in the family, right? So maybe can you guys just maybe talk a little bit about, you know, when we make those, you know, we make those choices, what works, what doesn't work and what you've seen now and you guys, and just so the audience knows too, you're coming from really the perspective of a lot of the work you do with college programs and pros, right? So they're, they have everything for them. They have a kitchen, they got nutritionists, they got personal chefs, they have schedulers, they have managers. They have all of those things that we all want as parents. Like Christy did that as a parent, right? She didn't have all that support. She was the support. So can you just talk a little bit about how we as families, you know, might, you know, might look at this and say, okay, well, without going crazy, what does work for pregame meals and post game meals and in between meals, like, what can I give my son or daughter that's outside? Like, that's not, you know, I'm not changing my whole family's nutritional goals. 

Danny Drake [8:42 - 8:44]: Yeah, I, I think you're right. 

Danny Drake [8:44 - 8:44]: Right. 

Danny Drake [8:44 - 9:03]: We got started in, in collegiate athletics right up at Clarkson University originally now working with about a hundred division one universities. So we see the behind the scenes of, of, you know, how athletes are grown and developed at that collegiate level. And it's, it's world class, right? 

Danny Drake [9:03 - 9:03]: Right. 

Danny Drake [9:03 - 9:10]: Every, everything is handled. The athlete gets plugged in and stays disciplined and sees results. 

Danny Drake [9:10 - 9:11]: Right? 

Danny Drake [9:11 - 9:51]: And I think as, as parents, you know, there are the little things, right? Start with, start with the basics like we said, right? Breakfast, lunch and dinner. If, if you're too fast paced, you know, look at meal, meal prepping on the weekend, right? So, so leaning into the lean proteins and, and quality carbs and greens, right? And then if, if you are too fast paced, you can't do that, right? There's, there's, you know, dual working families, like, there's ready to eat meals that I think are better options out there than, you know, some of these fast food options. And I think, you know, set the goal. You got to know what the goal is. 

Danny Drake [9:52 - 9:52]: Right? 

Danny Drake [9:52 - 9:59]: What, what, what is your young athlete's pro team goal? If you don't know that, then how do you know how much you're fueling them? 

Danny Drake [9:59 - 9:59]: Right. 

Danny Drake [9:59 - 10:13]: And, and once you see that, you could start to just do a simple math calculation, back it out, and then have snacks that fit those gaps and, you know, fill the pantry a little bit and make sure it's accessible. 

Danny Drake [10:13 - 10:14]: Right. 

Danny Drake [10:14 - 10:19]: I think what we've seen is compliance goes up when it's convenient. 

Danny Drake [10:19 - 10:20]: Right? 

Danny Drake [10:20 - 10:25]: Like, and, and ultimately, ultimately getting something is better than nothing. 

Danny Drake [10:26 - 10:26]: Right? 

Danny Drake [10:27 - 10:36]: So, you know, be, be, be more programmed and, and ultimately try and, and, you know, work towards that goal. 

Mike Bonelli [10:36 - 11:46]: Right. Can I say one thing, too, just, just in reference to this particular subject, I mean, because, you know, we all had, you know, we, Christy especially too, and myself, you know, know, have teenage athletes that are that, that are, that are, you know, dealing with, you know, all these different pieces of nutrition and scheduling. And I can tell you right now, all I know, every hockey family, they. They know when their power skating is, they know when their private lessons are, they know when practice is, they know when off ice training is. What I don't see is the calendar for when do I eat, what do I eat, and why am I eating this? And I think this is where, you know, we all go into this kind of black hole of, oh, my God, like, isn't just, you know, my son, he'll eat every minute of the day. Like, you know, like, if there's food on the table, it doesn't stay there. So I think that's, you know, can you talk a little bit about, you know, kind of when we're all doing these early mornings, late evenings, we're trying to balance all of this stuff in our lives, you know, you know, what should we be trying to prepare for? And I think, you know, not going from practice to get in the car to. And then maybe waiting till they get home, there's a lot that can go in between them to help your athlete recover and fuel correct and add in. 

Mike Bonelli [11:46 - 12:17]: The scheduling challenges, especially as hockey families, because on the weekends you mentioned, oh, meal preps on the weekends. On weekends we were in Canada or we were traveling, we had a hockey tournament. So weekends were tough for us. So I would pick a day during the week to do the meal prep that would carry us into, into the weekend. So I think, and Mike's hitting on it, you really have to come up with a nutrition strategy that works for your whole Family. And that's going to work for your schedule. 

Danny Drake [12:18 - 12:42]: Yeah, exactly. Yeah, that's, that's exactly right. And start, start food first. And then, you know, as I, I think about, you know, our origins, right, and, and hearing how fast paced this, this youth hockey world is and where you travel, right, and the new food options and is it safe? Right, like, as a parent, is it safe? Is a, a huge question mark. 

Danny Drake [12:42 - 12:42]: Right. 

Danny Drake [12:43 - 12:55]: And that's where, you know, we, we launched a product that had carbs and protein and was ready to mix, so more ready when you are. So you could throw it in the bag and travel to Canada. 

Danny Drake [12:55 - 12:56]: Right. 

Danny Drake [12:56 - 13:50]: And then it's, you know, something quick and convenient that they could, they could add. But there's, you know, there's other snacks like that out there, right, that, you know, you could, you could plug in in that same kind of situation. But I think, you know, like you said, Christie, you know, programming it, seeing, seeing the future, knowing it's coming and then having those ready when you are. Options to fill protein and carb goals, I think are, you know, just from a. Fueling an athlete and that exertion on, on the ice or in the weight room, those are the big ones that you've got to be focused on. Obviously hydration too, right. A lot of kids are dehydrated, but, but yeah, protein goals are, are key. I think we're an under proteins society, truly, you know. 

Lee MJ Elias [13:52 - 14:23]: Yeah. So I got a couple. We're going to do two things here. I got one quick question and then we're going to dive into an exercise for the audience because I can hear our audience already in, in my ear going, listen, this is great, but I need something to do, like I need to know how to do this. So you mentioned protein goals, calorie goals. What is the resource people can go to to figure that out? Because again, I can hear them. Okay, I get it, but where do I find that? So where would they first go to find those for their, for their kid at their age? You know, hopefully not just going to a doctor. Like, where are some easy places they can go to get that information? 

Danny Drake [14:23 - 15:38]: For sure. So sports dietitians, registered dietitians are the experts in this field, right? They, they are studied at the highest level and they conveniently have a sports dietitian association. It's called the ASPDA. SportsRD.org is the, the website. It's a fantastic resource. They've got PDFs for parents, right? Like dietitians at your favorite college or NHL team are contributing there. They're a part of that organization. That is a great one, two, go support, like, go support your local team. If you're a fan of the Rangers or another, you know, the Sabers, go look on their website. They list who their strength coaches, their dietitian is. And they are in this world of social media as well. Go, go check out what they're putting out in this world. Right, because you're gonna get it from the expert, right. Versus the, the, you know, bodybuilder pro that, you know, is putting out information from, you know, chat GPT. 

Danny Drake [15:38 - 15:40]: Right, right, right. 

Lee MJ Elias [15:40 - 16:18]: Yeah, the information's out there if you just take the time to search. Now, the, the second thing I wanted to do is this little exercise, okay? There's a parent listening right now, and they're excited. They're gonna go to the grocery store right now because they believe in what we're doing here today. Let's build quickly. Maybe two or three pre game or post game or snack meals that they can do very quickly. So what I'm saying quickly, I mean, okay, I'm gonna go, I'm gonna get the ingredients. Take me 10 minutes and I've got this done within reason. Right? I'm not talking about cooking the chicken or anything like that. What are, what are two or three quick things they can put together to replace the Big Mac and the Whopper and the, you know, fast food of your choice? 

Mike Dalberth [16:18 - 18:40]: Okay, I'll give that answer. But first, I will say as a caveat, what I like to do for myself and even Danny is we are first to admit that we are the entrepreneurs that built a product because we listen to the expert. We are not the expert, and we are not the registered dietitian. Like, we don't, we don't create advice. We don't, we don't create meal plans. We just know that the information resources are there because those are the people we work with every single day. So, like, if I were to just think about what I've seen from registered dietitians when they put together quick tips and ways to create quick meals that are healthy, kind of quick and dirty, easy to make. It comes back to the thing we've been saying over and over again, which is it's extremely simple, right? If we're looking at breakfast options and you want to make something that's quick and easy and you don't have time to, you know, make an omelette with vegetables and meat and cut everything up, right? It's like you could still do a very simple bowl of yogurt, right? You get, you go to the store, you get your Greek yogurt, you throw in some granola, you do a side of fruit, right? And then you could, if you don't have the time to make a protein option, you could do a protein shake. And right there, you know you're going to get enough carbs, protein and fat to get started in the morning. And none of those options take a while to cook, right? Throw some yogurt in a bowl, add some granola to it, maybe put honey on it if someone needs a little bit, something a little bit sweeter, right? And then Greek yogurt, also super high, packed with fat and protein as well. And then a side of blueberries or strawberries or a banana, right? And like that's, that's a super simple, easy breakfast option that doesn't take a lot of time to prep, to prepare at all, right? And then with lunch, if I'm going quick and easy and thinking of something, rather than stopping at Chick Fil A and getting a chicken sandwich, you know, you could grab one of those rotisserie chickens. Whether you're in the northeast and you go to Wegmans or you're down south and you go to Publix, right? You can run in there and it's like eight to ten bucks and it could feed two to three kids pretty easily, right? And you get, do it with a vegetable or a side of rice. And like, there's so many options where, you know, it takes maybe the extra step of walking in the store and buying it versus going through the drive thru and it is a little bit less convenient, quote, unquote. But like, how much extra does that really take, right? It's not taking the time to prepare every meal, right? Which when we look at. Go ahead. It looks like you had an idea. 

Lee MJ Elias [18:40 - 18:41]: You can finish your thought, finish your thought, go ahead. 

Mike Dalberth [18:43 - 18:49]: It doesn't take the time to prepare every single breakfast, lunch and dinner if that's not sustainable. But there is a way to still get it done. 

Mike Dalberth [18:50 - 18:51]: That it might not be the most. 

Mike Dalberth [18:51 - 18:59]: Convenient as driving through a drive thru, but it's, it's still not hard when we look at, you know, getting it done the right way without cutting corners. 

Mike Bonelli [19:00 - 20:25]: Yeah, I was gonna say, you know, you brought it up, Mike and, and Danny, like, and I think when I first got introduced to your product and all these nutritional, you know, supplements and shakes and, and opportunities to, you know, get that extra protein in was the fact that, you know, nobody's saying you're the expert and we none of, and us know, you're, you're way ahead of us. Like, because to your point, you had a research. So I guess let's talk about a little bit about. You did the research, you went and you talked to all these dietitians and these, these, these professional trainers and, and all these people that have to work with the top athletes in the world and you came up with a product to fill the void that they said they had, right? They had the void. They're like, well, I, you can't just keep, you know, I can't give the kid seven pieces of salmon at 12 o' clock because he has to work out. Or I can't just eat rice every day and I can't just do broccoli and all these, all these, you know, the, the colored plate of meals because I don't have enough time in my day. And really at the end of the day I couldn't eat enough of that to sustain the energy and the level of carbs and protein that I need as an athlete that's burning through all that stuff, right? I mean, they're just so talk a little bit about the product. You were involved in the research that went into it. What were those gaps? Like, why did somebody say, hey, we need this product? Because here are the gaps we're seeing, definitely. 

Danny Drake [20:25 - 24:21]: So we, as as mentioned, got started up at Clarkson university. Great Division 1 hockey program, men's and women's, women's wonder, like three national championships in the past five years while I was up there and we're down in the locker room meeting up with their head strength and conditioning coach who had a, a great mentor. And to see this process for athletes where there is a demand for protein post lift, right? So within 30 minute window and the timing on that is questionable, but within 30 minutes to an hour, you need to get protein in, right? And all these strength coaches and dietitians are trying to do that with 30 athletes in the weight room at a time, right? Like this becomes a chaotic environment. And so we started to call on other strength coaches and dietitians across the U.S. right. And just consistently heard that, right? The process is inefficient, right? And when the process is inefficient, compliance goes down, which means they're under fueling, right? And, and so many practitioners, dietitians would lean into a ready to drink shake because it's more convenient. You just dish out a protein shake, they grab it, they drink it, they recycle it, they're done. But as they tell us it's convenient, they look and they look at the ingredients and don't like, you know, the, the amount of sugar that they add to the product. They don't like the preservatives, the artificial flavors and ingredients that are in those products. And so that's where the light piles, you know, light bulb kind of went off. And, you know, we thought, how can we deliver quality nutrition conveniently and lean into the need of athletes, which is carbohydrates and protein at at least a 2 to 1 carb to protein ratio, right? And so that's where athletic fuel was born for us. It's got 45 grams of carbohydrates coming from organic tapioca, organic brown rice, organic sweet potato powder, right? Turn that RTD around and tell me where the carbs are coming from. That was the, the light bulb moment. Then powder in a recyclable blending bottle, right? So just add liquid, right? Shake it, recycle it and go. Increases that compliance. And then as we've seen the product evolve and grow within the space, athletes are adding different liquids, right? So it's customizing it, it's making it fun. They're not drinking that same vanilla every single day, right. They're adding in orange electrolyte and getting hydrated at the same time, right? So think, think your favorite orange electrolyte drink mixed in vanilla. It's like a creamsicle. Or parents, especially moms, right? Cold brew into chocolate, right? It's like a mocha. But instead of all the pumps at your, you know, at your coffee shop that they're, they're getting that from, it's from a natural flavor, right? And a natural sweetener and monk fruit and stevia. So that was, that was how we got started. And then dietitians were using that product either pre heavy exertion, right? So athletic fuel is great for topping up carbohydrate in those glycogen stores that you need. So if you didn't eat within two hours of going to practice, it's a great, just convenient substitute or, or stop gap, truly, right? And then post, post lift, post game, right? When you're exerted, there's a lot of time that can elapse from the rink to getting home or getting to the food source, right? So that's where athletic fuel was born. And, you know, excited that now a third of the NHL and a bunch of the AHL and, you know, these, these teams see and use this product at that highest level for that exact reason. 

Mike Bonelli [24:22 - 24:27]: Is it safe for teenagers? And what age would you introduce supplements to Your kids? 

Danny Drake [24:28 - 24:42]: Yeah, I think, I think definitely talk to your, your dietitian just for guidance on that. But you know their recommendation on that website@sportsrd.org right. These young athletes need protein. 

Danny Drake [24:42 - 24:43]: Right. 

Danny Drake [24:43 - 24:48]: And if you look at, if you even look all the way back to as I mentioned, baby formula. 

Danny Drake [24:48 - 24:48]: Right. 

Danny Drake [24:48 - 24:50]: I've got a little three month old as well. 

Danny Drake [24:50 - 24:51]: Right. 

Danny Drake [24:51 - 24:57]: He's not consuming baby formula but in it is, is protein. 

Danny Drake [24:57 - 24:58]: Right? 

Danny Drake [24:58 - 25:15]: Whey protein. So from all the way from like an infant level, we're consuming protein now. Quality of protein and you know, making sure that there's no banned substances is a key. I think that's where that safety question for parents always comes into play. 

Danny Drake [25:15 - 25:15]: Right. 

Danny Drake [25:15 - 25:23]: You see a goalie at the collegiate level getting in trouble for a tainted supplement a few years back. 

Danny Drake [25:23 - 25:23]: Right. 

Danny Drake [25:23 - 25:53]: There's, there is real risk. But when you look for NSF certified for sport and Informed Sport, there are two labels you can find. These are third party labs that we send every batch of our product to to test that what we say is on the label is actually in the product and that there's nothing else. There's no banned substances. If a, if a product doesn't have that certification then you're possibly at risk. 

Lee MJ Elias [25:54 - 25:55]: What was that certification again? 

Danny Drake [25:55 - 25:58]: Yeah, NSF certified for sport. 

Danny Drake [25:59 - 25:59]: Right? 

Danny Drake [25:59 - 26:01]: Certified for sport is the key. 

Danny Drake [26:01 - 26:01]: Right. 

Danny Drake [26:01 - 26:07]: You'll see NSF National Science foundation on your, your like microwave. 

Danny Drake [26:08 - 26:08]: Right. 

Danny Drake [26:08 - 26:12]: They're a, they're a big organization. You need to look for certified for sport. 

Danny Drake [26:12 - 26:12]: Right. 

Danny Drake [26:12 - 26:18]: And then Informed Sport is more known internationally. So our hockey friends from abroad. 

Danny Drake [26:18 - 26:18]: Right. 

Danny Drake [26:18 - 26:20]: Know Informed sport. 

Danny Drake [26:20 - 26:20]: Right. 

Danny Drake [26:20 - 26:38]: And so those two certifications are key. If they don't have it, you shouldn't be consuming the product. At the collegiate level, the dietitian will not provide you a product that is not certified by one of those organizations. At the NHL level they won't provide it if it's not NSF certified for sport. 

Danny Drake [26:38 - 26:38]: Right. 

Danny Drake [26:38 - 26:44]: And that's the same across baseball, NBA, NFL. That's the gold standard. 

Mike Bonelli [26:44 - 27:42]: Right. I think Christy brings a great point up about like just, just how I would hope a parent is going to research a project product like a training product. Like, like the biggest, like the fad is you put ankle weights on kids and power skating and but you really probably should know, well, at what age should I do that? How strong should my child be? Is their form correct for that weight? Is there too much weight? Is there not enough weight? Like the same things you would do when you're giving your kid a training practically to make them wear a A heavy vest, you know, during practice, and they're six years old, probably not the best time to put the vest on. But so all. Any pro, any training product, and I would, I would imagine any protein supplement, any nutritional shake, you know, anything you're adding to your diet is the same thing. A parent just has to go see an expert, go see their dot, you know, go see their, you know, their, their, their. What do you call that when a kid goes to see a doctor? When their child. Pediatrician, my wife would know, they go see a pediatrician. 

Danny Drake [27:42 - 27:43]: And then. 

Mike Bonelli [27:43 - 27:58]: And then you, you know, and just the same thing. It's. When you're training, you're got. You have to educate yourself about what you're training with, because just like a nutritional supplement, a hockey supplement, a training device could end up hurting your child if you don't use it properly. 

Lee MJ Elias [27:58 - 28:10]: So I want to dive in here. So for the audience listening, right, a lot of the stuff we're talking about, again, it is for all ages, but the level of detail we're talking about, you're getting a glimpse into what elite level athletes have to do. 

Danny Drake [28:10 - 28:11]: Okay? 

Lee MJ Elias [28:11 - 28:57]: And, and again, the elite level athletes, they actually take the initiative intensely to figure out what they want to do. Now, again, I know our audience, we got the, the might, the squirt, the peewee, and the bantam parents going like, guys, what? This is a lot. This is a lot. So I want, I want to rewind back and simplify it. And Danny, it's something you said early in the episode, and I love it. You said, win breakfast, win lunch, win dinner. I love that. I love that mentality because I'm a competitive person and I want to win at things. And again, I, I would say, too, pro athletes, they're competitive too. They'll compete with eating to be the healthiest or do the strongest. So this is where I want to go with this. We were talking before about Mike, you gave that great breakfast yogurt, you know, with some granola in it. Man, that is simple. 

Danny Drake [28:57 - 28:57]: All right. 

Lee MJ Elias [28:58 - 29:38]: What I want to discover with all of us, for the parents here, is kind of bringing this up. I don't think parents and kids understand just how much of a dessert modern cereal is. And we eat this for breakfast every day. Look, I love Cinnamon Toast Crunch. It's the greatest cereal ever made. You can fight me on it. I love it. It's also dessert. If you look at the side of the box, that is not a nutritious breakfast. That's a dessert. And I've made it. Now, my Dessert, okay? It's the choice between those two types of things. The yogurt with the granola versus the cinnamon toast crunch or whatever you want to put in there. 

Danny Drake [29:38 - 29:38]: If. 

Lee MJ Elias [29:38 - 29:48]: If there's a. If the. If the cereal has a name like cookie something or cocoa something, if it's got the name of a dessert in the title, it's probably a dessert. 

Danny Drake [29:48 - 29:49]: All right? 

Lee MJ Elias [29:49 - 31:36]: That's one thing, then other things, too. I think about this, too. I remember I had a parent one time. I get. Sometimes I get these micro. Microwavable vegetables, right? And they went into this whole tirade about, well, when you microwave it, all the nutrients are killed and. And all this stuff. You're gonna go get fries from McDonald's in 10 minutes. There's not a compare. Even if it zaps all of the nutrition out of the vegetables, the vegetables are better than the fries are about to get. That's winning at lunch, right? So a lot of it's just destroying these preconceived notions. Parents, I'm going to say it again. There is always going to be a moment. You got to go get the fast food. I get it. I totally get it, okay? I've been there before. But these solutions are there, and it's the knowledge of knowing the processed foods are insanely bad for us. All of us, right? And then the last point I'm going to make, and I'll throw it back to the group here, is this, is that you got to somewhat inform yourself about these things. You got to be honest about these things with yourself. And you've got to take the time to just. To find the right things. Because the nutrition guys we're talking about, in a hockey sense, it's well beyond hockey. Like, this is a life thing. I. I believe this. Tell me if anybody knows I'm wrong here, but it's like 70 of you. What you eat is like what your weight and your body turns into. It's not just the working out. I'll play the odds on the 70% if you're telling me I can just eat right and be healthy, right? I mean, don't get me wrong, I like to work out, but, you know, as I get older, the arthritis. We'll save that for another episode. The point I'm trying to make is that this. This is actually nowhere near as hard as people think. It just comes down to educating yourself, creating good habits, really knowing what not to eat. I think that's, you know, look, ignorance is bliss, all right? Knowing what not to eat three times a day and then Just go finding what works for you to make good decisions. Again, that was a, I'm on a pedestal. 

Mike Bonelli [31:37 - 32:28]: I think also when we're talking to, you know, Mike and Danny and, and what their product delivers and kind of what their sweet spot is in the world of professional and college athletics is exactly what we want for our 8 and 9 and 10 year olds. It's consistency, right? It's like whatever, whatever you're doing, if it's not a shake, I mean, you could, listen, you could still have a shake. It doesn't have to be a protein shake, doesn't have to have your product in it at all. It could just be just a plain something. In the morning, if your kid doesn't like to eat cucumbers, if they don't like to eat kale, if they don't like to eat, like there's so, there's so many ways to hide great nutrition. But I think, and I think what we talk about, Danny and Mike too on our show every day is how nuts we are on the hockey side that we want, we want high performing athletes, but the schedules we put our kids in do not allow high performance. 

Lee MJ Elias [32:28 - 32:31]: Why eat, why eat when you can be on the ice again? 

Mike Bonelli [32:31 - 33:15]: When we, when we ask a kid to get up at 4:00 in the morning, miss breakfast, play a game without any nutritional nutrition in their body. That's for me, if I'm a 16 year old up in a tournament in Massachusetts, a shake that I can make the night before, right. Run it up, drink it down. I don't feel bloated, I feel light, I feel refreshed, I have energy. I then can go sit down on a plated meal like a, like a human being and eat. But I think we have to because of the way our sport has designed training, we have to find these other things to supplement the, the, the lack of time and space that we give our kids to train properly. 

Danny Drake [33:16 - 33:51]: Yeah. And I'd say, I'd say to add another win, right? Breakfast, lunch, dinner, win, post workout nutrition. Yeah, but you got to win there too, right? That's when you, that's when we took the body and broke it down, Right. It's when it needs it the most. So win there and then take action, right. I feel like too many people, they're doing research on research on research and there is a high quality product there ready for you. You just need to go procure it, bring it in, have it ready, take in that and then test it. 

Danny Drake [33:51 - 33:52]: Right? 

Danny Drake [33:52 - 34:00]: Put it to test, right. Versus I don't Know, it's not this. It's not this. Like, you have to take action. 

Danny Drake [34:00 - 34:01]: Right? 

Danny Drake [34:01 - 34:06]: That's how, that's how we can discover that increase in performance. True. 

Danny Drake [34:06 - 34:06]: Right. 

Mike Bonelli [34:06 - 34:34]: And I'd also like. And you know, Leah, Mike, both of you are coaches. You get this. I think there needs to be a team philosophy too, because I'll give you an example. So I was really into the good nutrition for my kids. You know, good breakfast, yogurt packing, healthful snacks, apples. And then, and then during the tournament, between games, parents come in with the pizza, burgers, and fries. 

Danny Drake [34:34 - 34:34]: Yeah. 

Mike Bonelli [34:36 - 34:37]: Everything comes. 

Mike Bonelli [34:39 - 35:33]: And then, and then they go, I can't believe we played so poorly in the second game. Oh, really? Of course you did. And I think, you know, so I used to get, I mean, we've had young elite athletes on here as a company. Right. Earlier in another, a couple shows. And one of the things we all discussed and, and this falls right into that same piece is like, I know for, for my son, when he was, when we invested in playing elite hockey, we invested in saying, we're gonna do these road trips and go on these tournaments. Then, then you have to invest in, well, I'm gonna pack my own lunch. I'm gonna avoid the sit down and, you know, Taco Bell. I'm gonna avoid the trap of everybody just shoving food down their face in a, in a. Like, like every night. Like, I, like, I, I know on my programs, like, I don't do pizza parties anymore. Like, it's too, like, maybe it's because it's too easy. I don't know. I don't know why everything has to turn into, oh, we bought the kids 12 pizzas. I said, yeah, but they have touts. So. 

Danny Drake [35:33 - 35:33]: Yeah. 

Mike Bonelli [35:33 - 35:59]: Or whatever it is. But I think, I think it's just. But, But Christie's right. We as organizations need to do a better job of preparing options and educating what those options are. But it all starts with one or two families, right? Saying, no, no, no, I'm not going to that team meal that's being sponsored by, you know, whatever Taco Bell I'm gonna do. I'm gonna sit in the corner by myself, and I'm gonna eat properly, and I'm gonna be ready for the game. 

Lee MJ Elias [35:59 - 36:18]: So, Mike, I will say that there was nothing like an old classic Pizza Hut back in the mid-90s, but those are gone now, so we don't have to talk about them. But look, just to your point, right? Here's one. Here's one. I, I, I have a hard time with as A coach, since you brought it up, Christie is if there's a birthday for the young kids, I do get the Rice Krispies treat. I get that. 

Danny Drake [36:18 - 36:19]: All right. 

Lee MJ Elias [36:19 - 36:35]: But that can't be every single time we're on the ice. I cringe sometimes where I see donuts. Every game. Like, every single game, there's someone in there with munchkins after the game. And, you know, it's supposed to be fun for the kids. Do me a favor and I say this. Go get some gogurts. 

Danny Drake [36:35 - 36:35]: All right? 

Lee MJ Elias [36:35 - 37:07]: I know there's sugar in them, too, but it's. I just want them to get some cheese sticks and bring those. The kids will eat them and they'll be excited that you brought something for them. Right. It doesn't have to be the high sugar foods. Also, I don't like linking that as a reward for playing. Well, I think this is another trap. A lot of people, great game. Let's go to Dunkin Donuts. It's like, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. That. That is not. Now you're teaching the kid. Well, if I play well, I'm gonna get donuts. And again, Kristen, you say, yeah. What does that turn into when they're. 

Mike Bonelli [37:07 - 37:09]: Five years of that. Yeah. 

Mike Bonelli [37:10 - 37:11]: You know, Danny. 

Lee MJ Elias [37:11 - 37:13]: Turns into something dangerous. Yeah. 

Mike Bonelli [37:13 - 38:00]: You know, I was going to ask because, you know, obviously, you know, you met. You guys mentioned, you know, all the. Obviously, you don't just start up a company, a nutritional company. Like, you wake up one morning say, yeah, we should just throw some, you know, some pro. Some. Some whey protein and some dried sweet potatoes. You know, powdered sweet potato. So. So you went through all these processes. Can you just talk a little bit about, like, what you're. Get the feedback you're getting from the athletes? Like, like, because you. You meet with these athletes all the time. And, you know, because. Because. And these guys are very particular about what they put in their body. So what are they saying? I mean, like, what. What would be. Like, maybe, you know, again, what. And even what's the negatives of it? Like, what's the. The pot like, the. The pushback and. And maybe some of the decisions they're making say, oh, I'm choosing this because it's doing this exact thing. 

Danny Drake [38:01 - 38:27]: Yeah. Yeah. I think it. It's. It's. So that's so important. Team culture, right? Like, you can control the home environment. You can't control that team environment, but the coach and the organization and the booster can, right? Whoever. Whoever that mom that's bringing in the snacks can choose, like, how about create a catalog and know that these are the options that we're okay with coming in. 

Danny Drake [38:27 - 38:28]: Right. 

Danny Drake [38:28 - 38:34]: We that like, our business is primarily working with teams. 

Danny Drake [38:34 - 38:34]: Right. 

Danny Drake [38:34 - 38:37]: So it starts with the team. It's a team culture. 

Danny Drake [38:37 - 38:38]: Right. 

Danny Drake [38:38 - 38:40]: It's the dietitian saying, this is what we do. 

Danny Drake [38:41 - 38:42]: Right, Right. 

Danny Drake [38:42 - 38:45]: It's the strength coach buying into this is what we do. 

Danny Drake [38:45 - 38:45]: Right. 

Danny Drake [38:46 - 38:53]: So that is that I. I challenge the coaches and. And the organizations out there. 

Danny Drake [38:53 - 38:53]: Right. 

Danny Drake [38:53 - 38:59]: Provide these options right over the. The other options that we mentioned there. 

Lee MJ Elias [38:59 - 39:01]: Yeah, that's a fantastic idea. 

Mike Bonelli [39:01 - 39:06]: And say, look at the college kids. Look at your pros. This is what they do. 

Mike Bonelli [39:06 - 39:08]: You know, we need to. 

Mike Bonelli [39:08 - 39:10]: We need to step it up to nutrition wise. 

Lee MJ Elias [39:11 - 39:25]: You know, what we may work on here because our whole goal here is to make life easy for everybody, you know, coaches, parents. What we'll do is maybe we'll put together with. With Danny and Mike a little list that we'll share of, like, here's like some great post game things, things that you can grab and then. And then mandate it for your team. 

Danny Drake [39:26 - 39:26]: All right? 

Lee MJ Elias [39:26 - 39:38]: Because the other thing is this. I'm a gripe here for a quick second. It boggles my mind. You'll bring munchkins. You know, half those kids are sick. And then they're all putting their grubby hands into the munchkin box. I don't want this one. I know. 

Mike Bonelli [39:38 - 39:44]: And you know, and you know, I really don't want the munchkins. I don't want them. But they're sitting right there. What are you supposed to do? 

Lee MJ Elias [39:44 - 39:45]: Why are you doing that to me? 

Danny Drake [39:45 - 39:50]: And then you're sick as parents, right? As we all know, like, your kids bring some of that. 

Mike Bonelli [39:51 - 40:14]: No, but I love the idea. Danny. I love the idea of Danny and Mike just providing like, I love that. That thought process of like, what. What is my go to. It's already on my phone, right? I come up, I go, okay, guys, here's our choices. Today we have a game and. And we have a game in four more hours. We're all stuck here. Give me my top three choices as. As opposed to the other stuff, right? 

Danny Drake [40:14 - 40:14]: Yeah. 

Lee MJ Elias [40:14 - 40:15]: Promise. 

Danny Drake [40:15 - 40:16]: And I like the team vote. 

Mike Bonelli [40:17 - 40:18]: Like, here's. 

Danny Drake [40:18 - 40:32]: Here's the option. So it doesn't get mundane as like, I'm just gonna get a cheese stick, right? Maybe then the kids, the. The treat for the great performance is a Greek yogurt. And that's their life habit now. 

Danny Drake [40:33 - 40:33]: Right? 

Danny Drake [40:33 - 40:35]: And those or an athletic fuel shake. 

Lee MJ Elias [40:36 - 40:40]: We act like those don't taste amazing. Like they're Sweet as heck. They're pretty awesome as well. 

Mike Bonelli [40:41 - 41:20]: Well, I think, Danny, I think, I think before we, before we get out of here too, I want you to, I do want you to mention that because the fact that the way, the way my athletes use it is not just the shake itself but the protein powder, whether you're using endorphin or whoever, the options, you have to put that and make that, you know, a part of your nutritional piece like you're talking about, sprinkle it into yogurt, making protein balls and, and pre making snacks for your kids with high performance protein powder. Can you talk a little bit about that? Maybe you and Mike just give some perspective of this is not just a in a shake kind of thing. This is something you put, you could put into your daily intake of food, right? 

Danny Drake [41:20 - 41:30]: Yeah, for sure. It started, so it all started with that concept with the bottle. But we knew, you know, there are these other applications whether it be in smoothies blended at home with fruit. 

Danny Drake [41:31 - 41:31]: Right. 

Danny Drake [41:31 - 41:56]: Or putting it on top of the Greek yogurt like you said, I mean you look at the protein intake, if you take a scoop of our whey protein, 25 grams plus probably a 20 to 25 gram protein Greek yogurt, like we're, we're getting close to hitting our, our goals, right. With, with then breakfast, lunch and dinner too in there. But yeah, the bulk, the bulk powder is a great option. 

Danny Drake [41:56 - 41:56]: Right. 

Danny Drake [41:56 - 42:03]: When we, when we started the company, it was about being clean, right. Convenient and then create consistency. 

Lee MJ Elias [42:04 - 42:19]: Like the question is for the kids that are listening is just, you know, they need to have some knowledge here about the importance of, you know, pre practice, post practice, game meals and food. Talk to them about making some really great choices and maybe even tell them like how much of a better athlete they are when they make good choices. 

Mike Dalberth [42:20 - 42:40]: Definitely. I mean we hear it all the time from the people that, you know, buy our product who are the experts in working with, you know, the highest performers on the planet across sport, hockey obviously included. But they say, you know, good nutrition will not make an exceptional, a great athlete exceptional, but bad nutrition can make an exceptional athlete average. 

Danny Drake [42:40 - 42:40]: Right. 

Mike Dalberth [42:40 - 43:19]: And that's extremely important to understand. It's like, you know, eating good and doing the right things every day isn't what's necessarily going to make you great. All the training and everything that you're already doing has to consistently be done. But if you consistently make poor decisions from nutrition, it will affect the way you perform on the ice and beyond. And, and I would say one of the hardest Things for athletes today is knowing who to look for and who to listen to. Because, you know, you open up your Instagram or your TikTok, whatever it is, and you look at the athletes that inspire you the most and that you want to be the most like. And a lot of times, unfortunately, you know, a lot of these athletes will be doing marketing deals with companies and products that they aren't actually using to get better. 

Danny Drake [43:19 - 43:20]: Right. 

Mike Dalberth [43:20 - 43:32]: You got to be able to sift through and understand what's effective and what's actually helping an athlete get to the next level. And, you know, what's just a facade for marketing and that that's really hard for young athletes and for parents to delineate between the two. 

Danny Drake [43:32 - 43:32]: Right. 

Mike Dalberth [43:32 - 44:42]: It's like the biggest hydration brands that we see that are marketed with all of the, you know, professional sports leagues. What's funny is someone that's been as fortunate as Danny and I have been able to be in the locker room so many, you know, whether it's mlb, NFL, NHL teams, is a lot of times the products they're using for hydration aren't the products that, you know, they're marketing with. When you're watching commercials, right. It does take a little bit of research to go behind scenes and understand, like, what's actually effective. And it's. It's a little bit scary in a way, because, you know, not, like, when you think hydration. I don't want to, like, name brands, but, you know, the first three brands that probably come to every parent's mind are, like, not the brands that are used behind the scenes. When it actually comes to, like, getting good electrolytes to stay hydrated throughout the day, you know, it's kind of like the. I will mention the ones that are, you know, I do see actually being used. And it's like, you'll actually see, like, Element T and Drip Drop, right? Like, being used in the professional scene. And it's not, you know, the big three that you see everywhere else. So I would say if you really care about getting better and finding things that make sense, the best way to do it is probably ask people that you trust that, you know, do things the right way. 

Mike Dalberth [44:42 - 44:43]: Right. 

Mike Dalberth [44:43 - 44:50]: If you. If you're on a team with a. With a diet and you're fortunate enough to have a dietitian, ask them, right? Like, what can I do to be better? 

Mike Dalberth [44:50 - 44:51]: Right. And. 

Mike Dalberth [44:51 - 45:03]: And usually, you know, the great thing is, is dietitians and strength coaches at the Division 1 level, at the, you know, travel league level, at the professional level, They're a lot more accessible than the professional athlete. 

Danny Drake [45:03 - 45:03]: Right. 

Mike Dalberth [45:03 - 45:08]: You send out an Instagram DM to a professional athlete, you'll be lucky to get a response. 

Danny Drake [45:08 - 45:08]: Right. 

Mike Dalberth [45:08 - 46:08]: A lot of the time. But a lot of times, you know, these dietitians and strength coaches are putting out free game on their page. Of like when you asked me at the beginning of the show, you know, what are some easy meals that a parent could do for their kid? Like when I scroll through Endurofin's Instagram, we, we follow hundreds if not thousands of dietitians and trained coaches. They're constantly putting out. Here's a great quick and easy pregame meal you can do for your kid. Here's a great postgame meal you can do for your kid. Here's the food you should avoid 90 minutes before a game, right? Don't eat certain spicy foods. Chipotle is such a common option in the hockey community. It's like don't get hot sauce 90 minutes before a game, right. And there's all these little things that you can find. They will make you better little by little if you start to look for the right advice and don't fall for the big marketing trap of, you know, your favorite player in the NHL and the product that, you know, they're sponsored by. Like, do a little bit of additional research to know what truly works versus, you know, what just wins because it has the most attention. 

Mike Bonelli [46:09 - 46:14]: What's next for you guys? Where's endorphin going? 

Danny Drake [46:15 - 47:19]: Yeah, so continuing to grow within collegiate and professional athletics. So mentioned about 100 Division 1 universities now, 50 plus professional teams and growing. You know, we mentioned we got started in hockey, but the MLB and baseball has become a huge sport as well. You think about that sport and how, how much they're on the go, but really it's, it's staying true to the mission of delivering elite nutrition for elite athletes and you know, growing in the community, being able to share the story. So, you know, talking to the Syracuse Crunch up there, talking to Syracuse University, I feel like we should be able to figure something out as a, a hometown started brand up there. But yeah, continuing to, to be that voice of, of you know, quality, convenient and accessible information. Right. And also making it cool. 

Danny Drake [47:19 - 47:19]: Right. 

Danny Drake [47:19 - 47:45]: Like I think you see water brands out there, you know, all the time that it's like water is cool when you know, NBA athlete carries it in pregame. Like the brand and, and consuming protein should also be cool and so starting to lean into that culture of, of sport and yeah, hopefully become a major Name that is is known across the nation. 

Mike Bonelli [47:45 - 47:47]: Well, we're very proud of you guys. 

Lee MJ Elias [47:47 - 48:18]: Yeah, you're definitely on your way. And for our audience, again, we didn't, we didn't just bring in some schmoes to talk about food in the morning. We brought in guys that are leading, leading the pack here in high performance hockey. And that's, that's why you guys are so awesome for being here. I'm gonna say it again. Win breakfast, win lunch, win dinner. That, that is such a great mentality, right? For every age. And look, hey, parents, you can do that too, right? Just bookending the episode, right? It starts with us. Starts with us bringing in the right stuff, right? You have Oreos on the counter. Do you have apples? 

Danny Drake [48:18 - 48:18]: Right? 

Lee MJ Elias [48:19 - 48:44]: Are you giving your kid a protein shake and a cheese stick before practice? Are you giving them Takis? The kid walked in one time with that. I was like, what are you doing? Like, what are you doing? How are you gonna even play with your mouth with that stuff? Guys, this has been a really fun episode. Again, we're gonna join us on the ride to the rink too, for the kids parents. So if you, if parents, we know your kids don't listen to you, but they probably will listen to us. I'm being sarcastic, but yeah, make sure you tune in for that episode. But Mike and Danny, thanks so much for joining us today on our. 

Mike Bonelli [48:44 - 48:45]: Thank you so much, guys. 

Danny Drake [48:45 - 48:55]: Yeah, incredible. Thank you. Thank you so much. Congrats on everything you guys have built in our building and keep being a great spotlight for the great things going on in youth hockey. It's awesome. 

Lee MJ Elias [48:55 - 49:55]: Thanks, Danny. Yeah, you guys as well. All right, so hey, audience. That's going to do it for this edition of Our Kids Our Kids Play Hockey. If you have any questions, make sure you email us team at our kids playhockey.com Remember, you can write us. We get messages all the time. There's a link accompanying this episode in the description. You can send us a question, a comment, anything you want. We'll get some of those nutrition tips out to you all. I think that's going to be a really good thing that we discover here is something for coaches to bring in the locker room of some choices for post game to share with their parents. But for Christy, for Mike, for the other mic, for Danny, I'm Lee. We'll see on the next Our Kids Play Hockey. 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, our Kids Play Hockey dot com. Also, make sure to check out our children's book, when Hockey Stops atwhen hockey stops dot com. It's a book that helps children deal with adversity in the game and in life. We're very proud of it. But thanks so much for listening, listening to this edition of Our Kids Play Hockey. And we'll see you on the next episode.