Aug. 1, 2024

The Ride to The Rink - Navigating New Teams: Tips for Kids Joining a Hockey Team for the First Time

Show Notes
Transcript

In this episode of “The Ride to the Rink,” hosts Lee Elias and Christie Casciano Burns provide invaluable advice for kids who are either joining a new hockey team for the first time or welcoming new teammates. The hosts discuss common anxieties, how to make a positive first impression, and the importance of teamwork both on and off the ice. This episode is packed with practical tips to help young players navigate new team dynamics with confidence and ease.

Key Topics:

Joining a New Team:

Addressing common anxieties about being the new kid.
Tips for making a positive first impression.
Importance of introducing yourself and finding common interests.

On the Ice:

Watching and learning drills and systems.
Balancing between showing skills and being a team player.
Importance of communication and asking questions.

Off the Ice:

Building friendships in the locker room.
Helping out and being a positive presence.

Welcoming New Teammates:

How to make new team members feel included.
The role of current team members in creating a welcoming environment.

If you found value in this episode, please like, subscribe, and leave a review wherever you listen to podcasts. Visit OurKidsPlayHockey.com for more episodes and resources. Be sure to follow us on social media for updates and more helpful content.

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00:00:08.230 --> 00:00:13.256
Hello hockey skaters and goalies around the world, and welcome to another episode of the Ride to the Rink.

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It's Lee Elias, with Christy Cash and Al Burns today, and we're talking to the kids out there that are either new to a team you're on a new team for the first time or kids welcoming someone onto a new team, which is every one of you listening to this show today.

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It's inevitable, it's going to happen, so we wanted to give you some tips, obviously, if you are going to be a new kid on a team this year, what you can do to make this easier for yourself.

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Because I know right now, if you're stepping into a new team, you're probably a little nervous, a little anxious.

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You don't know what's going to happen.

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You're probably thinking what do I do?

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What do I have to do?

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Who do I have to impress?

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What do I have to do to skate hard?

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What do I have to do to get on the first line?

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What do I have to do?

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What do I have to do?

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What do I have to do?

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Let's just take a breath and calm down real quick.

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I'm going to throw it over to Christy real quick, christy what's your first thought to the kid that's going to be wonder what if?

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What if?

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What if you know?

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What if I'm not good enough?

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What if the kids don't like me?

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What if the coach is mean?

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What if I don't get to play?

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What if I don't get my favorite Jersey number?

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All of those things are really normal, very normal.

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So try to relax and enjoy this.

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Think about it as a new opportunity Guess what you get to meet new friends.

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Maybe you won't get your favorite jersey number, but you're going to get a really cool number, no matter what it is.

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You make it yours, own it, and you're going to get a chance to play hockey with kids who love hockey too.

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You have that in common.

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Never forget that.

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You have that common bond bond and it's going to make your experience, no matter what happens.

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You've always got that.

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So when you walk into that locker room, smile, be confident, introduce yourself and make kids know who you are, because once they know who you are, they're going to love you.

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Yeah, christy, I want to just reiterate what you said, that the feelings are normal, and what I want to tell all the kids listening to this episode is that never really stops when you get to become an adult and you step into a new situation.

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You might have a little more experience, but most adults feel nervous when they're stepping into a new situation as well.

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What's going to happen?

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Who am I going to meet?

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What am I going to see?

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So this isn't a very normal thing.

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What's cool for you as a kid is that you're going to get a ton of experience in hockey learning how to do this, so that when you are an adult, you'll have all this experience built up on how to meet new people and how to do it.

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But, as Christy said, introduce yourself.

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But, as Christy said, introduce yourself.

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I know it's tough to do that and it feels like something might be gripping your heart.

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Go introduce yourself to another kid in the locker room.

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I guarantee you 100% someone in that room has the same interests as you, aside from hockey.

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Y'all love hockey, but whether it's video games or reading or art, whatever it is, I guarantee you you're going to find a friend in that locker room Also.

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I want to switch here too.

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What happens when you step on the ice Because I think kids you do a great job of making friends.

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You're better at making friends than adults are All right when you step on the ice.

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This is critical.

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I'm talking to you as a coach right now.

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Don't go out of your way to try and show everybody a how good you are or that you know what's going on.

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The best thing you can do, especially the first few practices, is watch, see the drills, learn the systems and execute appropriately.

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If you feel like you're ready to take over a drill or excel at a drill and you get out on the ice and say I can do this, go ahead and do it.

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I'm not telling you not to do that.

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What I'm saying is you don't need to overdo it.

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You don't need to prove the first practice You're the best player on the team or that you want to be the best player on the team.

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What I'm looking for as a coach is are you the best teammate on the team?

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Are you the best person to go out there and help your teammates?

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I always say this line.

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It's it's applicable in a lot of different ways.

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My friends listen, good players go out there and do good things, score goals.

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Great players make everyone around them better All right, everyone.

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So you go out there and make everyone better.

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Or, if you feel like you're on a better team, learn.

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Learn as much as you can.

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What an opportunity.

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Go up to your teammates, ask for advice.

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How did you do that move?

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What am I supposed to do?

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Here?

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You'll find friends and people that will help you because, at the end of the day, you're part of a team and that team has to work together in order to succeed.

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So, again, the tip is this don't overdo it.

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Ease your way in.

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Learn the drills, excel when you're ready.

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Ask great questions and you'll get great answers.

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Right, and either lead by the chance of making other people better or allow other people to make you better.

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That's the opportunity that you've been given by being on a new team.

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Right, work hard.

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Don't show off and be helpful.

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Don't show off and be helpful.

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Be positive.

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When the drill's over, when the practice is over, there's pucks all over the ice.

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You know, help pick up the pucks Great point you know, in the locker room when it's a talk to other kids, you're going to find those common interests.

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Like Lee said, you know maybe they also play your favorite video game or maybe somebody else plays the violin like you do, right, you know you're going to find some common interests and bond with and make some new friends.

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This is a really great opportunity for you to learn and to grow and to have fun.

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I love it and remember.

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It's cliche, but I'm going to say, christy, you only get one chance to make a first impression and it's really, really hard to break that impression after you do it.

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So don't go on the ice and show off and make your coach mad.

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That's not a good first step.

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All right, go out there, be a great teammate, be a great person above all else, and you have my word, you'll have a good time this year.

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You and you have my word.

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You'll have a good time this year.

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You'll succeed this year.

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But yeah, listen, kids, we're wishing you the best of luck, no matter where you're at right, and if you have a new kid coming on the team, kids, welcome that kid.

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Be the kid on your team that goes up and shakes the hand of the new kid coming to the locker room so they know that they're part of your team.

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Now Don't just let them come in and then look up and stare at them, them and be like who's that?

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I don't know who that is.

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Do you know who that is?

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Stand up, shake their hand, right.

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That's what makes you a leader.

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Right, be welcome, but Christine any final thoughts for the kids before we close this up.

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I was going to echo that to make sure that you welcome that new kid, make them feel a part of your team, because they are.

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It's a long season, so start off the right way.

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Right, I love it.

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Well, listen, that's going to do it for this edition of the Ride to the Rink.

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Again, echoing what I said in the beginning, whether you're the new kid or you're a returning kid, we wish you a great season.

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We wish you to be a great teammate, have a great time, because playing hockey is one of the greatest gifts you're going to get in your life, and I hope that you can approach each day, each ice touch, knowing that it's a wonderful, wonderful use of your time.

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So, for Christy Casciano-Burns, I'm Lee Elias.

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That's going to do it for this edition of the Ride to the Rink.

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You can hear all of them on ourkidsplayhockeycom Wishing you the best.

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My friends on the ice this week, skate on.

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We'll see you next time.