Crazy Hockey Dads Podcast

Making the highest-level team is not always the same thing as making the best developmental choice.Scott and Jamie welcome Bob Mancini back for his third appearance to discuss the launch of USA Hockey’s new Development League, what it means for Tier 1 hockey, and why parents should resist treating the DL label as the only path forward.Bob explains why a 14-year-old may develop more by playing major minutes, running the power play, and handling the puck on a Tier 1 team than by becoming the twelfth forward on a DL roster. He also breaks down the league’s plans for games, rest, off-ice training, video, championships, roster limits, and multiple entry and exit points.The conversation also tackles the Brick Tournament argument, late development, puberty, high school and prep hockey, officiating, and the one thing that should remain part of every level of the game: fun.In this episode:Why Tier 1 remains essential alongside the DLThe danger of chasing a label instead of the right environmentOne game per day, recovery, video, and player developmentMultiple paths through DL, Tier 1, prep and high school hockeyThe jersey matters less than the environment where your player can develop, take ownership, and keep loving the game.USA Hockey DL FAQ: https://www.usahockey.com/news_article/show/1333125Partners:https://www.pacificrink.com/https://hockeytraining.com/https://sparxhockey.com/https://www.instagram.com/bigjohndangles/https://www.titanbattlegear.com/crazyhockeydadshttps://howieshockeytape.com/https://www.athleticperformanceinsight.com/Socials:TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@crazyhockeydadspodcastX: https://x.com/CrazyhockeydadsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/crazyhockeydadspodcast/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Crazy-Hockey-Dads-Podcast/61578631923150/

The best team isn't always the best place for your kid to develop.Scott and Jamie sit down with Mike Busconi, Islanders Hockey Club - East Director and coach at The Winchendon School, to talk about youth hockey development, team selection, and the increasingly competitive road to higher levels of hockey.Mike explains why being a bottom-line player on a top AAA team isn't always the best situation, especially when kids aren't getting enough puck touches or meaningful reps in practice. He also gets into parents chasing status over development, the pressure of year-round hockey, and why sometimes taking a step back is the smartest move.The conversation also covers AAA hockey becoming watered down, navigating tryouts and getting cut, the benefits of prep school, and why families need to look beyond Division I when considering their child's hockey future.In this episode:Why the best team isn't always the best fitWhy AAA hockey is becoming watered downNavigating tryouts, cuts, and crazy hockey parentsPrep school, D1, D3, and alternative hockey pathsThis one is a reminder for hockey parents: the goal isn't to get your kid on the best team today. It's to put them in the best position to keep getting better.Islanders Hockey Club IG: https://www.instagram.com/ihc.hockey/Islanders Hockey Club website: https://islandershockeyclub.com/Partners:https://www.pacificrink.com/https://hockeytraining.com/https://sparxhockey.com/https://www.instagram.com/bigjohndangles/https://www.titanbattlegear.com/crazyhockeydadshttps://howieshockeytape.com/https://www.athleticperformanceinsight.com/Socials:TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@crazyhockeydadspodcastX: https://x.com/CrazyhockeydadsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/crazyhockeydadspodcast/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Crazy-Hockey-Dads-Podcast/61578631923150/

The pressure meant to help a young player succeed may be the very thing holding them back.Scott and Jamie sit down with Princeton women’s hockey head coach Courtney Kessel to talk development, recruiting, team culture, and the role parents should play as the game gets more serious.Courtney shares her path from multi-sport athlete to Team Canada, including being the final cut from the 2014 Olympic team and returning to practice with the players who were going. She explains how that experience shaped the way she helps athletes handle disappointment, separate hockey performance from personal identity, and respond productively when they are not getting the role they want.She also gets into what Princeton evaluates beyond talent, why culture matters more than winning, and why being the best player at a lower level may offer more development than sitting at the bottom of a stronger team. For parents, her message is direct: give players a voice, let them take ownership, and recognize when pressure is taking the joy out of the game.In this episode:Why taking time away from hockey can renew a player’s love for itWhat Princeton evaluates beyond skill and statisticsBeing a top-six player versus the twelfth forwardWhy character and kindness matter during recruitingSupport the player, protect the joy, and let them own the journey.Princeton Womens Ice Hockey: https://www.instagram.com/princetonwhockey/Partners:https://www.pacificrink.com/https://hockeytraining.com/https://sparxhockey.com/https://www.instagram.com/bigjohndangles/https://www.titanbattlegear.com/crazyhockeydadshttps://howieshockeytape.com/https://www.athleticperformanceinsight.com/Socials:TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@crazyhockeydadspodcastX: https://x.com/CrazyhockeydadsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/crazyhockeydadspodcast/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Crazy-Hockey-Dads-Podcast/61578631923150/

The best development does not always come from the best team, the most expensive lesson, or the loudest car ride home.Recorded live at The Hockey Barn in Atlanta, Scott and Jamie sit down with founder and longtime coach Kyle Kinze. Kyle explains how a pulmonary embolism ended his playing career at 19, why he turned to coaching, and why he built a place centered on access, creativity, free play, and community.Kyle gets honest about growing up with a perfectionist father, changing the car ride home with his own kids, and learning that coaching a player starts with understanding the person. Scott and Jamie add their own hard-earned mistakes about expensive training, chasing higher-level teams, and pushing kids toward a version of hockey they may not want.The conversation also tackles choosing the coach over the jersey, valuing puck touches and ice time, watching for burnout, and giving kids enough room to fall in love with the game on their own terms.In this episode:Why free play and creativity are essential to developmentBetter questions for the car ride homeChoosing the right coach over the best teamBuilding The Hockey Barn around training, competing, and belongingLive questions on speed, endurance, coachability, and tournament hockeyCoach the human, protect the love of the game, and let development follow.The Hockey Barn: https://thehockeybarnatl.com/The Hockey Barn IG: https://www.instagram.com/thehockeybarnatl/Partners:https://www.pacificrink.com/https://hockeytraining.com/https://sparxhockey.com/https://www.instagram.com/bigjohndangles/https://www.titanbattlegear.com/crazyhockeydadshttps://howieshockeytape.com/https://www.athleticperformanceinsight.com/Socials:TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@crazyhockeydadspodcastX: https://x.com/CrazyhockeydadsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/crazyhockeydadspodcast/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Crazy-Hockey-Dads-Podcast/61578631923150/

Your young athlete may not need another workout. They may need better recovery and a smarter definition of strength.Bill Parisi went from an undersized high school athlete to a two-time Division I All-American and Olympic Trials javelin competitor. He later built the Parisi Speed School from a van and his parents’ basement into a youth performance system that has trained athletes for more than three decades.Bill explains why sleep, hydration, nutrition, and tissue care can matter as much as the next practice. He also shares why recovery is one of the biggest things parents miss. Then he challenges the idea that strength is simply a bigger squat or bench press. For hockey players trying to become harder to move around the puck, traditional lifting is only part of the equation.In this episode:Why Bill tells athletes to make sleep more important than practiceWhat parents misunderstand about overuse and recoveryHow properly coached resistance training can benefit kids before pubertyWhy bodyweight exercises aren’t automatically safer than weightsHow “farm-boy strength” prepares players to stay strong in awkward, off-balance positionsMore training isn’t automatically better. The right stress, recovery, and coaching are what move an athlete forward.Bill Parisi IG: https://www.instagram.com/bill_parisiParisi Speed School: https://www.parisischool.com/Parisi Speed School IG: https://www.instagram.com/parisispeedschoolParisi Speed School YT: https://www.youtube.com/user/ParisiSpeedSchool1Partners:https://www.pacificrink.com/https://hockeytraining.com/https://sparxhockey.com/https://www.instagram.com/bigjohndangles/https://www.titanbattlegear.com/crazyhockeydadshttps://howieshockeytape.com/https://www.athleticperformanceinsight.com/Socials:TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@crazyhockeydadspodcastX: https://x.com/CrazyhockeydadsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/crazyhockeydadspodcast/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Crazy-Hockey-Dads-Podcast/61578631923150/