Guest: Jeff Lovecchio (Retired Prof Hockey Player, Performance Coach)

Host: Jeff Pelizzaro

Episode Number: 363

Podcast: The 18STRONG Podcast

Partners: Linksoul, 1stPhorm

Summary

Join me as I welcome Jeff Lovecchio, a retired professional hockey player turned esteemed performance enhancement coach, to share a wealth of knowledge that transcends the ice and influences athletes from various sports, including golf. Jeff’s unique insights into the intricacies of hockey training, which includes balancing gym routines with the demands of ice play, offer invaluable advice for avoiding overuse injuries and keeping the main sport in sharp focus. We also explore the rigorous life of professional athletes, delving into their schedules and travel, and how these factors affect their training and overall performance.

Listen in as Jeff recounts his personal journey from a promising young hockey talent to a transformative coach, shaped by the trials of a severe concussion and the consequential shift in his playing style. His story of resilience, determination, and the transition to coaching offers a compelling narrative that emphasizes the role of mentorship in athletic development. Jeff’s approach to training, which revolutionized traditional methods, underscores the need for functional, sport-specific regimens that improve balance and strength directly related to performance on the ice.

Wrapping up our conversation, Jeff and I tackle the broader topics of goal setting, self-talk, and the importance of fostering a positive mindset. We discuss how defining clear objectives and engaging in positive affirmations can drive success, both in sports and life. Moreover, Jeff’s mantra “give more, be more,” which he promotes through his social media and website, invites us to consider the profound impact of generosity on personal growth. Whether you’re an athlete looking to enhance your game or someone seeking motivation and inspiration, this episode offers a wealth of strategies and stories that will leave you energized and ready to tackle your goals.

Main Topics

(00:02 ) Performance Enhancement and Mentoring for Athletes

Retired hockey player Jeff Lovecchio shares expertise in fitness, nutrition, and recovery for athletes, discussing the challenges and demands of professional sports.

(07:32 ) Hockey Career and Missed Opportunities

A professional athlete’s journey from playing hockey overseas to revolutionizing training methods, his early start in hockey, and his interest in fitness.

(11:50 ) Building as a Coach After Injuries

A hockey player overcomes a severe concussion to continue his career, adapting his playing style and becoming a successful coach.

(17:33 ) Importance of Athletic Training and Health

Nature’s lessons in sports: discipline, self-investment, parental support, and holistic fitness for all ages.

(28:35 ) Revamping Training for Hockey Performance

An athlete’s journey to improve on-ice performance through functional training, including unilateral exercises, visual and vestibular work, and spatial awareness.

(39:00 ) Improve Sports Skills and Find Motivation

Skill and technique, position-specific power development, individualized coaching, and sustainable fitness routines for New Year’s resolutions.

(43:02 ) Goal Setting and Self-Talk Importance

Reverse engineer goals, establish a strong ‘why’, use daily affirmations, and practice positive self-talk for success.

(48:42 ) Hockey Career, Leadership, Starting Company

A hockey player’s journey, commitment, community support, personal growth through hardship, and transition to entrepreneurship.

(52:50 ) Give More, Be More

Adopting the mantra “give more, be more” and promoting it through personal and professional endeavors, emphasizing the importance of positive contributions and meaningful connections in a society that is becoming increasingly disconnected.

(01:01:04 ) The Importance of Reading and Goals

Mindset, books like “The Secret” and “Relentless Solution Focus,” dream golf and hockey foursomes, and social media recommendations for personal development.

Follow Jeff Lovecchio

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• Instagram: @jefflovecchio
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• Website: GMBM
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Links Mentioned

The Secret Book

Relentless Focus Solution Book

Episode Partners:

LINKSOUL: For your 20% discount on LINKSOUL gear, go to 18strong.com/linksoul or click the logo above.

1st Phorm: Try any of the 1st Phorm products with FREE SHIPPING, go to 1stphorm.com/18strong.com (By using this link, you will be entered into our Monthly 1st Phorm Giveaway!)

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Want the full episode transcript? (click the “+”

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0:00:03 – Jeff Pelizzaro

The 18STRONG Podcast, episode number 363 with Jeff Lovecchio, retired professional hockey player and performance enhancement coach. Hey, what’s up guys? Welcome back to the 18STRONG Podcast, where we’re here to help you build a stronger game, because we believe that every golfer deserves to play better, longer. This episode is going to be a great one for you. We have Jeff Lovecchio on. He’s a retired professional hockey player and I know that sounds a little strange to have a hockey player come on a golf podcast, but, as you’re going to see, with Jeff, he’s much more than just a hockey fitness coach. He is a mental game coach. He is a mentor to a lot of the athletes that he works with, and it’s all about not just the fitness side but the nutrition, the recovery, the mobility, the stability, working on all of the different pieces of the game to train more like an athlete, whether you’re a hockey player, whether you’re a CEO or whether you’re just somebody looking to train and become the best version of yourself in the gym and outside of the gym. So you’re going to really enjoy this episode with Jeff. We share a lot of the same philosophies when it comes to training and his Instagram account has been very influential in some of the things that we do at 18STRONG and the way that we train, the way we work on mobility and the way we work on getting the golfers moving the way we want. So stay tuned.

Right after this, our partners over at Linksoul have been providing us with the best apparel for both on the course and off the course, from polos to t-shirts like the one I have on right now. Everything that they have is meant to be worn from the golf course to wherever you’re going next, whether that be casual, whether that be to the beach, there’s all different options over there. So go to 18STRONG.com slash Linksoul. You’ll get 20% off of anything in your cart over on Linksoul’s website. So again, 18STRONG.com slash Linksoul for our favorite brand of apparel for anything on the golf course and off. Now let’s get to this week’s interview,…

Jeff Lovecchio. Welcome to the 18STRONG podcast, man.

0:02:19 – Jeff Lovecchio

Happy to be here. This gym, this office, everything’s very, very cool. We’re excited.

0:02:24 – Jeff Pelizzaro

Yeah, we’re slowly but surely getting the studio set up and just kind of getting it a little fancy here. Yeah, it’s fancy.

0:02:29 – Jeff Lovecchio

It’s super clean. Man, I love it here. Well, it’s kind of brand new. Yeah, everything’s dope, don’t stop, you might fall off the wall.</p