Our Kids Play Hockey

🏒 Do you know what your skates are telling you when something just doesn’t feel right on the ice?
Your stick gets a lot of attention. Your gloves are fun to pick out. But when it comes to actually moving, stopping, turning, and competing on the ice, everything starts with your skates.
On this episode of The Ride To The Rink, Lee Elias and Christie Casciano Burns are joined by Russ Layton, founder and CEO of Sparx Hockey, for a quick, practical lesson every young hockey player should hear: how to understand and take better care of your skate blades.
Russ explains why players—not just their parents—need to recognize when an edge feels wrong and speak up after a practice or game. He also walks through his complete pre- and post-skate care routine, from drying skates and removing footbeds to protecting blades with soakers and checking edges before heading back onto the ice. 
You’ll also get a crash course on skate hollow and why the amount of grip or glide you feel can change depending on your sharpening setup.
🔥 In this ride, young players will learn:
 🏒 How to recognize when a skate edge may be damaged or dull 
 🗣️ Why telling your parents how your skates feel is part of being responsible for your equipment 
 💧 Why completely drying your skates after every session matters 
 🛡️ How skate soakers help protect your blades around the locker room 
 ⚙️ What a skate sharpening “hollow” actually means 
 💨 The difference between more grip and more glide 
 📈 Why understanding your skates can improve consistency and confidence 
 📱 How Sparx Hockey’s Hollow Finder can help players explore sharpening options 
The biggest takeaway? Your edges are the foundation of your skating. If you can’t trust them when you turn, stop, accelerate, or change direction, the rest of your equipment can only do so much.
Spend a little time learning how your blades work, take care of them, and start becoming an active participant in your own hockey equipment decisions.
And wherever you are on your hockey journey, remember: we believe in you. You should too.
📖 Want a written version you can reference anytime? Check out our companion blog: Why Every Young Hockey Player Should Understand Skate Sharpening
#YouthHockey #HockeySkates #SkateSharpening #HockeyTips #HockeyPlayers #SparxHockey #HockeyEquipment #HockeyDevelopment #SkatingSkills #TheRideToTheRink
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🏒 Your player knows their stick flex, curve, and favorite tape job—but do they know what’s happening underneath their skates?
Skate sharpening may be one of the most overlooked parts of youth hockey, yet the condition of a player’s edges can directly affect their confidence, turning, stopping, acceleration, and overall feel on the ice.
In this episode of Our Kids Play Hockey, Lee Elias, Mike Bonelli, and Christie Casciano-Burns welcome Russ Layton, Founder & CEO of Sparx Hockey, for a deep dive into everything hockey families need to understand about skate sharpening. 
And one of the biggest lessons might surprise you: there is no magic number of hours between sharpenings.
Russ explains why an edge can be lost before a player even touches the ice, how parents can recognize a damaged edge, what “hollow” actually means, and why consistency matters much more than simply waiting until skates “feel dull.”
🔥 In this episode, you’ll learn:
 🏒 Why skate edges usually don’t gradually dull the way many parents think 
 🔍 How to perform the simple “fingernail test” on a skate blade 
 ⚙️ What skate hollow means and how it affects grip vs. glide
 📏 Why 1/2" may be a starting point—but not necessarily the perfect hollow for every player 
 🚀 How flatter hollows can reduce resistance while deeper hollows create more bite 
 🧠 Why younger players may not recognize when they’ve lost an edge 
 🔄 How removable steel has changed tournament preparation 
 🧳 Why carrying multiple sharpened sets of steel can save a hockey weekend 
 🥅 How player preference, skating style, position, strength, and body size can affect sharpening choices 
 ❄️ How ice conditions can change how a player's edges feel 
 🧼 Why drying blades, removing footbeds, and properly storing skates matters 
 💡 Why reliable, consistent edges should come before expensive equipment upgrades 
 🏠 How at-home skate sharpening can change convenience and consistency for hockey families 
Perhaps most importantly, Russ and the crew remind parents that skate sharpening isn’t a shortcut to becoming a better player. Kids still have to learn how to skate. But giving them dependable edges provides the foundation they need to actually use the skills they’re developing.
Whether your child is just learning to skate, traveling every weekend for tournaments, playing goalie, or beginning to experiment with different hollows and steel, this conversation will help your family make much more informed decisions about one of hockey’s most important pieces of equipment.
📖 Want a written version you can reference anytime? Check out our companion blog: Are Your Kid’s Skates Holding Them Back? What Hockey Families Need to Know About Skate Sharpening
🎧 Listen now, check those edges, and make sure your player isn't stepping onto the ice with their most important performance tool working against them.
Have a hockey question for the crew? Reach out to Our Kids Play Hockey and keep the conversation going.
#OurKidsPlayHockey #YouthHockey #HockeyParents #SkateSharpening #SparxHockey #HockeySkates #HockeyEquipment #HockeyTips #YouthHockeyParents #HockeyDevelopment
Click To Text The Our Kids Play Hockey Team!
Keep your player sharp this summer with NHL Sense Arena. Save $25 on an annual plan with code OKPH at hockey.SenseArena.com/okph
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🏒 What if one of the best things a young hockey player can do for her game is… step away from it?
In a sport where players constantly hear messages about working harder, training more, and never taking a day off, knowing when to rest, reset, and simply be a kid can feel almost counterintuitive.
In this episode of Our Girls Play Hockey, Lee Elias, Mike Bonelli, and Olympic gold medalist and Walter Cup champion Hayley Scamurra explore the best things they’ve done away from the rink—and why those experiences may have helped them just as much as another practice ever could.
Hayley shares memories of summers at the lake, playing soccer and tennis, spending time with family, puzzling, hiking, and learning throughout her career that it really is okay to rest. She also explains how she now balances elite-level offseason training with travel, relationships, recovery, and the flexibility required when life changes the plan.
And yes… there’s also a middle-school dance story involving hockey practice and hands that still smelled like hockey gloves. 😅
✨ In this episode, we discuss:
🧠 Why mentally disconnecting from hockey can actually help athletes come back more motivated
🏒 The difference between taking a random day off and intentionally planning recovery
🌊 How some of Hayley’s favorite childhood memories had nothing to do with hockey
⚽ Why other sports, hobbies, friendships, and free play matter for young athletes
📅 How elite athletes build routines without becoming prisoners of their schedules
🔄 Why adaptability is a critical skill when training plans change
💪 How strong habits allow athletes to take a break without fearing they’ll “lose everything”
👨‍👩‍👧 Why parents should think carefully before turning every free moment into another development opportunity
🌳 The importance of letting kids play outside simply because it’s fun
❤️ Why who you are away from hockey matters more than any trophy, title, or stat
One of the biggest messages from Hayley is one every young player should hear:
Not everything you do has to make you better at your sport. Sometimes you should do something simply because you enjoy it.
For hockey parents, this episode is an important reminder that development isn’t just about accumulating ice time. Your daughter is developing when she makes friends, learns another sport, spends time outside, reads a book, explores a hobby, rests her body, or discovers something she loves that has absolutely nothing to do with hockey.
And sometimes stepping away is exactly what allows a player to realize just how much she misses the game.
📖 Want a written version you can reference anytime? Check out our companion blog: Why Time Away From Hockey Can Help Girls Become Better Athletes—and Happier People
🎧 Listen together with your player and ask this question afterward: What’s something you love doing that has nothing to do with hockey?
Because great hockey players need recovery—but great people also need room to discover who they are beyond the rink.
#OurGirlsPlayHockey #GirlsHockey #WomensHockey #YouthHockey #HockeyParents #HockeyDevelopment #AthleteRecovery #YouthSports #HockeyMindset #HayleyScamurra
Click To Text The Our Kids Play Hockey Team!
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🏒 Ever wonder who makes sure your tournaments are booked, your hotel is ready, your ice time is scheduled, and your team actually knows where it needs to be?
There’s a good chance your team manager had something to do with it.
On this episode of The Ride to the Rink, Lee, Mike, Christie, and special guest **Christine—an experienced youth hockey team manager who has managed multiple high-level teams—**take young players behind the scenes of one of the most important jobs on a hockey team.
And kids, your manager does a lot more than send schedules to your parents.
From booking hotels and tournaments to organizing meals, team bonding, practices, music, and even the occasional knee-hockey opportunity, managers spend countless hours trying to give players the best season possible.
🎧 In this ride, you’ll hear:
 🏨 What a youth hockey team manager actually does 
 💬 Why players should feel comfortable bringing ideas to their manager 
 🎵 How players can help shape team traditions, music, and off-ice fun 
 🤝 When a manager can be another trusted adult to talk to 
 ⏰ Why the early game time or imperfect hotel probably isn’t your manager’s fault 
 🙌 How a simple “thank you” can mean more than players realize 
 ⚡ The story behind Christine’s unforgettable Thunderstruck team entrance 
Christine also shares an important reminder: your season won’t always be perfect. Sometimes schedules, tournament times, hotels, and other details are outside your manager’s control. Behind the scenes, though, they’re usually working hard to make things better for every player and family.
So the next time you see your team manager at the rink, don’t just walk past them.
Say hello. Share an idea. Ask a question.
And every once in a while, tell them thank you.
Because being a great hockey player isn’t only about how you treat your teammates and coaches. It’s also about respecting the people who make it possible for your team to have an amazing season.
📖 Want a written version you can reference anytime? Check out our companion blog: The Unsung Hero of Your Hockey Season: Why Your Team Manager Matters
🏒 Wherever you are on your hockey journey, we believe in you. You should, too.
This episode is powered by NHL Sense Arena.
#TheRideToTheRink #YouthHockey #HockeyKids #HockeyParents #YouthHockeyPlayers #HockeyTeamManager #HockeyLife #HockeyTeam #YouthSports #HockeyFamily #Teamwork #Sportsmanship
Click To Text The Our Kids Play Hockey Team!
Keep your player sharp this summer with NHL Sense Arena. Save $25 on an annual plan with code OKPH at hockey.SenseArena.com/okph
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🏒 What happens when you’re “voluntold” to become the team manager—and suddenly an entire hockey season feels like it’s resting on your shoulders?
Every successful youth hockey team has players, coaches, and supportive parents. But behind the scenes, there’s often one person keeping the schedules organized, hotels booked, families informed, problems solved, and team culture moving in the right direction: the team manager.
In this episode of Our Kids Play Hockey, Lee Elias, Christie Casciano-Burns, and Mike Bonelli are joined by Christine O’Brien, who recently managed the Connecticut Junior Rangers at the BRICK Tournament and brings firsthand experience managing the countless details that go into creating a great youth hockey experience.
And as Christine explains, great team management is about much more than sending emails and booking hotel rooms.
🏒 In this episode, you’ll hear about:
 📅 How managers can organize schedules, travel, hotels, tournaments, and constant last-minute changes 
 🤝 Why trust between the manager and coaching staff is essential 
 📱 How to communicate effectively without overwhelming families 
 🙋 Why the best managers delegate instead of trying to do everything themselves 
 🧱 What Christine learned managing at the high-pressure BRICK Tournament 
 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 How team meals, activities, and simple off-ice moments can create stronger relationships 
 💰 Why managers need to remain conscious of the different financial realities within a team 
 🚫 How to avoid becoming the middleman for parent complaints about coaching decisions 
 🏒 Why protecting the coaches’ ability to coach is one of a manager’s most valuable contributions 
 ❤️ How managers can help make sure kids are still allowed to be kids, even in highly competitive hockey environments 
Christine also shares practical ideas for delegating jobs like timekeeping, music, team parties, swag, reservations, and other responsibilities that can quickly overwhelm one person.
Whether you’re already managing a team, considering raising your hand, or staring at your phone wondering why the coach just asked you to do it, this conversation is packed with practical advice for making the season more organized, inclusive, and enjoyable.
📖 Want a written version you can reference anytime? Check out our companion blog: The Unsung MVP of Youth Hockey: What Great Team Managers Do Differently
🎧 Listen now—and if your team has an incredible manager, send them this episode and make sure they know how much their work matters.
Because great managers don’t just keep a team organized. They help create the experience families and players remember long after the season ends.
#OurKidsPlayHockey #YouthHockey #HockeyParents #TeamManager #YouthHockeyManager #HockeyCoach #HockeyFamily #YouthSports #HockeyCulture #BRICKTournament
Click To Text The Our Kids Play Hockey Team!
Keep your player sharp this summer with NHL Sense Arena. Save $25 on an annual plan with code OKPH at hockey.SenseArena.com/okph
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