Our Kids Play Hockey

🏒 What’s for dinner when practice starts at 5:30, homework still needs to get done, and everyone is heading in a different direction?
For hockey families, feeding everyone during the season can feel like another full-time job. Between practices, games, tournaments, school, work, and travel, the fast-food drive-thru can start looking like the easiest option.
But it doesn’t have to be.
In this episode of Our Kids Play Hockey, Lee Elias, Mike Bonelli, and Christie Casciano-Burns tackle one of the most relatable challenges hockey parents face: how to feed your family—and fuel your hockey player—when the schedule is completely chaotic.
🥘 From crockpot meals and rotisserie chicken to breakfast-for-dinner, taco night, prepacked snacks, and tournament-friendly options, the crew shares realistic ideas that hockey families can actually use.
You’ll hear:
🏒 Why meal planning matters more than creating the “perfect” dinner
🥪 Simple grab-and-go foods for busy practice nights
🍌 Easy snack ideas for before and after hockey
⏰ How food choices can change depending on how close you are to game time
🥘 Why the crockpot may be the MVP of hockey season
💰 How planning ahead can help families rely less on expensive fast food
🍝 The hosts’ favorite hockey-family meals that kids actually eat
🧊 Why packing food for tournaments can save time, money, and frustration
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 How involving kids in meal planning can teach habits that last well beyond hockey
And perhaps most importantly, this episode is a reminder that the goal isn’t gourmet—it’s preparation.
Your family dinner may happen at 4:45 one night and 9:30 the next. Some nights everyone may eat together; other nights it’s grab-and-go. What matters is creating a plan that works for your family and gives your young athlete the fuel they need.
As Lee points out, parents spend enormous amounts of time thinking about skating lessons, shooting coaches, camps, clinics, and development opportunities. But something as basic as what a player eats can also have a real impact on how prepared and energized they feel on the ice.
📖 Want a written version you can reference anytime? Check out our companion blog: How Busy Hockey Families Can Make Mealtime Easier and Fuel Their Players Better
🎧 Listen now and steal a few ideas for your next busy hockey week.
Have a favorite hockey-family meal, tournament snack, or crockpot recipe? Send it to team@ourkidsplayhockey.com.
You can also explore books, apparel, partners, and more at OurKidsPlayHockey.com/deals.
#OurKidsPlayHockey #HockeyParents #YouthHockey #HockeyNutrition #HockeyMom #HockeyDad #YouthSportsNutrition #HockeyMeals #MealPrep #HockeyLife #TournamentHockey #SportsParents
Click To Text The Our Kids Play Hockey Team!
Hockey IQ: Scanning the ice, recognizing pressure, anticipating what happens next, making the right decision faster. Research shows these perceptual and decision-making skills can actually be trained. With NHL Sense Arena, kids can get extra game-like reps at home, working on hockey IQ, reactions, real stick-handling for skaters, while goalies can train reads and tracking. Save $25 on an annual plan with code OKPH at http://hockey.sensearena.com/okph
Have A Topic You Want Us To Cover? Let us know!

Please Be Sure To Subscribe & Leave A Review For Us On Apple Podcasts, doing so helps our show grow!

Follow Us On Social Media:
Facebook Group
X
Instagram
LinkedIn
YouTube

🏒 What if your young hockey player could get individualized feedback, video analysis, coach collaboration, and a season-long development plan—all without adding another practice to the calendar?
In this special edition of Our Kids Play Hockey, Lee Elias sits down with longtime coach and player-development expert Mike Bonelli to introduce Mike’s new Player Advising Program, designed to give youth hockey players and families something that can be hard to find during a busy season: consistent, individualized feedback.
Rather than focusing on playing time, rankings, or where a player should play years from now, Mike’s approach starts with a much simpler question:
Where is the player today—and how can we help them make meaningful progress throughout the season?
With more than 40 years of experience in player development, coaching, mentorship, recruiting, and player advancement, Mike has built a program that combines professional evaluation with practical, season-long guidance. He also works directly with each player’s coach so that the feedback supports—not conflicts with—the player’s team environment.
🎯 In this episode, you’ll hear about:
Why the beginning of the hockey season is such an important time to establish a player-development baseline
How individualized video review can help players actually see what coaches are asking them to improve
Why Mike communicates directly with the player’s coach throughout the process
How comparing a player’s film with higher-level players can create clearer teaching moments
Why skate hollow, blade profile, radius, and overall skate setup can make a meaningful difference in performance
How outside feedback can sometimes help young players hear the same lesson in an entirely new way
Why development should be measured across an entire season—not one tournament, practice, or weekend
The Player Advising Program includes an initial one-on-one intake meeting, six individualized player progress reports—including a baseline evaluation, four in-season reports, and a final report—access to a private video portal, professional skate and blade review, and two private speaker-series programs.
💰 Our Kids Play Hockey introductory offering: $225 per player
The program runs from September through February, and space is limited.
👉 Ready to register? Complete the Player Advising Program form here:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSch6ZRzHEpzAEHKd5ZDjjbhxwGBGbVSHNg23MUckydf93VOHQ/viewform
📅 Have questions or want to speak with Mike first? Schedule a quick consultation here:
https://calendly.com/mike-mikebonellihockeysolutions/30min?month=2026-09
If your young player would benefit from more individualized feedback, better understanding of their game, and a clearer development path throughout the season, this episode will show you exactly what that process can look like.
Listen, learn, and keep helping your player enjoy the process of becoming the best version of themselves.
#OurKidsPlayHockey #YouthHockey #HockeyDevelopment #HockeyParents #PlayerDevelopment #HockeyCoaching #HockeyTraining #HockeyIQ #YouthSports #MikeBonelli
Click To Text The Our Kids Play Hockey Team!
Hockey IQ: Scanning the ice, recognizing pressure, anticipating what happens next, making the right decision faster. Research shows these perceptual and decision-making skills can actually be trained. With NHL Sense Arena, kids can get extra game-like reps at home, working on hockey IQ, reactions, real stick-handling for skaters, while goalies can train reads and tracking. Save $25 on an annual plan with code OKPH at http://hockey.sensearena.com/okph
Have A Topic You Want Us To Cover? Let us know!

Please Be Sure To Subscribe & Leave A Review For Us On Apple Podcasts, doing so helps our show grow!

Follow Us On Social Media:
Facebook Group
X
Instagram
LinkedIn
YouTube

🏒 Dreaming about playing college hockey someday? The work doesn’t start when recruiting begins—it starts with the habits you’re building right now.
On this episode of The Ride to The Rink, Lee Elias and Christie Casciano Burns are joined by Kiersten Sires, creator of 2aDays, to help young hockey players understand what they can do today to prepare for the opportunities they hope to have tomorrow.
And here’s the good news: you don’t need to be emailing college coaches or worrying about recruiting rankings at eight, ten, or twelve years old.
You need to start becoming the kind of person and player coaches will want on their team.
Kiersten shares why college coaches pay attention to much more than goals, assists, and skating ability—and why your grades, body language, communication skills, consistency, and treatment of teammates can eventually separate you from other players.
🏒 In this episode, you’ll learn:
Why strong daily habits matter long before college recruiting begins
📚 Why your grades can open—or limit—future college hockey opportunities
What coaches notice about your body language and behavior away from the puck
Why being a great teammate matters when you think nobody is watching
How introducing yourself and communicating confidently builds an important life skill
Why young players need to learn how to advocate for themselves instead of always relying on parents
How effort in school, chores, practice, and everyday life helps build your compete level
❤️ Why having fun still needs to be part of chasing big hockey dreams
The message for every young player is simple: work hard, learn something, communicate, be a great teammate—and enjoy the ride.
Wherever you are in your hockey journey, keep building the habits that will help you on the ice and everywhere else.
📖 Want a written version you can reference anytime? Check out our companion blog: Want to Play College Hockey Someday? Start With What You Do Today.
🎧 Listen now, share this episode with a young player who dreams of college hockey, and check out 2aDays to learn more about Kiersten Sires and the college sports experience.
#YouthHockey #CollegeHockey #HockeyRecruiting #CollegeHockeyRecruiting #HockeyPlayers #YouthAthletes #HockeyParents #StudentAthlete #HockeyDevelopment #HockeyLife #TheRideToTheRink #2aDays
Click To Text The Our Kids Play Hockey Team!
Hockey IQ: Scanning the ice, recognizing pressure, anticipating what happens next, making the right decision faster. Research shows these perceptual and decision-making skills can actually be trained. With NHL Sense Arena, kids can get extra game-like reps at home, working on hockey IQ, reactions, real stick-handling for skaters, while goalies can train reads and tracking. Save $25 on an annual plan with code OKPH at http://hockey.sensearena.com/okph
Have A Topic You Want Us To Cover? Let us know!

Please Be Sure To Subscribe & Leave A Review For Us On Apple Podcasts, doing so helps our show grow!

Follow Us On Social Media:
Facebook Group
X
Instagram
LinkedIn
YouTube

🏒 What if the college hockey program recruiting your child isn’t actually the best college for them?
For many hockey families, playing at the college level can feel like the ultimate finish line after years of practices, travel, tournaments, showcases, sacrifices, and expenses. But when that opportunity finally arrives, another question becomes even more important:
Is this really the right place for my student-athlete?
In this episode of Our Kids Play Hockey, Lee Elias, Christie Casciano-Burns, and Mike Bonelli are joined by Kiersten Sires, Founder and CEO of 2aDays, to unpack what families should really be thinking about during the college recruiting process.
And one of the biggest lessons? Don’t let “D1 or bust” thinking—or your ego—make the decision for you.
Kiersten explains why choosing a college should go far beyond the logo on the jersey. Families need to consider academics, potential majors, location, finances, coaching style, team culture, expected role, institutional stability, and one powerful question:
If hockey disappeared tomorrow, would your child still want to attend that school?
🎯 In this episode, you’ll learn:
🏒 Why Division I isn’t automatically the “best” college hockey opportunity
🎓 Why academics and career preparation need to remain central to the decision
🔍 How families can research programs before the recruiting process heats up
👀 What coaches notice about players—and their parents—away from the puck
🤝 Why body language, character, communication, and self-advocacy can separate recruits
📱 How social media, streaming, and a player’s digital footprint have changed recruiting
💰 Why families shouldn’t automatically dismiss Division III or ACHA opportunities
🏫 How to evaluate coaching culture, roster turnover, facilities, campus life, and even the financial health of a school
✍️ Why personal communication with coaches matters more than copy-and-paste recruiting messages
🧭 How 2aDays helps student-athletes and families research coaches, programs, schools, and the overall college experience
Kiersten also shares why parents need to understand something coaches already know: people talk. The way a player treats teammates, responds to adversity, communicates with adults, and carries themselves matters. And yes—the way parents behave in the stands can matter too.
This conversation isn’t only for families actively being recruited. The habits that create recruitable student-athletes—communication, accountability, academics, independence, character, and self-advocacy—start years before the first college coach ever calls.
Whether your player dreams of NCAA Division I, Division III, ACHA hockey, or simply wants to understand what opportunities might exist, this episode will help your family approach college recruiting with clearer priorities and better questions.
🎧 Listen now, share this episode with another hockey family navigating the college conversation, and remember: the goal isn’t simply to find a college that wants your player. It’s to find a college where they can grow as a student, athlete, and person.
📖 Want a written version you can reference anytime? Check out our companion blog: College Hockey Recruiting Is About More Than Hockey
#OurKidsPlayHockey #CollegeHockey #CollegeHockeyRecruiting #HockeyRecruiting #YouthHockey #StudentAthlete #CollegeAthletics #HockeyParents #NCAAHockey #Division3Hockey #ACHAHockey #CollegeRecruiting #2aDays
Click To Text The Our Kids Play Hockey Team!
Hockey IQ: Scanning the ice, recognizing pressure, anticipating what happens next, making the right decision faster. Research shows these perceptual and decision-making skills can actually be trained. With NHL Sense Arena, kids can get extra game-like reps at home, working on hockey IQ, reactions, real stick-handling for skaters, while goalies can train reads and tracking. Save $25 on an annual plan with code OKPH at http://hockey.sensearena.com/okph
Have A Topic You Want Us To Cover? Let us know!

Please Be Sure To Subscribe & Leave A Review For Us On Apple Podcasts, doing so helps our show grow!

Follow Us On Social Media:
Facebook Group
X
Instagram
LinkedIn
YouTube

🏒 What does it really mean to “grow the game” of hockey?
Is it getting more kids to pick up a stick? Building more elite teams? Selling out professional arenas? Or is the real work making sure that once a young player discovers hockey, they feel like they belong enough to stay?
On this episode of Our Girls Play Hockey, Lee Elias, Mike Bonelli, and Olympic gold medalist and PWHL Walter Cup champion Hayley Scamurra dig into what growing hockey actually looks like—from grassroots programs and community outreach to the small choices coaches, parents, organizations, and players can make every day.
Inspired by Lee’s recent experience helping introduce hockey to young players in Puerto Rico, the conversation explores why simply putting a stick in a kid’s hands isn’t enough. There needs to be a pathway forward.
🏒 In this episode, we discuss:
🌎 Why hockey can belong anywhere—from traditional rinks to Puerto Rico and beyond
🏒 The difference between expanding elite hockey and truly growing the grassroots game
📈 Why retention matters just as much as recruitment
💰 How cost, equipment, ice access, and early specialization can shrink the game
👧 How coaches can make girls feel like hockey players—not outsiders—on co-ed teams
🤝 Why welcoming a new family at the rink can have a bigger impact than you realize
⭐ How PWHL players and professional athletes inspire new players simply by being visible and accessible
🧒 Why older players helping younger teams can build stronger athletes, better people, and deeper organizational identity
❤️ How fun, belonging, community, and connection keep kids coming back
Hayley also shares what she sees when young girls encounter professional women’s hockey up close—including the story of a young player who started hockey after watching the Minnesota Frost play the Ottawa Charge in Raleigh.
And the message is simple: you do not need a national platform, professional title, or massive event to grow hockey.
A coach can invite younger players onto the ice.
An older team can help at a learn-to-play session.
A parent can introduce themselves to the new family standing alone at the rink.
A player can make sure the new kid gets the pass that leads to their first goal.
Those moments matter.
🎯 The challenge: Find one thing you, your team, or your organization can do this season to make hockey more welcoming, accessible, and fun for someone else.
And if you can, go watch a PWHL game—live or from home. Let the next generation see what is possible.
If this episode gets you thinking, share it with a coach, parent, player, or hockey leader who can help grow the game in their community.
📖 Want a written version you can reference anytime? Check out our companion blog: Growing Girls Hockey Starts With Something Bigger Than Recruitment
Have a story about how you’re growing hockey where you live? Send it to team@ourkidsplayhockey.com and keep the conversation going.
#OurGirlsPlayHockey #GirlsHockey #WomensHockey #GrowTheGame #YouthHockey #PWHL #HockeyParents #HockeyCoaches #GirlsInSports #HockeyDevelopment #HockeyCommunity #WomenInSports
Click To Text The Our Kids Play Hockey Team!
Hockey IQ: Scanning the ice, recognizing pressure, anticipating what happens next, making the right decision faster. Research shows these perceptual and decision-making skills can actually be trained. With NHL Sense Arena, kids can get extra game-like reps at home, working on hockey IQ, reactions, real stick-handling for skaters, while goalies can train reads and tracking. Save $25 on an annual plan with code OKPH at http://hockey.sensearena.com/okph
Have A Topic You Want Us To Cover? Let us know!

Please Be Sure To Subscribe & Leave A Review For Us On Apple Podcasts, doing so helps our show grow!

Follow Us On Social Media:
Facebook Group
X
Instagram
LinkedIn
YouTube