Our Kids Play Hockey

🏒 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
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🏒 What separates a practice that simply fills an hour from one that actually makes players better?
Great practices don’t happen by accident. They’re intentional, connected to the game, and designed around what players truly need to improve.
On this episode of Our Girls Play Hockey, Lee Elias, Mike Bonelli, and Olympic gold medalist Hayley Scamurra are joined by Chris Howard of Ice Hockey Systems for a deep dive into what makes hockey practices effective—from youth hockey all the way to the professional level.
Chris shares how coaches can move beyond simply collecting drills and instead build practices around clear objectives, meaningful competition, player development, and connection to real game situations.
And this conversation isn’t just for coaches.
Players will learn how to become more intentional with every repetition. Parents will hear what they should actually be watching for from the stands. And coaches will walk away with practical ideas for maximizing every precious minute of ice time.
🔥 In this episode, we discuss:
🏒 Why every practice should begin with a clear objective
🎯 Why two or three teaching points may be more effective than trying to fix everything at once
🔄 How great coaches build progressions instead of constantly chasing new drills
⚡ Why starting practice with competition can immediately increase engagement
🧠 How drills should connect skills and decisions to real game situations
🎮 The role of small-area games, constraints, repetition, and “controlled chaos”
📋 Why coaches should arrive prepared—but still be willing to change the plan
👥 How assistant coaches can help maximize teaching and player connection
💪 How players can make every repetition different and practice with greater intention
🙌 Why creating an environment where players are comfortable failing can accelerate development
👀 What parents should actually look for when evaluating a practice
❤️ Why a player’s excitement to go to the rink may tell you more than anything you see from the stands
🖥️ How Ice Hockey Systems helps coaches organize practices, share drills, use video, and continue their own coaching education
One of the biggest takeaways?
A drill isn’t valuable simply because it looks good. It’s valuable when it connects to what players need in the game.
Whether you’re coaching a girls hockey team, supporting your daughter from the stands, or trying to become a more intentional player yourself, this episode will change the way you think about practice.
📖 Want a written version you can reference anytime? Check out our companion blog: How to Build Better Hockey Practices: Chris Howard of Ice Hockey Systems on Player Development
🎧 Listen now, share it with the coaches and hockey families in your community, and ask yourself: Are we simply running drills—or are we developing hockey players?
Have a question or want to continue the conversation? Reach the Our Kids Play Hockey team at team@ourkidsplayhockey.com.
#OurGirlsPlayHockey #GirlsHockey #YouthHockey #HockeyDevelopment #HockeyPractice #HockeyCoaching #PlayerDevelopment #HockeyParents #WomensHockey #IceHockeySystems #HockeySkills #YouthSports
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🏒 What is one habit you could commit to today that would make you a better hockey player tomorrow?
In this episode of The Ride to the Rink, Lee Elias and Mike Bonelli explain why setting personal standards can change the direction of your hockey journey—both on and off the ice.
Standards are the non-negotiable habits and expectations that guide how you prepare, compete, recover, study, and support your teammates. They might include arriving at the rink early, packing your equipment the night before, eating properly, completing your schoolwork, or committing to your best possible effort every time you step onto the ice.
The key is not trying to change everything at once.
Lee and Mike encourage young players to begin with one realistic standard, practice it consistently, and add more only after that first habit becomes part of who they are.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
🏒 Why standards matter more than perfection
⏰ How arriving early can improve your preparation
💪 Why effort, recovery, nutrition, and sleep belong in your hockey routine
🎒 How preparing your gear the night before reduces stress
📚 Why good academic habits matter as players get older
🤝 How to align your personal standards with your coach’s expectations
📵 Why players should think carefully about screen use before games
🌱 How small, consistent habits can build long-term confidence and success
Whether you are six, sixteen, or simply supporting a young athlete, this episode offers a practical reminder: success does not begin with fifty new rules. It begins with one commitment you are willing to keep.
📖 Want a written version you can reference anytime? Check out our companion blog: The One Standard That Can Change a Young Hockey Player’s Journey
Your challenge: Choose one standard, write it down, and start practicing it today. Then talk with a parent or coach about what you can build next.
This episode is powered by NHL Sense Arena.
No matter where you are in your hockey journey, remember: we believe in you—and you should believe in yourself, too.
#YouthHockey #HockeyDevelopment #HockeyMindset #YoungAthletes #HockeyHabits #PlayerDevelopment #HockeyParents #HockeyCoaching #MentalPerformance #TheRideToTheRink
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🏒 When a young hockey player misbehaves, who is responsible—the coach, the parent, or the entire team community?
Coaches are often told to “control their kids,” but the truth is more complicated: coaches can guide, mentor, manage, and establish standards, but they are not replacements for parents.
In this episode of Our Kids Play Hockey, Mike Bonelli and Lee Elias explore where coaching responsibilities begin, where they end, and why successful youth hockey environments require parents, coaches, officials, and players to work together.
They discuss how clear expectations around punctuality, preparation, locker-room behavior, respect, academics, travel, and team conduct can help young athletes develop far beyond the scoreboard.
🎧 In this episode, you’ll hear:
🕒 Why coaches should establish expectations early in the season
🏒 The difference between coaching a player and parenting a child
🤝 How parents can reinforce team standards without surrendering their role
🧭 Why a coach should be viewed as a guide, mentor, and manager
🚨 When coaches should intervene—and when a situation belongs to the parent
🏨 Who is responsible for behavior at hotels, restaurants, tournaments, and the rink
🗣️ How officials can become part of the teaching process through communication
🧹 Why character is often revealed when no one appears to be watching
🏆 How teams can define winning through development, preparation, and growth
📈 Why strong standards often lead to more enjoyable and successful seasons
The biggest takeaway is simple: youth hockey works best when everyone understands their role.
Coaches must communicate and consistently enforce meaningful standards. Parents must support those expectations and continue teaching responsibility away from the rink. Players must gradually learn to take ownership of their preparation, behavior, and decisions.
When those pieces work together, hockey becomes more than a game—it becomes an environment where young people learn accountability, respect, resilience, and character.
📖 Want a written version you can reference anytime? Check out our companion blog: Coaches Aren’t Parents: Understanding Responsibility in Youth Hockey
What standards have made the biggest difference for your child’s team? Email team@ourkidsplayhockey.com or use the text link accompanying this episode to join the conversation.
This episode is powered by NHL Sense Arena.
#OurKidsPlayHockey #YouthHockey #HockeyParents #HockeyCoaching #YouthSports #HockeyDevelopment #TeamCulture #SportsParenting #PlayerDevelopment #HockeyLife
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🏒 Not getting enough ice time? Before blaming the coach, it may be time to ask a better question: What can I do to earn more trust?
In this episode of Our Girls Play Hockey, Lee Elias and Olympic gold medalist and Walter Cup champion Hayley Scamurra tackle one of the most emotional—and often misunderstood—topics in youth hockey: ICE TIME.
Players naturally want to be on the ice. Parents want to see their children get opportunities. Coaches want to put their teams in the best position to succeed. But when frustration takes over, players can begin focusing on what they cannot control instead of recognizing the actions that may help them earn their next shift.
Hayley explains why effort, attitude, awareness, and being a supportive teammate can influence a coach’s trust far more than sulking on the bench or obsessing over points. She also shares how shifting her own focus away from scoring helped her enjoy the game again, contribute more consistently, and ultimately reach new heights in her professional and international career.
🔥 In this episode, Lee and Hayley discuss:
Why players sometimes receive more ice time than they realize
The difference between asking for ice time and asking how to improve
How body language and attitude affect a coach’s decisions
Why players must stay engaged even while sitting on the bench
How simple, dependable plays build trust
Why risky moves at the blue line can quickly reduce opportunities
The danger of measuring a player’s value only through goals and points
How coaches can communicate roles honestly and constructively
Why younger players should receive meaningful development opportunities
How parents can help players advocate for themselves
The importance of controlling effort, attitude, preparation, and response
One of the biggest lessons from the conversation is that earning ice time is not always about making the flashiest play. It may mean blocking a shot, clearing the defensive zone, supporting a teammate, protecting the front of the net, making the safe play at the blue line, or bringing energy to the bench.
For parents, this episode is also an important reminder to pause before immediately blaming the coach. Encourage your player to approach the situation with curiosity, accountability, and a willingness to hear constructive feedback.
For coaches, the message is equally clear: communicate honestly, recognize more than offensive production, and follow through when players make the improvements you asked them to make.
📖 Want a written version you can reference anytime? Check out our companion blog: Not Getting Enough Ice Time? Focus on What You Can Control
🎧 Listen now for a thoughtful, honest conversation that can help players, parents, and coaches navigate ice-time frustrations while keeping development—and the team—at the center of the game.
#OurGirlsPlayHockey #GirlsHockey #WomensHockey #YouthHockey #HockeyParents #HockeyCoaching #IceTime #PlayerDevelopment #HockeyMindset #HockeyLeadership #TeamFirst #HayleyScamurra
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