Access to rinks, ice time , and cost may be impediments to growing a program in a small hockey market. But not to Chris Benson who helps direct the fortunes of the Bristol youth program in England. Speaking from Riga, Latvia, where his son is attending a hockey camp, Chris passionately describes the challenges and the steps being taken to programming, one of which includes the "management" of parents.

Contact:
richard(at)grassrootsminorhockey.com
Twitter:
Richard - @berky544

Dean Holden: funlearnreturn@gmail.com

"We do not learn from experience. We learn from reflecting on experience."

Host Richard Bercuson spends this episode providing an overview of his season coaching 10 year olds in a unique house league-type environment. Dean Holden poses some pointed questions that has Richard using the "wayback machine" to reflect on the approaches he's used and why.

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In the introduction, Richard refers to his co-authored novel that was published last year through Amazon: The Burden of Guilt.

Contact:
richard(at)grassrootsminorhockey.com
Twitter:
Richard - @berky544

Dean Holden: funlearnreturn@gmail.com

How to get out of the "tick box" practice scenario. Richard and Dean discuss why coaches need to learn that players have to experience skill and tactical content in ways that are closer to competitive situations. This means moving away from the age-old and time worn approaches we've long accepted.

Contact:
richard(at)grassrootsminorhockey.com
Twitter:
Richard - @berky544

Dean Holden: funlearnreturn@gmail.com

Special guest Dr. Stephen Norris and Dean Holden discuss their recent trip to Kazakhstan as part of an IIHF initiative to grow the game in other parts of the world. What is the impact of this initiative on our own game's leadership? Where are we going? Is it the right direction? An in-depth look at those and other questions.

https://www.iihf.com/en/news/64332/first_asian_general_secretary_summit

Contact:
richard(at)grassrootsminorhockey.com
Twitter:
Richard - @berky544

Dean Holden: funlearnreturn@gmail.com

The modern lexicon of coaching includes terms like transformational and transactional to describe the approaches coaches use. What are their characteristics? In minor hockey, can someone be both? Dean Holden delves into this topic, aided and abetted by host Richard Bercuson who tosses out questions and examples to investigate.

Toward Understanding Youth Athletes’ Fun Priorities: An Investigation of Sex, Age, and Levels of Play: Amanda Visek, Heather Mannix et al

https://activeforlife.com/why-every-coach-needs-a-coaching-philosophy/

Contact:
richard(at)grassrootsminorhockey.com
Twitter:
Richard - @berky544

Dean Holden: funlearnreturn@gmail.com

Greg Revak, an Ohio-based coach and USA Hockey coach developer, has unique and progressive ideas on coaching the game. His podcast and newsletter hit on various topics which are pertinent to coaches at every level. In this episode, he shares with Richard his personal bugaboos and annoyances about practice design and what we can do better.

His website: https://hockeysarsenal.substack.com/
The HockeyIQ Podcast: https://hockeysarsenal.com/podcast

Contact:
richard(at)grassrootsminorhockey.com
Twitter:
Richard - @berky544

Dean Holden: funlearnreturn@gmail.com

However you define "new," Richard and Dean discuss what coaches need to consider at the start of a new adventure and the resources they should access.

Books:
How we learn to move by Rob Gray
The Coach's Guide to Teaching by Doug Lemov
Transforming Basketball by Alex Sarama
The Coaching Habit: Say Less, Ask More & Change the Way You Lead Forever by Michael Bungay Stanier

Podcasts:
This one, of course!
The Talent Equation - Stuart Armstrong
The Perception-Action Podcast - Rob Gray
HEO Youtube channel - Brian Gillam (Hockey Eastern Ontario

Web sites:
hockeycoachingabcs.com - Tom Molloy
admkids.com - USA Hockey

Contact:
richard(at)grassrootsminorhockey.com
Twitter:
Richard - @berky544

Dean Holden: funlearnreturn@gmail.com

Season 5 begins with an important pre-season look at how contact and checking need to be taught to take it beyond the confines of the current checking clinic module. Richard and Dean examine an approach using spectrums of skill for different ages and levels of play, built within the current four-stage checking progression espoused by Hockey Canada.

Those who'd like a copy of the spectrums diagram should email Richard: Richard(at)grassrootsminorhockey.com

Contact:
richard(at)grassrootsminorhockey.com
Twitter:
Richard - @berky544

Dean Holden: funlearnreturn@gmail.com