Grassroots: The Minor Hockey Show

Mar 13 2025 110 ep. 54 mins 11

Grassroots: The Minor Hockey Show Podcast artwork

A provocative, in-depth podcast that examines the world of minor hockey, from coaching to program development to the myriad of issues faced by everyone in the game.

Copy RSS

Subscribe on Podcast Addict

Episode 110 - Meanwhile in Bristol, England...

Mar 13 2025 71 mins

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 "man

Episode 109 - What I learned from coaching U11

Mar 06 2025 77 mins

"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. --------------------------------

Episode 108 - Many tries - Many times - Many ways

Jan 10 2025 78 mins

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 Holde

Episode 107 - Leadership in hockey

Dec 13 2024 90 mins

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_se

Episode 106 - Are you a transformational coach?

Oct 14 2024 60 mins

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:

Episode 105 - Greg Revak: "I'm just trying to be less dumb."

Sep 16 2024 70 mins

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.substac

Episode 104 - Are you a new coach - of some sort?

Aug 30 2024 58 mins

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 Podcast

Episode 103 - Checking in on checking

Aug 11 2024 58 mins

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 sp

Episode 102 - The Norwegian Blue and Coach Education

Jun 07 2024 87 mins

This episode is a unique collaboration with Stuart Armstrong whose podcast is The Talent Equation. His May 28, 2024, show was called "Coach Education is broken." It struck a chord with Grassroots host Richard Bercuson who felt it reminded him of the famous Monty Python Dead Parrot sketch. He connected with Stuart and here's the result: a tripartite discussion with Stuart, Richard,

Episode 101 - Hockey Coaching Terminology 101

Apr 06 2024 85 mins

Modern coaching approaches include a litany of expressions, phrases, words and acronyms that are sometimes baffling in what they mean. In this episode, Richard and Dean delve into some of the more common ones and relate them to coaches need to understand about them and how to apply them in minor hockey. Contact: richard(at)grassrootsminorhockey.com Twitter: Richard - @berky544 Dean