Day 4 of CHD Mini-Camp: Mindset & Mental Recovery

One bad shift. One rough weekend. One emotional post-game chirp from the backseat. That’s all it takes to send a kid’s confidence into a spiral.

In Day 4 of Mini-Camp, Scott and Jamie go deep on what it really takes to keep your player mentally upright when things get messy. From post-game meltdowns to “two stars and a wish” feedback, this episode is your guide to protecting confidence without sugarcoating or making it worse.

In this episode:

• Why post-game critiques often do more harm than good
• The parenting trap of trying to fix instead of listen
• How Scott and Jamie have wrecked (and rebuilt) their own kids' confidence
• What “your reaction becomes their inner voice” really means

Takeaway Tool: “Stability > Stats” 
Protect the mindset - stay positive, even when the game wasn’t.

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Day 3 of CHD Mini-Camp: Managing Expectations

If you've ever told your kid, “Why can’t you skate like Johnny?”, this one’s for you.

Today, Scott and Jamie get honest about the silent killer of youth hockey joy: comparison. From slapshot envy to AAA pressure spirals, this episode is a call to stop parenting the imaginary prodigy in your head… and start supporting the actual human in your house.

In this episode:

• Why “progress, not perfection” needs to be your new family mantra
• How comparison poisons confidence (for both kids and parents)
• Real stories about backflips, bike tricks, and smelly U18 gloves
• The underrated power of little wins and long games

Plus: Jamie admits to being pickleball stud, Scott confesses a dad-text before his men's league championship, and both CHD boys model how not to blow it in the driveway.

Takeaway Tool: “Progress > Paranoia”
Measure against yesterday, not someone else’s kid.

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Because bottling it up never helped anyone.

Day 2 of CHD Mini-Camp is here, and today’s tool might just save your sanity: communication.

Scott and Jamie break down what happens when parents don’t say the thing they’re dying to say and what usually happens when they say it too soon. From 24-hour rules to sideline showdowns, this is your guide to keeping it together, getting it out, and doing it the right way.

In this episode:

• Why staying silent can make everything worse (even with good intentions)
• The power of the 24–36 hour rule - yes, even for texts
• How to approach a coach convo without being “that parent”
• Teaching kids to speak up and model it like a grown-up
• Why hanging out at the rink door isn’t communication, it’s chaos

Takeaway Tool: “Clear is Kind”
Say what needs to be said as the camera sees it, not as your emotions tell it.

If you're headed into a season with big feelings, tough rosters, or just general unease... don’t go quiet. Speak up, but speak smart.

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Day 1 of CHD Mini-Camp: Resetting your parent brain for the season ahead

Welcome to the first-ever Crazy Hockey Dads Mini-Camp!  Five days, five quick hits to help you kick off the season without losing your damn mind.

In this episode, Scott and Jamie break down one of the easiest things to forget (and the most important to remember): why you signed up in the first place. Because before the standings, the car rides, and the goalie drama... there was a good reason you said yes to youth hockey.

In this one:

• Finding your "North Star" as a hockey parent
• Why keeping it fun is still the best long-term strategy
• How we let our own anxiety cloud the big picture
• A reminder that pay-to-play means you opted into this chaos
• How to reset when you're spiraling over things that don’t really matter

Plus: The international listener base keeps growing, laces still haven’t been ordered, and yes, Brazil plays hockey.

Takeaway Tool: “Joy = the Multiplier”

Fun fuels confidence, effort, and long-term growth.  Ask if they enjoyed it, not just how they played.

If the season’s just starting and you’re already tense... this one’s for you.

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A masterclass in pretending not to care (while caring way too much).

This week, Scott and Jamie hit that weird in-between space every hockey parent knows: when you want to scream into the glass… but don’t. You stay cool. You say the right things. You nod at the coach and smile at the other parents. But inside? You’re spiraling.

In this episode:

• That quiet guilt when your kid’s ice time sucks and you’re trying to be chill
• Holding back post-game… but still accidentally making it weird
• Telling yourself not to care - and realizing you definitely still do
• Why the hardest part of hockey parenting isn’t what you say - it’s what you don’t

If you’ve ever sat through a bad shift pretending to scroll your phone, this one’s for you.

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Untangling your identity from your kid’s hockey career - without losing your mind.

With the season fast approaching and tryouts in the rearview, it’s the perfect time for a gut check - not for your kid, but for you. Jamie shares a tough but honest reflection on a stretch where Dom's own stress and uncertainty started showing up in his skating.  A humbling reminder of how connected our energy is to theirs.

In this episode:

• Jamie opens up about Dom's journey from Tier 1 to Tier 2 and why they left AAA
• Scott admits how hard it is not to watch every shift like a coach - and how that mindset can affect the parent-kid dynamic
• A shared truth: our kids aren’t just processing their own pressure - they’re absorbing ours too
• The big takeaway: showing up with confidence in them means checking the emotions we bring into the rink

It’s not about being perfect. It’s about being aware and being willing to shift, even just a little. If you’ve ever wondered whether your presence is helping or hurting, this episode might bring some clarity… and maybe even a little peace.

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We’re not saying you should do video review for mites… but we kinda did.  This week, Scott and Jamie welcome Erik Cagnina from Athletic Performance Insight (API) to break down how game film and analytics are changing the youth hockey game - and why more teams (and parents) are leaning into the data.

From tagging every offside to breaking down goalie angles, it’s a look at how video tools can actually help kids develop, when used with a little perspective. 

In this episode:

- Yes, there was film review at 8U. Yes, it was a Crazy Hockey Dad/Coach thing.
- How AA hockey can still be part of your path to Junior or D1
- Weekly Rant: A jersey number saga, a Crosby tantrum, and a lesson in listening to your kid

If you’ve ever lugged a monitor into a hotel conference room or wondered if you’re doing too much - this one’s your therapy session.

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In Part 2 with guest dad Chris Vollmer, we go deeper into the Bantam transition and what it really takes to keep your kid thriving without losing your mind (or your mortgage). From skipping spring to simplifying the schedule, Chris shares how they’re doing it their way this season and why that’s more than enough.

In this episode:

- Spring? Skipped it. Summer? About that…
- What one season, one team looks like in Tier 1
- Why trusting your gut matters more than following the herd

If you're staring down another packed calendar, this is the calm-in-the-chaos perspective every hockey parent needs.

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In our first-ever guest episode, we sit down with hockey dad Chris Vollmer, whose son is heading into Bantam Minor - and full contact - this fall. We talk through what that shift really means, the emotional and financial toll of chasing elite AAA hockey, and the moments that make it all feel worth it.

In this episode:

• Bodychecking begins: why this stage hits different
• Growth under pressure: how the game shaped Chris and his kid
• When your kid loves it, but you’re running on fumes
• Weekly Rant: Cage hang already?!? Sty is not the priority here kids.

If you're entering the checking years or deep in the elite chaos - this one’s for you.

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It’s not just about hockey. It’s about who they’re becoming.

This week, Scott and Jamie slow it down - just a little - to zoom out on what this sport actually gives back. Yes, the weekends are chaos, and yes, the skates still don’t fit right. But in between the hotel breakfasts and 3v3 tournaments, something bigger is happening.

In this episode:

- Independence, confidence, and resilience - how hockey shapes kids for life
- The hidden wins: tying skates, bouncing back from cuts, finding your crew
- What parents learn too: humility, patience, and perspective
- Weekly Rant: a Nashville dad meltdown and what not to do on a tournament weekend

Plus: a revisit on skate costs, international CHD listeners in Sweden, and a reminder that even the messiest weekends might be the ones that stick.

If you’ve ever wondered if all the effort is worth it - this one’s your answer.

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