HeadSet Sports

Today's interview with Mike Snee - Vice President of the Minnesota Wild Foundation and Community Relations, provides am in-depth understanding of how one of the richest hockey talent populations in the USA maintains it's focus and integrity. Mike shares with us how the Minnesota hockey world is based upon a cultural heritage of the pride young athletes develop to represent their local communities. It is this "football" mentality ... the mindset of "I play for my local school with all of my friends" that has made this hockey community thrive for so many generations.

Mike also sheds light upon how all the local programs in Minnesota are subsidized by their local community centers/arenas. But in doing such, he also shares how local recruiting is nothing like what is seen across North America with Travel Hockey Programs. In Minnesota - recruiting is helping to get into playing at the "grassroots" level.

As a former director for College Hockey Inc. and the now the Vice President of the Wild Foundation and Community Relations - there is no-one more qualified to discuss the world of Minnesota Hockey.

Thank you Mike for taking the time to talk with us.

Mike Snee

Our interview with the Minnesota Wild's Mike Snee was an incredible source of insight to how local communities can learn to enhance their hockey program(s) with a football mindset.

The Vice President of The Minnesota - Wild Foundation and Community Relations Program spent time sharing valuable insights as to how local high school hockey programs in Minnesota have developed and maintained such strong and fertile programs for so many years. The insight rests in being able to realize how high school athletes that play the game of football - grow up excited to play for their local high school team. This mindset is strengthened by growing up and attending the local games, watching local heroes take the field, and experiencing the "thrill" of playing in front of friends and family and their local community ... every Friday Night. This same tradition continues from their local high school football field(s) straight into their local ice arena.

Mike's insight rests in the realization that if we simply take that "football" way of thinking ... I am excited to play with my friends and represent my local community ... into the game of hockey ... no wonder the talent continues to grow and flourish in the state of Minnesota. Also, within this mindset exists the understanding that ... my local team ... is ... my team! There is not the desire to leave and play elsewhere - unlike what see in so many other travel team sports programming.

The Minnesota way of thinking seems to not only work ... outwork very well. Presently, the USHL (The top US Junior Hockey League in the country - which launches the most USA born players into Division-I and III colleges) attains more than 25% of the players that play in their elite league from Minnesota High School Hockey Programs.

As an executive in the area of The Minnesota Wild - foundation and community relations, a former Minnesota High School player, and a former director of College Hockey Inc., their are not many other people in the country that can provide the same level of insight and knowledge as Mike Snee.

LinkedIN - Mike Snee

This episode brings to us - Mike Snee - The Vice President of the Minnesota Wild - Wild Foundation and Community Relations.

Mike - takes the time to shares with us a very insightful perspective of youth sports, the mindset of playing ice hockey in local Minnesota communities, and how they define "recruiting players".

This awesome interview provides us with a very interesting and "open-eyed" look at how the state of Minnesota has been able to maintain a simple yet powerful mindset of developing and maintaining a healthy perspective towards youth/adolescent sports. It is within this perspective that Mike explains to us how applying the mindset of High School football to that of ice hockey that has helped keep athletes both motivated and dedicated to playing for their local community school/team.

Within this simple yet powerful mindset rests the development and maintenance of the power that exists within nurturing local sports programs. It is this mindset which allows the saying "if you're good enough ... they will find you!" to not only live but thrive in youth/adolescent sports today.

Thank you Mike for taking so much time to meet and chat with us at HeadSet.

Mike Snee - Minnesota Wild - The Wild Foundation and Community Relations

Dusty Imoo was once ranked as the number one ice hockey goalie prospect in the world. His statistics were beyond incredible .., and then "life happened". Dusty began realizing the pressures that were being placed upon him at an age where no-one knew how to help support and guide those having to deal with the pressures of being an elite athlete. Over time, these various forms of pressure became greater than that which a young athlete, living on own, in foreign environment should have to handle at a young age (15-18 years of age).

As an athlete, Dusty has put together a professional career in Japan that is beyond impressive. HIs elevation into that of becoming a professional goalie coach has been even more impressive - as he has trained professionals in the most elite leagues in the world (ie., NHL, KHL, AHL, and WHL). But it is not his technical teachings that goalies have been most drawn to him for - it's his ability to help create an inner calm within those he works with that has made him so very sought-after. So much so, that the list of elite professionals whom he has worked with is both long and impressive.

Today, Dusty works with not only goalies but those within a wide variety of sports as well as those within the world of business (ie., corp executives, directors ...).

But a really cool stat that Dusty Imoo has is equal to that of the Legendary play - Gordie Howe ... Dusty was able to backup for his son Jonah Imoo in a professional game. Making this the first and only Father-Son goaltending combination to appear in a progressional ice hockey game.

Dusty Imoo - Contact information:

www.thegoalietherapist.com

Dusty Imoo was once ranked as the best ice hockey goaltender in world and today he finds himself helping others from all of the experiences he has gathered from his incredible journey. The Goalie Therapist - is one of the most humble and gracious people I have very met in sport(s). His "Zen-like" personality is both captivating and informative.

Dusty's professional athletic career is outstanding. Both his longevity as an athlete and then as a coach spans all across North America and the World as a whole. This playing/coaching career would provide him with the opportunity of a life-time in being able to "back-up" his son Jonah in a professional game (something that is both Gordie Howe-esque and never before seen).

Throughout this interview, Dusty shares some of the highs and lows he has experienced in his athletic career, and how he is passing onward his perspective and vigor to be one's best - by first being true to one's self. Today, Dusty works with not only ice hockey goalies but also athletes from various sports as well as executives.

Contact Information:

www.thegoalietherapist.com

Eurico Da Silva is one of the greatest race jockeys in history. He has raced in 15,000 races and won 2,900 of them. He has won the Queen's Plate twice, and he is a 7 time recipient of the Sovereign Award as Canada's Most Outstanding Jockey.

But today, this motivational speaker and author is helping more than the eye can see. Today, Eurico is helping rehabilitate people and horses at the same time. This athlete's incredible journey has taken him all around the world and now the path he is on to help others may well become the greatest success of his career.

His Book: Riding for Freedom

Website: www.thebigeurico.com

Instagram: @thebigeurico

Today's interview with former Professional Poker Player - Greg Weber provides us with some of the incredible insights into the under-world of professional gambling and how it is effecting our society today. Greg shares with us some of the incredible stories of excitement he has experienced, as well as the pains of being down.

Greg shares with us some of the "dark" details of how his passion for competition, led him to a professional career on the World Poker Tour. Unfortunately, this desire for competition would eventually fuel his demise within this environment.

Today, Greg explains how betting and gambling are effecting college students, as well as society as a whole in a dramatic fashion. He also explains to us the AMAZING work he is doing with EPIC Global Solutions.

If you are looking for help with a gambling addiction or are seeking a guest speaker to talk to students/athletes/professionals about the issues surrounding gambling - contact Greg Weber today.

Contact Information:

LinkedIN - LINK

EPIC Global Solutions

This interview provides our listeners with the opportunity to hear from one of the top Sports Performance experts in the game of hockey. Kevin Neeld is the Director of Performance for the Boston Bruins. His experience and insight into the game is beyond informative and interesting.

At the same time, this interview will provide some excellent insight for all those young and aspiring Sports Performance students and practitioners . Kevin shares some of the "tricks of the trade" as well as some of the most important aspects of reaching one's goals in this area of elite sport performance.

Kevin provides various forms of elite level performance training as well as presentations for programs interested in attaining elite level insight and experience on an educational and practical manner.

Contact Information:

[email protected]

UltimateHockeyTraining.com 

Evan Roberts is the Associate Director of Athletics at the University of Miami. His Focus is on NIL and Digital.

Throughout this interview, we learn about the numerous ways in which schools attempt to help athletes develop their careers both during and after their athletic careers with the University of Miami. Evan provides a great deal of information and insight into the decisions athletes and schools must make when both are vetting each other.

This is a great deal of information for young athletes to listen to and learn from.

LinkedIN - Evan Roberts

[email protected]

Today's Interview introduces us to one of the most dynamic professional fighters in the world of MMA (Mixed Martial Arts). Adam "The Maverick" Assenza spends time educating us on the specifics behind training and becoming an elite athlete before becoming a fighter.

Adam talks with us about the "new" ways of training, developing mental toughness through the implementation of "creative" challenges and training. The reality of the "Fight Game", as well as the mental side of rebounding from tough scenarios that occur both inside and outside of the octagon. As well as the difference between training and the development of "control".

Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/adammaverick/?hl=en

BTC Training

https://www.btcworkout.com/

ESPN

https://www.espn.com/mma/fighter/_/id/4422062/adam-assenza