Changes are right around the corner at TheDrillBook and we are very excited about what lies ahead. As we prepare to usher in a new era it is important to check in with the people who use our product. In an earlier podcast we introduced you to Heros Hockey a Canadian group that uses the game to help improve the lives of at risk youth. Thaddeus Tondu is a volunteer for Heros, and while he has played and officiated prior to this past season he had never coached. Thaddeus used TheDrillBook to help him with practices and specifically drills that he could use with players just being introduced to hockey. In our second conversation we talk to Dustin Taylor another young coach who has just made the transition from playing to life behind the bench. Dustin coaches Bantam AA in Airdrie, Alberta and unlike Thaddeus he was dealing with elite players. While both of these new coaches used TheDrillBook both had different experiences. This is a great podcast for a coach who is thinking about using or who has just started using TheDrillBook.

This week a discussion about a passionate baseball life. Seem's like Tim O'Brien's has been around the diamond for as long as he can remember. As a player he chased his major league dream. He didn't quite get there, but he did and saw so much because of a bat and ball. Playing turned into a love of teaching and passing on his knowledge which lead him into coaching. He has helped organize and lead teams for USA baseball, and is currently a volunteer coach for the University of Maryland Baltimore County. O'Brien describes his journey in the game and shares some practical wisdom on working with young catchers. A fun and wide ranging conversation with a man who's love for baseball runs right through his very core.

We are back with another edition of the digest and this week we venture back to soccer as our topic. The Women's World Cup being held in Canada has put the spotlight back on the game in North America. So what better time to check in with the grassroots of the sport to get a feel for the challenges and opportunities that it faces. Meg Munson is the Executive Director of the Vermont Soccer Association and we sat down for a wide ranging conversation about the sport in her state. In this candid conversation we discuss their efforts to retain players in the game, helping officials, and her involvement in creating a girls team in Vermont.

This week we welcome Mark Maloney back to the Digest and we tackle the two way street which is mentorship. Recently Mark was one of the presenters at Hockey Coaching Symposium in Regina, Saskatchewan with some of the top hockey minds in the game. One of key take aways from the event was the importance of mentorship in coaching. But, it came up more than once that there can be a challenge in getting coaches to take advantage of a resource like a mentor. Coaches sign up for clinics and coaching courses, but are we as coaches using mentors enough? TheDrillBook's leader is quick to point out in this conversation that both the mentor and mentee offer each other something pretty important.

Recently TheDrillBook was happy to travel to Regina, Saskatchewan to participate in the Saskatchewan Development Model Coaching Symposium. 150 of the top hockey coaches from around the province gathered to listen to presentations from such notable speakers as Dave King, Dave Tippett, and Willie Desjardins. The weekend was a terrific example of mentorship as knowledge and information was presented, and great questions were asked. That's the backdrop for this weeks interview as we talk hockey with a mentor from the SHA Provincial Regional Coach Mentor program. The Saskatchewan Hockey Association started this mentoring initiative 4 seasons ago to make sure that coaches all across the province have access to help, resources, and feedback to better develop hockey players. Curtis Olsen is a member of the SHA PRCM program and we sat down and chatted about coaching, challenges coaches face these days, and the role of mentoring in hockey.

Great to catch up with our friend John O'Sullivan the man behind the "Changing the Game Project". John has dedicated his life to making youth sports better for the most important people involved the kids. His book Changing the Game remains a bestseller, and his calendar his full touring the world speaking to sporting bodies, organizations, coaches, and parents. in our conversation we touch on many subjects, but focus on a great opportunity John has for coaches. For the 2nd year in a row O'Sullivan is teaching an online Coaching Mastery Course. This unique learning experience is geared towards any coach of any sport that is interested in learning about developing a championship culture, teaching for high level performance, working with parents, and other related topics. Using his extensive coaching background and a wide variety of high level guest speakers John has put together a world class learning opportunity for coaches. We also discuss how you can get involved with the Coaching Mastery Course.

We are back with another edition of the digest and this one is all about baseball, and the art of hitting according to former major leaguer Rob Ducey. Ducey works for the Philadelphia Phillies as a minor league hitting instructor and works with some of the best young prospects in the game. Rob discusses his hitting philosophy and his approach to coaching young players. We explore what he feels youth coaches need to know to help young baseball players. Rob Ducey also talks about growing up a Jays fan and being part of a new generation of Canadian born and trained ball players.

This weeks podcast is all about the Parents!!!!! In this show Mark Maloney is back and he leads us to probe into the world of parenting within “Youth Sports”. This episode is one that will interest all coaches and challenge them to examine how they deal with their players families. Are parents a problem? What expectations should we have of parents? What drives the parents crazy? What should parents expect from coaches? What are the four pillars of parental paradigm? Imposing Needs……..Managing Expectations…..Car Ride Home……Outcomes

Our #21 edition of the Digest podcast is going to be of interest to any coach who wants to make the most of his valuable practice or training time. We are joined once again by the founder, president, and CEO of TheDrillBook Mark Maloney and he shares his research into practice analytics. While in many ways Bill James revolutionized the use of analytics in baseball decades ago, recently they have become a mainstream talking points in all of sports. Those analytics are game are statistical representations of what is taking place during the game. Mark has taken those same principals and applied them to training and practices and the results are staggering. Maloney is quick to point out that while there maybe some real deficiencies exposed in his research they are easily fixed. While the conversation is based on hockey the same ideas apply to all sports.

On the 20th edition of TheDrillBook Digest we touch on a couple of topics. First we are really excited to partner with Active Kids to provide their drill of the week. Active Kids is a great all-encompassing website that provides links and information that parents and coaches can use to make sure that all kids are active. Steve Kinsey is the director of coaching for Four Corners United in Farmington, New Mexico and he is also the NSCAA Region 4 Volunteer of the Year. Steve is a humble but dedicated soccer man who has a real "kids first" mentality when it comes to assisting his coaches. He was kind enough to share his journey from being a late comer to the sport to traveling to Philadelphia this past January to be recognized nationally for his tireless efforts.