Lance takes aim at the idea of keeping up with other hockey families.  Why does that kid get to spend his summer in Canada training with someone who played on three championship NHL teams while mine is mowing grass?  Is there a way to compensate for having less in the funding department?  Randall is tired of fund raising where it's just another fee.  It should be a way to mitigate the contribution from parents, not add to it.  Finally, there is that coach that comes over at the wrong time.

What is up with the rink that brings people closer to Costco than almost any other rink in So Cal.

Lance takes aim at one of his biggest problems with the sport.  The daddy coach who gets his way.  Randall talks about some excellent dad coaches that his kids have had along the way.  He still ends up agreeing with Lance (that guy is persuasive).  Team captain elections get a bit of scrutiny.  Finally, the character of the week is the guy that talks your kid up when you're there, and proceeds to bash him every chance he gets in your absence.  

Lance and Randall give a sketch of the Condors and the greater Bakersfield hockey program.  It's just scratching the surface, but it might be useful to some.

Don't you dare call them the Leaves.  They just will not respond to it.  Lance and Randall both spent time in Pasadena.  They were one of the first ice hockey clubs in the LA area.  Let's see what's going on there now.

Pasadena Maple Leafs hockey club

What does this valley team have to offer that others don't?  Well, let's see.

California Heat hockey take a listen.

Lance and  Randall talk about the Valencia Flyers.  Both past and present, coaches and general program notes.  

Valencia Flyers Club podcast

Lance talks about the club where both of his kids played.  Randall chimes in with his experiences there too.

California Bears podcast

Lance dives deep into the idea of hockey IQ.  Is it just a matter of getting reps?  Or is it something about the complicated nature of the sport we all love and how the young mind tries to solve it?  We talk about kids getting kicked off of teams.  It happens.  It happens more often when the team is at the top level of competition either regionally or nationally.  What lights the fuse?   Vaping and smelling salts.  Why do kids inhale things without parental permission?  I remember when they were toddlers putting coins in their mouths.  Now, we have to deal with this.

Lance talks about possessive organizations that behave in the interest of club.  It's not a bad thing, but it can restrict a player.  Randall talks about people moving teams in the middle of the year.  It's a tricky question of rationale v. commitment.  We learn a little about ozone and how it can be used to make your kid's rotting hockey bag ALMOST pass the smell test.