Beyond the X's & O's Podcast

Welcome to another episode of the "Beyond the X's and O's" podcast, your go-to destination for discussions on mindset and leadership within the world of sports. In this episode, hosts Dr. Cassidy Preston and Chris DiPiero take a unique turn as they welcome Scott Oakman, a seasoned referee with almost a thousand games under his belt and the Executive Director of the Greater Toronto Hockey League (GTHL), the world's largest minor hockey league. Here's a brief overview of what to expect in this insightful conversation: Journey of a Referee: Scott shares his experiences as a referee, delving into the challenges and mental fortitude required to officiate in the high-stakes world of hockey. The hosts discuss the evolution of officiating and the crucial role referees play in the game. Behind the Scenes of the GTHL: Gain an exclusive look into the operations of the Greater Toronto Hockey League as Scott discusses his role as the Executive Director. Understand the initiatives and changes being implemented to enhance the hockey experience for players, parents, and coaches. Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion: Scott provides insights into the GTHL's commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion, emphasizing the importance of creating a positive and welcoming environment for everyone involved in the sport. Safety Measures and Player Wellbeing: Explore the safety measures and protocols implemented by the GTHL under Scott's leadership to prioritize the wellbeing of young players. This episode offers a fresh perspective on the game of hockey, going beyond the player and coach dynamic to explore the critical role of referees and the intricacies of managing a major hockey league. Scott Oakman's wealth of experience and leadership insights make this episode a must-listen for anyone passionate about the sport. Don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe to stay updated on future episodes. Reach out with your questions and thoughts, and join the conversation as we continue to explore the world "Beyond the X's and O's."

In this episode, Cassidy interviews David Gucciardi, a prospect of the Washington Capitals. He discusses the work he has done on his mindset through his junior and college hockey career thus far. Here's a glimpse of what you can expect in this engaging episode: Developing His Emotional Regulation: David discusses his transition from a player where his emotions would get the best of him to someone who has learned to stay even keel. Staying Connected to the Love of the Game: David shares the story of how he developed his powerful alter ego, "ODR Gucc" to stay connected to his love for hockey during high-pressure moments. Balancing Offensive Creativity and Defensive Reliability: Learn how David balances his game, focusing on aggressive defensive play while maintaining his creative offensive style. Capability Over Performance: Discover the importance of focusing on capability over short-term performance as a way to maintain confidence and positive momentum. Encouraging Early Mindset Work: David encourages young athletes to start working on their mental game early and embrace it as a unique way to gain an advantage in their sport. David Gucciardi's insights offer valuable lessons for athletes, coaches, and parents who are keen on understanding and improving the mental aspect of sports. Remember to subscribe, like, and leave comments. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out. Enjoy this episode as we continue to explore the world "Beyond the X's and O's."

In this episode, we sit down with Mike McKenzie, General Manager of the Kitchener Rangers and a former St. Michael's Buzzers - where he was part of the championship team with Cassidy and Chris. Mike shares his wealth of experience, highlighting both the timeless principles and modern challenges of hockey. Here's what you can look forward to: The Essentials Remain: Discover how some fundamentals of the game, like going to the net, battling, and contact, have remained unchanged despite the evolution of hockey. Social Media Pitfalls: Dive into a crucial discussion about the impact of social media on today's players, including issues of comparison, entitlement, and the need for balance. Player Accountability: Explore the idea of personal accountability and respect for the game and how it can lead to a deeper enjoyment of hockey. Consistency and Effort: Unpack the concept of players "figuring it out" and how consistency and effort are crucial factors in a player's success. Mike McKenzie's insights into the modern hockey landscape are both eye-opening and thought-provoking. Join us in this conversation and gain a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities within the sport. Remember to like, share, and leave comments, and don't hesitate to reach out with any questions you may have. Enjoy this episode as we continue our journey Beyond the X's and O's.

In this episode, we're joined by a returning guest, Trevor Large, the head coach of Canisius College's hockey team. Trevor shares how he led his team to their first-ever NCAA tournament this past season. Here's a glimpse of what's in store: A Different Coaching Approach: Discover how Trevor has embraced a unique coaching philosophy focused on building culture, accountability, and trust. Mindset First: Learn about Trevor's radical shift away from obsessing over results and how he immerses himself in the coaching process instead. Strategic vs. Emotional Leadership: Explore the importance of maintaining a strategic approach, even during emotional moments, and how it impacts coaching decisions. Eliminating Rookie Hazing: Trevor discusses the need to eliminate rookie hazing in sports and build a more inclusive environment. The Power of Team Trust: Insights into how trust is cultivated within a team and its impact on performance. Tune in for an enlightening conversation that provides valuable takeaways for coaches, athletes, and anyone interested in sports leadership. Don't forget to like, subscribe, and reach out with any questions. If you're looking for mental performance coaching for your team, coaches, or athletes, visit cepmindset.com. Enjoy this episode as we continue our journey beyond the X's and O's.

Domenic DiVincentiis is a prospect for the Winnipeg Jets, who currently plays for the North Bay Battalion. Over the past four years, he's worked with Dr. Cassidy Preston to help give him a mental edge on and off the ice as he continues to climb the ranks. In this interview Dom discusses how he has personalized his mental game to work for him. He shares insights into his mindset and the lessons he learned that helped him earn the OHL goalie of the year and sign his entry level deal with the Winnipeg Jets. Here's what you'll discover: Overcoming adversity: Dom's story of resilience and how he turned challenges into opportunities. Prioritizing mindset: How focusing on mental strength led to unexpected achievements. The why behind the goals: Dom's approach to staying motivated and driven. Battling overthinking: Practical strategies for staying present and avoiding predictions. Personal scorecard: Dom's secret to maintaining peak performance both on and off the ice. Laser focus: How to handle distractions and setbacks with unwavering determination. Whether you're an athlete, coach, or parent, Dom's insights on mental performance are a game-changer. Don't miss this episode as we go "Beyond the Xs and Os" to unlock success in sports and life. Subscribe and visit cepmindset.com for more on mental performance coaching.

This assertion may be a little over the top - but Chris De Piero and I (Dr. Cassidy Preston) strongly feel it is warranted to say that the leaders of sport are failing. This episode of BXO's is a follow-up to the 'Is Hockey Broken?' episode we recently did - which doesn't just apply to hockey. Although the episode received a lot of support, it was also criticized by many - which drove us to double down and create this episode. People can and will disagree with us - we welcome those that oppose to share their take, but from our perspective it is clear that much of sport is not in a good place: As a former elite athlete - I experienced emotional and physical abuse. As a researcher - I examined the problems in sport through the critical lens of academia. As a mental performance coach - I see the problems firsthand day-in and day-out. The purpose of the last episode was to call on leaders to make more bold decisions and take action to improve hockey and all sports. We are not saying that all leaders are failing, but we are saying that too many leaders are not doing enough to help make the sports we love a better experience for all - and especially for our youth. I'm sure this won't be too popular of an opinion with those in leadership positions. Heck, I'm sure there will be some 'powerful' leaders and people at Hockey Canada that won't like what we have to say. But I'm not doing this to make friends or please people. I'm doing this because I think it is what needs to be done.

It is a hard yes - hockey is broken. This has a lot more to do with the structure than the people. Most people in hockey have good intentions but it is the structure of the game that does not foster an optimal environment. As a result, destructive behaviours and practices are normalized and repeated at all levels. Can it be fixed? It is less about 'fixing it' per-say but rather about getting better. But in order to improve something there needs to be clear measures of what to improve upon. We don't pretend to have all the answers but our opinions on measures that should be prioritized, tracked, and regularly shared by governing bodies include: Retention Rates - the number of kids coming back year over year Net Promoter Score - comes from the business world and is about how satisfied a client (athlete) is with their service, product or experience Abuse Claims - clearly there is a need to decrease all forms of abuse Does this mean we shouldn't care about Gold Medals? No - those are great and in fact, improving the structure and experience for players will lead to better development and even higher probabilities of Gold Medals. The concern is not that Hockey Canada prides itself on winning Gold Medals, but that it does not seem to pride itself enough about increasing retention rates, creating positive experiences, and ensuring a safe sporting environment. We don't know everything going on with every league and behind all the closed doors, but from our perspective we stand by this proclamation that Hockey Is Broken. The question to ask is what are we going to do about it? The answer is better leadership at all levels is needed to fix this structure. The bottom-up approach calls on coaches and organizations to go Beyond the X's and O's, do things differently, and raise their standards for the betterment of the athletes. There are coaches and organizations stepping up and we are hopeful that this number continues to grow. However, at what point will we see a top-down approach where Hockey Canada, provincial governing bodies, and the leagues make some bold and necessary decisions to change the structure, challenge normalized practices, and enforce a higher-standard for the game of hockey. Reach out, comment or share your opinions as we continue to go Beyond the X's and O's.

Mike Snee is the Executive Director of College Hockey, Inc.'s. In this role he guides College Hockey Inc.'s marketing efforts to promote Division I men's college hockey and its work to help grow the number of institutions offering the sport. Snee is also a member of the Board of Directors of both USA Hockey and U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame. Prior to joining College Hockey Inc. Snee was the Executive Director for Minnesota Hockey. Before joining Minnesota Hockey, Snee spent nine years with Minnesota Sports & Entertainment, the parent company of the NHL's Minnesota Wild. Snee, a 1991 graduate of the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, MN, started his sports business career as an intern with the Minnesota North Stars, and also worked for the NBA's Minnesota Timberwolves and the Minnesota Moose of the now-defunct International Hockey League. Mike helped us take a critical lens to the culture of hockey and questioned many of the long-standing and accepted norms in hockey. Specifically we covered: Concerns with the structure and system versus the people The importance of government control with rinks The Minnesota High School Model vs the Academies & current minor hockey models in Toronto, Detroit, Chicago, Boston etc. Why do we send so many kids away from home at 14 - 17? It was an insightful discussion that really went Beyond the X's and O's.

Lee Elias is a two-time award winning author and has coached at the international, professional, collegiate, and youth levels. He is also the founder of Hockey Wraparound and Game Seven Group. In addition, Lee's professional experience includes having helped organizations such as the NHL, NBC, Hearst Media, A&E, Madison Square Garden, and several sports organizations. Lee is an acclaimed keynote speaker in both virtual and in person events, and is the co-host of Our Kids Play Hockey, a top podcast in the hockey market. Lee is passionate about his mission to make the world believe in trust and teamwork through his coaching, speaking and consulting work. Lee is all about bringing people together. His enthusiasm is contagious and will leave you inspired to be a better leader. Furthermore, he provided numerous practical strategies any coach and leader can use to help bring people together. Specifically we covered: How his work with military veterans integration into society applies to teams and the importance of transitions and identity work The process of communication The accountability chart Trust being a foundational piece to any relationship The coaching staff is a team within the team Enjoy this episode as we go Beyond the X's and O's.

Joe Birch is the current Chief Operating Officer and Governor for the storied Kitchener Rangers of the Ontario Hockey League. Joe played in the OHL with the Rangers and the London Knights before finishing his playing career at Western University. He then embarked on a coaching career where he was an Assistant Coach with the St. Thomas Stars and had the chance to work with San Jose Sharks captain Logan Couture. His next stop was working at the OHL Head Office for 12 years. There he created and developed the position of Director of Player Recruitment and Education Services, which then led to a Senior Director of Hockey Development and Special Events position and, lastly, he was Vice President of Hockey Development with the OHL. Joe's diverse background in hockey provided us with some great insights to applying the principles of leadership to non-coaching positions. Specifically, we covered: His hockey journey and how he has been at the forefront of newly created positions within the OHL and the impact that they have had How he has drawn on his playing, coaching and operational roles within the game to develop the 'human' skills of leadership He highlighted the Kitchener Rangers initiatives surround Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and how that has been such a rewarding experience for all who are involved How he has conceptualized his org chart to optimize communication and keep the organization as whole at the heart We hope you enjoy this episode of the Beyond the X's and O's Podcast.

Jessica Renney and Paula McQuaid are the co-founds HONE Athletics, are both practicing Psychotherapists, and are Professional Members of the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association. Growing up, Jessica was an avid athlete and her dad coached 13+ years in the NHL. Paula was also an avid athlete and has had the opportunity to work with Hockey Canada as a Mental Performance Consultant with the Women's U-18 National Team, winning a bronze medal (2018), gold medal (2019) and silver medal (2020) at IIHF World Championships. They combined their athletic and professional experiences to create Hone Athletics. In our final episode of our declaration of war against the old school coaching mentality, Jessica and Paula really spoke to the importance of mental health and the needed shift in sport. Here are some key takeaways: The culture for sport is one of the biggest indicators for an athlete's mental health Athletes want to talk about their mental health and have that support That athletes need sport specific mental health strategies How mental health has been neglected, underserved and untapped in sport The importance for coaches to take care of their own mental health It is the coaches responsibility to a make a difference in the culture, but a lot don't know how to do it Mental health and mental performance are not about 'fixing people' Coaches have an enormous opportunity to shift the culture and have impact on their athletes outside of sport This honest and insightful discussion around mental health in sport is exactly why we dedicated this season to fight against the 'Old-School' ways of thinking. We get what we tolerate and coaches need to take responsibility. Please share this episode with your fellow coaches, players and parents.

Dr. Jean Côté is a professor in the School of Kinesiology and Health Studies at Queen's University, where he served as the Director of the School from 2006-2019. He has published more than 160 refereed papers on a variety of sport psychology and youth sport topics and 50 book chapters. He is currently researching the examination of parents as "consumers" in the youth sport system and the impact of Transformational Coaching on athletes' development. He has presented his work to both sport governing organizations and academic conferences throughout the world and has delivered many keynote addresses at major national and international conferences. Dr. Côté shared key insights for coaches to integrate transformational leadership principles: How the soft skills are the "power" skills Coaching the person before the player - get to know your athletes as people Sport can be a tool for personal development Dispelling the notion that coaches need to keep control - understanding the progression of autonomy Small everyday behaviours make a big difference The role of sociocultural factors and the environment - coaches need to be aware that one size does not fit all in player development The research has made it clear that transformational coaching works, but the challenge is to make it the new norm. See the resources below for a summary of Dr. Côté's work on Transformational Coaching. Join us in this fight against the 'old school' coaching mentality by sharing with your fellow coaches!