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Estimated from 1 chart position in 1 market.
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- 🇨🇦CA · Hockey#1365K to 30K
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Est. listeners per new episode within ~30 days
2.5K to 15K🎙 ~2x weekly·127 episodes·Last published 1mo ago - Monthly Reach
Unique listeners across all episodes (30 days)
5K to 30K🇨🇦100% - Active Followers
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2K to 12K
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On the show
Recent episodes
Episode 126 - Dr. Simon Grondin: The Relative Age Effect, Laterality and hockey research
Apr 11, 2026
1h 25m 22s
Episode 125 - Rahim Karmali's overhaul of Whitby coach development
Mar 17, 2026
1h 25m 43s
Episode 124 - Are SSGs/SAGs misunderstood and misused?
Feb 22, 2026
1h 22m 13s
Episode 123 - A Poditorial: The Bronze
Jan 14, 2026
19m 59s
Episode 122 - The DMIQ
Dec 15, 2025
56m 29s
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| Date | Episode | Description | Length | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4/11/26 | Episode 126 - Dr. Simon Grondin: The Relative Age Effect, Laterality and hockey research | Laval University's Simon Grondin, a professor of psychology, hosted the 2025 International Ice Hockey Research symposium at Laval. In this episode he discusses his early 1980s research into the relative age effect, "laterality" and other topics in hockey research. Here are a few research docs he refers to: Grondin - Relative Age Effect 1984 Shoot left or right Laterality in NHL | 1h 25m 22s | ||||||
| 3/17/26 | Episode 125 - Rahim Karmali's overhaul of Whitby coach development | After years as a coach in house league and competitive hockey, Whitby Minor Hockey's development coordinator Rahim Karmali is re-jigging the organization's approach to coach development. His initiatives, and many hours in rinks with coaches, earned him the OMHA Development award. Two books Rahim provided Whitby coaches with discussions on them to follow: The Talent Code by Daniel Coyle Belfry Hockey by Darryl Belfry with Scott Powers | 1h 25m 43s | ||||||
| 2/22/26 | Episode 124 - Are SSGs/SAGs misunderstood and misused? | An investigation of what SSGs/SAGs are, what they're supposed to do and are they being done effectively. Host Richard discusses with guest host Dean Holden and Brian Gillam who explains how he's used these with his own U16 team. In the podcast, reference is made to Tom Mollloy's website: hockeycoachingabcs.com. | 1h 22m 13s | ||||||
| 1/14/26 | Episode 123 - A Poditorial: The Bronze | Beginning with a nostalgic opening from the original Ottawa radio podcast, host Richard Bercuson gives his views that help explain Canada's Bronze medal performance at the recent world juniors. He divides his explanation into five topics to describe Canada's standing in the hockey world. Hockey population by country | 19m 59s | ||||||
| 12/15/25 | Episode 122 - The DMIQ | From IQ to Hockey Sense to Hockey IQ, and now to DMIQ: The Decision-Making Intelligent Quotient. Richard and Dean discuss its importance, when we should introduce it and how to go about it. Naturally, it involves using appropriate spaces in order to enhance children's and teens' decision-making skills. Listeners are encouraged to read this research document related to the topic. It can be found online by copying and pasting the title into a search engine. "How Small-Sided and Conditioned Games Enhance Acquisition of Movement and Decision-Making Skills" | 56m 29s | ||||||
| 11/15/25 | Episode 121 - TOP Sports: A different kind of experience - in three sports! | TOP ("The Other Path") Sports aims to provide families with alternatives to both traditional sport experiences and the private ones, though this, too, is privately owned. Kevin Shier, executive director and co-founder with two other men, discusses what's so different, especially since its approach to hockey, lacrosse and soccer employs what is widely known as the Constraints Based/Led Approach to teaching, something that is mostly non-existent in Canada's minor hockey landscape. Club Technical Director for soccer Tom Waud further describes the approach as it's presented to their paid coaches and why it is foundational to the club's coaching. TOP Sports: https://www.toronto.topsports.ca/ | 1h 15m 10s | ||||||
| 10/30/25 | Episode 120 - The proliferation of non-sanctioned hockey in Alberta | Dallas Ansell's recently completed PhD dissertation examined development in the world of non-sanctioned leagues in Alberta which have proliferated in recent years. A lecturer at the University of Alberta and newly minted manager of player development for Hockey Alberta, Ansell discusses what brought him to this subject and what he learned from his research. His dissertation is available on the grassrootsminorhockey.com site under "Docs and articles from the podcasts." | 1h 09m 25s | ||||||
| 10/5/25 | Episode 119 - Old or New? Appropriate or not? Other? | HEO coach and coach developer Brian Gillam returns to share what he'd planned to provide coaches in the coaching seminar he and Richard were going to run for a minor organization. The seminar didn't happen, but the content would have been interesting. He explains in detail what he feels coaches needed to know first about the CLA/ED approach. richard@grassrootsminorhockey.com bgillam@rogers.com | 1h 32m 49s | ||||||
| 6/18/25 | Episode 118 - Quebec Research Conference: John Lind (Sweden) - Applying the research | This is the final episode from the May 30-June 2 Hockey Research Conference at Laval University in Quebec City as well as the final episode for this season of Grassroots. Please be advised that, because the discussions were held in public spaces, the sound quality and background noise are inconsistent. Also, all five episodes are with individuals whose first language is not English. Here is the link to the conference's proceedings: https://grassrootsminorhockey.com/links/ Thanks for listening... | 33m 51s | ||||||
| 6/16/25 | Episode 117 - Quebec Research Conference: Part 4 - Gergely Geczi (Hungary) - Team complexity | This is the fourth of five episodes of content from the May 30-June 2 Hockey Research Conference at Laval University in Quebec City. Please be advised that, because the discussions were held in public spaces, the sound quality and background noise are inconsistent. Also, all five episodes are with individuals whose first language is not English. Here is the link to the conference's proceedings (Gergely's abstract is on page 32): https://grassrootsminorhockey.com/links/ Contact: richard(at)gr... | 16m 17s | ||||||
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| 6/12/25 | Episode 116 - Quebec Research Conference: Part 3 - Lukas Chmelir - Testing Puckhandling | This is the third of five episodes of content from the May 30-June 2 Hockey Research Conference at Laval University in Quebec City. Please be advised that, because the discussions were held in public spaces, the sound quality and background noise are inconsistent. Also, all five episodes are with individuals whose first language is not English. Here is the link to the conference's proceedings: https://grassrootsminorhockey.com/links/ Contact: richard(at)grassrootsminorhockey.com X (Twitter):... | 28m 58s | ||||||
| 6/9/25 | Episode 115 - Quebec Research Conference: Part 2 - Kalle Valiaho (IIHF) | This is the second of five episodes of content from the May 30-June 2 Hockey Research Conference at Laval University in Quebec City. Please be advised that, because the discussions were held in public spaces, the sound quality and background noise are inconsistent. Also, all five episodes are with individuals whose first language is not English. Here is the link to the conference's proceedings: https://grassrootsminorhockey.com/links/ Contact: richard(at)grassrootsminorhockey.com X (Twitter)... | 39m 48s | ||||||
| 6/6/25 | Episode 114 - Quebec Research Conference: Part 1 - J.F. Leblond (Hockey Quebec) | This is the first of five episodes of content from the May 30-June 2 Hockey Research Conference at Laval University in Quebec City. Please be advised that, because the discussions were held in public spaces, the sound quality and background noise are inconsistent. Also, all five episodes are with individuals whose first language is not English. Here is the link to the conference's proceedings: https://grassrootsminorhockey.com/links/ Contact: richard(at)grassrootsminorhockey.com X (Twitter... | 27m 38s | ||||||
| 5/18/25 | Episode 113 - Jim Haverstrom: ”Once you see it, you can’t unsee it.” | Jim Haverstrom is USA Hockey's Coach-in-chief for Florida. Over 25 years as a coach and now coach developer, he's become an ardent advocate for the Constraints Led and an Ecological Dynamics approaches which he's successfully applied in his own coaching. The soccer study he refers to in the podcast is: “Train as you play”: Improving effectiveness of training in youth soccer playersContact: richard(at)grassrootsminorhockey.com X (Twitter): Richard - @berky544 Dean Holden: funlearnretur... | 1h 10m 01s | ||||||
| 4/20/25 | Episode 112 - Why you need a coach development person | As minor hockey associations prepare for their AGMs, one key position needs consideration: someone to take charge of coach development. Richard and Dean discuss why this role is crucial, what this person should or should not be responsible for and where to find them. Contact: richard(at)grassrootsminorhockey.com X (Twitter): Richard - @berky544 Dean Holden: funlearnreturn@gmail.com | 1h 09m 35s | ||||||
| 4/5/25 | Episode 111 - Teaching skills using an ecological dynamics approach | Some years ago, Brian Gillam began to adopt an ecological approach to coaching and teaching the game. Today he is immersed in it as a coach but especially as a "skills instructor." In this episode, he discusses what he does in special sessions, how he does it and why. Brian is the coaching development director for Hockey Eastern Ontario. His website: briangillamhockey.com Contact: richard(at)grassrootsminorhockey.com X (Twitter): Richard - @berky544 Dean Holden: funlearnreturn@gmail.com | 1h 27m 15s | ||||||
| 3/13/25 | Episode 110 - Meanwhile in Bristol, England... | Access to rinks, ice time , and cost may be impediments to growing a program in a small hockey market. But not to Chris Benson who helps direct the fortunes of the Bristol youth program in England. Speaking from Riga, Latvia, where his son is attending a hockey camp, Chris passionately describes the challenges and the steps being taken to programming, one of which includes the "management" of parents. Contact: richard(at)grassrootsminorhockey.com X (Twitter): Richard - @berky544 Dean Holden... | 1h 11m 40s | ||||||
| 3/7/25 | Episode 109 - What I learned from coaching U11 | "We do not learn from experience. We learn from reflecting on experience." Host Richard Bercuson spends this episode providing an overview of his season coaching 10 year olds in a unique house league-type environment. Dean Holden poses some pointed questions that has Richard using the "wayback machine" to reflect on the approaches he's used and why. -------------------------------------------- In the introduction, Richard refers to his co-authored novel that was published last year through Am... | 1h 17m 22s | ||||||
| 1/10/25 | Episode 108 - Many tries - Many times - Many ways | How to get out of the "tick box" practice scenario. Richard and Dean discuss why coaches need to learn that players have to experience skill and tactical content in ways that are closer to competitive situations. This means moving away from the age-old and time worn approaches we've long accepted. Contact: richard(at)grassrootsminorhockey.com X (Twitter): Richard - @berky544 Dean Holden: funlearnreturn@gmail.com | 1h 18m 30s | ||||||
| 12/13/24 | Episode 107 - Leadership in hockey | Special guest Dr. Stephen Norris and Dean Holden discuss their recent trip to Kazakhstan as part of an IIHF initiative to grow the game in other parts of the world. What is the impact of this initiative on our own game's leadership? Where are we going? Is it the right direction? An in-depth look at those and other questions. https://www.iihf.com/en/news/64332/first_asian_general_secretary_summit Contact: richard(at)grassrootsminorhockey.com X (Twitter): Richard - @berky544 Dean Holden: fun... | 1h 30m 21s | ||||||
| 10/14/24 | Episode 106 - Are you a transformational coach? | The modern lexicon of coaching includes terms like transformational and transactional to describe the approaches coaches use. What are their characteristics? In minor hockey, can someone be both? Dean Holden delves into this topic, aided and abetted by host Richard Bercuson who tosses out questions and examples to investigate. Toward Understanding Youth Athletes’ Fun Priorities: An Investigation of Sex, Age, and Levels of Play: Amanda Visek, Heather Mannix et al https://activeforlife.... | 1h 00m 54s | ||||||
| 9/16/24 | Episode 105 - Greg Revak: ”I’m just trying to be less dumb.” | Greg Revak, an Ohio-based coach and USA Hockey coach developer, has unique and progressive ideas on coaching the game. His podcast and newsletter hit on various topics which are pertinent to coaches at every level. In this episode, he shares with Richard his personal bugaboos and annoyances about practice design and what we can do better. His website: https://hockeysarsenal.substack.com/ The HockeyIQ Podcast: https://hockeysarsenal.com/podcast Contact: richard(at)grassrootsminorhockey.com X... | 1h 10m 38s | ||||||
| 8/30/24 | Episode 104 - Are you a new coach - of some sort? | However you define "new," Richard and Dean discuss what coaches need to consider at the start of a new adventure and the resources they should access. Books: How we learn to move by Rob Gray The Coach's Guide to Teaching by Doug Lemov Transforming Basketball by Alex Sarama The Coaching Habit: Say Less, Ask More & Change the Way You Lead Forever by Michael Bungay Stanier Podcasts: This one, of course! The Talent Equation - Stuart Armstrong The Perception-Action Podcast - Rob Gray HEO Yout... | 58m 13s | ||||||
| 8/11/24 | Episode 103 - Checking in on checking | Season 5 begins with an important pre-season look at how contact and checking need to be taught to take it beyond the confines of the current checking clinic module. Richard and Dean examine an approach using spectrums of skill for different ages and levels of play, built within the current four-stage checking progression espoused by Hockey Canada. Those who'd like a copy of the spectrums diagram should email Richard: Richard(at)grassrootsminorhockey.com Contact: richard(at)grassrootsmino... | 58m 55s | ||||||
| 6/8/24 | Episode 102 - The Norwegian Blue and Coach Education | This episode is a unique collaboration with Stuart Armstrong whose podcast is The Talent Equation. His May 28, 2024, show was called "Coach Education is broken." It struck a chord with Grassroots host Richard Bercuson who felt it reminded him of the famous Monty Python Dead Parrot sketch. He connected with Stuart and here's the result: a tripartite discussion with Stuart, Richard, and Dean Holden about coach education's demise. Stuart will simulcast the show on his own podcast soon, on... | 1h 27m 18s | ||||||
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Chart Positions
1 placement across 1 market.
Chart Positions
1 placement across 1 market.