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A relatable and honest podcast about the highs and lows of being a youth hockey parent. Join us as we share real stories, struggles, and wins from the rink, offering insights and support for parents navigating the world of youth hockey.
Good morning, everybody. Welcome back to the Crazy Hockey Dads Podcast, the unfiltered podcast for hockey parents. No politics, no sugarcoating, just real talk for hockey parents in the trenches. And we are back for episode 38.
Scott:38.
jamie:38.
Scott:38.
jamie:And do we have an interview for you? A very cool local dad who in my opinion has definitely, he gets it right in
Speaker 3:my mind.
Scott:Done a few things right. Yeah. No doubt.
jamie:Yeah. And you will be, I'm sure hearing about his son in the future. Yeah. That's my guess. You know?
jamie:But cool interview, man. Really cool interview. Nice find by you.
Scott:Yeah. No. So we got Anthony LoSauro on today. He's someone I met when Otto was playing with the North Jersey Avalanche. And he's got three boys, two girls, the youngest one, youngest his son Nolan is a twenty fifteen.
Scott:And when Otto first started, he was playing might be and, like, both Nolan and Otto were on the rink at the same time. And Mhmm. You know, I met I met Anthony. It just it turns out just he's a he's a local guy. And there we we have a bunch of people in common, which is just kinda interesting to reminisce and throw small names out there.
jamie:But Yeah.
Scott:You know, he played a you know, he played pretty high level sports as a kid and has, you know, gone on to parent some, know, you some pretty phenomenal athletes. His oldest son, AJ, is a d one commit to Penn State for lacrosse. We are. Yeah. But he's been a he's been a dual athlete, a multi sport athlete from like, since he was a young kid.
Scott:And, like, so he played 16 new premier abs last year. He might have led the abs in scoring.
jamie:He said something about that.
Scott:Yes. I think it was AJ, the older one.
jamie:Yeah. I think you're right. I think
Scott:you're He he's just playing high school this year as a senior and focusing on lacrosse.
jamie:He's a better lacrosse player.
Scott:He's a better lacrosse player even though he led the abs. Anyway, it's wild to think. Right?
jamie:No. It's crazy. He's got impressive impressive kids. You know?
Scott:Yeah. But then the the middle son, Will, played U sixteen Premier Triple A as a double underager, a 14 year old playing 16
jamie:year years up.
Scott:And and crushed it.
jamie:No. Totally crushed it. That's and what was kind of cool about what Anthony was saying was, you know, but you guys will hear on the interview, but his older brother was like really down with it. Like he wasn't insecure about his younger brother playing on his team with his younger brother, his older brother is a 10. And the younger brother is a 10.
jamie:The older brother is an eight. Correct. Oh, wait. Right. Oh, wait.
jamie:And a 10 playing on the same team. And what was really cool is that his older brother was like, was all about his younger brother coming and playing with them.
Scott:Yeah, it's not. Yeah,
jamie:it's amazing. I can't imagine that being that way in most households.
Scott:Yeah, I mean, you right. Yeah, just in what an accomplished guy. And then and then Yeah. On top of all of, like, the the parenting and that, he also started and runs Towerman Lacrosse, a club lacrosse program in in our area that has produced a a whole host of d one.
jamie:Yeah. That was cool too. That was cool too.
Scott:Lacrosse lacrosse players. So just the guys
jamie:crushing it. We didn't even get into stick bros. We didn't even have time to talk about that with him.
Scott:Noah's apparel company. Stick bros. Everyone should check that out. Stickbros.com.
Speaker 3:That right.
Scott:I didn't even double check that.
jamie:Yeah. I'm pretty sure it's stickbros. Yeah. He he's it's like a combination lacrosse ice hockey, you know?
Scott:Yeah. Because there's such overlap and you know, it's, yeah.
jamie:We should get a discount. We should ask him for a discount code for that.
Scott:Yeah. No doubt.
jamie:You I'm sure. Yeah. They do. And I'm sure a lot of our kids, a lot of the parents that listen to this, their kids probably play lacrosse and ice hockey because they compliment each other nicely. Anthony mentions on the interview.
Scott:I think the best part about that combo is that just like the seasonality of it works so well. It's not like, you know, football and hockey don't exactly mesh, you know, and he even mentioned that for a few reasons because he was a football player himself. But anyway, we'll get to the interview in a Good few
jamie:interview. You guys are gonna enjoy it.
Speaker 3:I thought it
jamie:was great.
Scott:Yeah. No. It's great stuff. Really glad to know him. Super nice guy, great family, great kids, all of Fun.
Scott:But yeah, so speaking of partners, Howie's Hockey, shout them out as usual.
jamie:Crazy ten.
Scott:Crazy ten. Use the discount code 10 So percent off your use that. Get your gear, get your shirts, get your whatever you need. The great gifts. Holidays are coming up.
Scott:You can't go wrong with anything. How is it a stocking stuffer? Whatever your family might celebrate. Good gifts. Yep.
Scott:Got that prostrate elite skating. Angelo Searce. What's up? What's up? Yo.
Scott:Hey, James. How are doing on that interview, bud?
jamie:Fuck off.
Scott:Still working on it. Right? Okay. Awesome. Right.
Scott:Dude.
jamie:Dude. I listen. I mean, you know, fair. You can bust my balls about that. It it's coming.
jamie:The dude from the devils is not easy to grab ahold of.
Scott:Now when you're winning so much.
jamie:This is true, by the way. You're not worried about that. I will I will find and get him. I'm working on it.
Scott:Good. Keep working.
jamie:Wyatt, I am rolling. I'm working on it. It will come, but in the meantime, we have a lot of cool shit lined up for you guys.
Scott:Right. But we're still not done with partners.
jamie:Sorry. Continue.
Scott:Yes, sir.
jamie:We're pro shotting. Angelo Sur is coming soon. Was he CHD 10 for 10% off his power skating clinics?
Scott:Yes, that's correct. Right.
jamie:Yep. If the New Jersey Devils trust him.
Scott:So should you.
jamie:So should you.
Scott:That's what's up. And then
jamie:Got a shout out
Scott:performance insight. Yep. As always. Yep. Athletic performance insight.
Scott:For all of your video analytics, game tagging, under the hood analytics for your club team, go to athleticperformanceinsight.com, fill out the contact form, reach out to Eric. He will more than happily talk to you about what his program has to offer in terms of getting your team feedback, you know, video feedback, video review, all that stuff. Right. Get a discount, a 10% discount on Dollar dollars. Subscription.
Scott:Yep. And, you know, he'll tag a game for free just so you can see what it's all about. But I highly recommend, if nothing else, just get some information, talk to him. If now is not the right time, maybe in the future, next season, but it's a robust platform. And youth clubs all the way up to the collegiate teams use it, trust it, and the product's great.
Scott:Is. Athleticperformanceinsight.com, aka
jamie:get it. It. Go get yours. Go get it. You speaking of Crazy ten, you want to hear something funny this weekend?
Scott:Oh, yeah, sure.
jamie:So we are in Hershey, Pennsylvania for a showcase this weekend.
Scott:How'd that go?
jamie:Not terrible. Two and two played some four high, high level teams.
Scott:Oh, did you? That's
jamie:awesome. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
jamie:Should have beat the top team. We were we were winning and then they came, but we're I think we're winning three to lost four, three late in the third. We actually probably should have won the game, but so I'm hoping we see them again. So but it was good because all four teams were were were higher rated than us. Yeah.
jamie:Yes, that was good. So we good nicely this weekend. Even two and two was nice. So funny. We're in Hershey, and they have three rinks there at their facility.
jamie:Okay. The middle rink freezing doesn't even begin to describe what this thing is. Bro, it is fucking freezing. It's like a meat locker. I mean, like, like Avalanche Ring 4 is cold because the the wind kind of cranks down the river there.
jamie:So the outside of the building gets cold. This, this rink is sandwiched inside of the one rink threes on one side that rink ones on the other. So you have like nowhere to hide. Like, like you could see your breath, your, you couldn't feel your toes. All right.
jamie:So, so I walk into the pro shop. I did not bring a jacket like the jackass that I am.
Scott:Like, I
jamie:got any jacket. I'm like, you know, I'll just throw like a pullover or something like that. Right? Like no jacket needed. So I don't bring a jacket with me.
jamie:Doesn't.
Scott:It's a cardigan. Thanks for asking.
jamie:I'm actually wearing is that a dumb and dumber? Is that what it's Pull over. No,
Speaker 3:no, it's a cardigan.
jamie:Thanks for asking.
Scott:So good.
Speaker 3:Well done, Scott. Well done.
jamie:That was good.
Scott:Sometimes even the sun shines on a dog's ass some days.
jamie:Yeah. That was actually very good.
Scott:Thank you.
jamie:Well done. Very well done. So so I walk into the pro shop. Okay. Nice looking pro shop.
jamie:And I'm like, I need something to put on. Right? So I check out there's like some CCM sweatshirts, but it has like the Palmyra logo on and I'm like, I'm not like, I can't what am I doing something in the Palmyra logo on it. Right? So I'm like, can't
Speaker 3:do that.
jamie:All right. So, so I go over like Bauer CCM anyway, I have my size anything. So I find the Hallie's hockey section. I'm like, shit. I'm like, this is great.
jamie:So like, so I grabbed one off of the off the shelf and I'm like, my size perfect home run. And I'm walking up to the counter and I'm like, how fucking stupid am I? Like, I get a discount on this shit. So I asked guys to counter. I'm like, Mike, any chance I can yell like a 10% discount on this?
jamie:And? He's like, yeah, no. It's last year's prices. I'm like, alright, fine.
Scott:But you you still have a high quality. I do. High style.
jamie:I do. It's a nice one too.
Scott:That's awesome.
jamie:Yeah. Yeah. So I bought myself. Yeah. It's just yeah.
jamie:Our our Mason over at Howie's Hockey would be like, you dummy.
Scott:Yeah. Well, you should have brought your
jamie:I should have.
Scott:Yeah, I
jamie:should have. But yeah, so so I felt like such a jackass buying a full price Howie's Hockey thing when we have a discount code. But at the time I was freezing my balls off and it was necessary. So it is what it is.
Scott:All right. Well, well, I great. All good. Good job. Yes.
Scott:Good job, Sensei. Yeah. Yep. Yeah. Yeah.
Scott:All right. So besides the cold rink, so it was it was a pretty solid weekend considering you played better competition. That's good. Yeah. Anything I don't know.
Scott:Any Not terrible. Anything that really stands out to you about the weekend that's worth noting? May maybe maybe personal. I don't know. Emotional roller coasters perhaps.
Scott:Were there any of that this weekend? I
Speaker 3:I was asking
jamie:me if I actually kept my shit together this weekend? Is that what you're asking me? Cause there's no, there's no.
Scott:Do you didn't? No,
jamie:I didn't. Did. No, I didn't. I tried to. I, I did, but I didn't.
jamie:I didn't in front of him.
Scott:Well, that's, that's probably the most important part.
jamie:But my child is going through a, a little bit of a confidence crisis at the moment. So we're we're working on that. You know, it is a it is a work in progress. What? So we're
Scott:Yeah. You have any ideas on, like, kinda like what the root there is?
jamie:You know, honestly, dude, I don't know. You know? I I'm I know he's super stressed out that I know he's really stressed out about school starting in school and the work is pretty hard. So I know that that's been I don't say an issue, but I know that's been a problem.
Scott:Like a source of anxiety.
jamie:Yeah, a little bit. So I know. So I'm hoping that that that the first two months, you always hear the first month, two months of first year bantams is is difficult. Yeah. Like, like our head coach actually said the other day, I don't if I told you, I told somebody the other day, we're sitting here at the hotel, some drinks late night.
jamie:And he says he goes, you know, he goes 13 you like your first year of bandoms is the most difficult year for ice hockey players. I told Vomer that today. That's what I was telling that to
Scott:you.
jamie:And I was like, Oh, that's interesting. Like I, I mean, makes sense when you think about it. Right? It does.
Scott:Yeah. And, you know, right. And just in having anxiety going into a game. Yeah. No matter what the source is, you know, I think the, without overthinking it, even going into it, know, now that there's body check, I don't know.
Scott:I could imagine that like
jamie:It's different. I will say that it is different.
Scott:It's a different game than he's
jamie:ever It's definitely different, but, but I I don't know, Scott. Come I'm working on it. We're working
Speaker 3:No. On
Scott:I hear you. Well, listen. I I hope he, I hope things start to turn. I know that's
jamie:That's right.
Scott:Been a little difficult, but, listen, just do what you can to be there for him.
jamie:You know? That's the plan, man.
Speaker 3:And that
Scott:was something that, like, even Anthony was talking about in the interview. Right? Like, you know, just reading the room. Right? I think I think that, you know, part of being a parent is is, you know, knowing when to push, when to pull back.
Scott:You're not going to get it right 100% of the time. But as long as you get it right more more than you get it wrong, you're probably that's a win. Agreed. And I think we've all been there, man. I mean, like, know, for me personally, like this past weekend, Otto's team, they they they won both games, which was great.
Scott:They rebounded from the weekend preview prior where we had our showcase and we went like one one, lost three. Other than playing, like, the second two games. Came back was pretty productive. But even still, you know, it's like you watch the game and, like, I I I I have to
Speaker 3:say
Scott:the now that we're however many games into it, seven I don't know how many games are into it. 17 games? Is that possible? 17 games?
jamie:Yeah, is actually. I think that's right.
Scott:17, I think 18 games, 19, whatever.
jamie:Yeah, I
Speaker 3:think that's
Scott:In the beginning, you know, you're still kind of getting a feel as a parent kind of like for like the players, like the quality, the level, the coaching and all of this. And, you know, I knew that we had and we still obviously we have kids that are from all different programs. I've said it a few times on the podcast, they're from like seven different programs. And this is the first year this team has skated together. So and there's definitely some some talent on the team, like, for sure.
jamie:Right. Right.
Scott:But in the beginning, you're just like, alright, it'll gel, it'll gel, it'll gel. And like, I'm gonna you know, at this hopefully, and progress, you know, tends to take longer than you always wanted to. But I gotta say, like, some of the hockey, I'm just like, oh, man. And and maybe it's some kids playing down to, like, other levels. And I I I I don't know.
Scott:But, like like, the games this weekend while Otto, you know, did well well enough, personally, there's still like, it's I don't
jamie:know. Frustrating?
Scott:Yeah. Yeah. It's really frustrating. And it is frustrating because I feel like there's, like, a lot of knock hockey. There's a lack of like teamwork.
Scott:There's
jamie:Possession?
Scott:Yeah, man. Like hot potato. Like it's just
jamie:Yeah. Also still early.
Scott:You know? I hear you. But don't think I'm I'm still trying to
jamie:Big difference between tier one and tier two in that respect. The non cocky is thing that happens.
Scott:Dude, feels like fucking massive.
jamie:I know. It's it's like massive. I know. They they they the kids don't haven't realized that puck possession is actually, like, a really big thing in in tier one. Right?
jamie:Meaning, it just is.
Scott:But even just like the small thing, like, know, like, a breakout, like, you know, the wingers just getting the puck off the wall, so they have, like, you know, an option or two. Like, not just trying to go glassing out, like, every single time the puck is on their stick. You know, just like
jamie:zone what they're comfortable with too.
Scott:Zone entries, there's, like, a ton of individual. You know what I mean?
jamie:Yeah. The worst is when kids make a move on the blue line and draw their teammate offsides.
Scott:Yeah, that happens too. You know, that that part, I'm not even like, I'm not even that's like, I feel like the so, next level of problems where it I don't know. I mean, hopefully things will get better, but there's I get it. It's it's not great.
jamie:It's frustrating. I know. I get it. I get it. I definitely get it.
jamie:You know, hey, we have to we have not done a geographic update in a while, and I don't know if you saw, but we were five states light in The United States. Had 45 of the 50. Yeah, we we were missing Oregon and Mississippi.
Scott:Yeah, I saw those.
jamie:We picked up Oregon and Mississippi. So now we are three down
Scott:to almost there
jamie:all over The United States. We've been picking up places that I cannot pronounce in like Finland and Norway. We picked up like four different regions, which is crazy.
Scott:Norway is beautiful, by the way. Was there once.
jamie:I have not been. I'm sure it's lovely. My father-in-law was there, years ago. I have not been, but we pick, we're picking up over there. Norway, Sweden, picked up again, places I cannot pronounce.
jamie:And we also picked up the very bottom of you saw Slovakia.
Scott:I did see that.
jamie:The other hockey playing nation. So that was kind of cool too. So we kind of went on a little bit of a lull for a while and all of a sudden you're starting to get but I think there's a lot of places that you and I cannot pronounce that are coming on board.
Scott:Yeah. Well, on that note, though, thank you everyone for joining, listening, checking us out. Yes. Super appreciate the you guys listening and please stick around. You know, I think that, as Jamie mentioned earlier, we have not only a fantastic guest today, we got a lot of great guests lined up.
Scott:So there should be a lot of value coming your way in terms of hearing different people's perspectives, trials, tribulations, ups, downs, paths, all of this stuff, you know. And so Yeah. Really good stuff, man. Thanks for calling that out. Yeah.
Scott:It's been a while. So We're
jamie:we're bringing it. Even though Scott and I feel like dog shit today, we're here because we love you guys.
Scott:Oh, yeah. That's it, James.
Speaker 3:It is.
Scott:I know. Why often would
jamie:we be here feeling like dog shit?
Scott:I don't know. It's like this.
jamie:Both of us are fucking sick as dogs and we're here. Why do you think I have this, my lovely cardigan on? Cause I'm freezing my ass off. I can't get, I can't get warm at all.
Scott:Oh, well maybe,
jamie:Also why I haven't shaved my face in like a couple of days because I am not a happy camper, but
Scott:Well, it will pass.
jamie:The show must go on, Scott.
Scott:Yeah. Right? So on that note though, what do you think? You want to kick it over to, to Anthony?
jamie:Yeah. Go ahead bud. All you. Let's hear it.
Scott:What do you mean let's hear it?
jamie:Yeah. Let's hear your intro into Anthony's awesome, interview.
Scott:Oh, well, I, you know, I kind of introed him a little bit in the beginning. But again, Anthony LoSauro, father of five. He's got, you know, three boys all playing ice hockey. Two of them, one's a d one commit to Penn State for lacrosse. He's you know, he he played triple a 16 u premier last year, but happens to be a better lacrosse player, like Wilde.
Scott:And then middle boy, his middle
Speaker 3:boy will
Scott:one commit. Is like one of the top twenty ten prospects in the country. Went to USA. You've like you've developed a camp earlier this year. Plates U sixteen, premieres, you know, triple a as a double underager.
Scott:He's playing again this year as, you know, as an underager. Yeah. You know, boys are playing high school hockey. Given the he's trying to give his kids the most normal upbringing despite the fact that they're high level athletes and, like, there have been opportunities and, you know, calls made to try to, like, recruit them to go here, there, and the next. But, you know, just such a grounded guy.
jamie:Yeah. Keeps his kids pretty level headed too, which is cool.
Scott:Absolutely. Yeah. It's impressive. So yeah. So, you know, he's it was a great getting to know more about him, his story as a football player, his boys, their journey, how he started Towerman lacrosse club lacrosse program in the area.
Scott:That was really interesting. And you guys, I think, will take a lot from the interview with Anthony LoSauro. So let's kick it over to him and I'll see you on the back end.
jamie:Sounds good. Here we go.
Scott:Alright, my guy. Alright, everybody. Welcome back to next interview with Anthony LoSauro. Anthony is someone I've known for, I don't know, least probably five years now pretty casually over at the North Jersey Avalanche. We met dad of some pretty high level athletes, also, founder of Towerman Lacrosse, a club lacrosse team, you know, high school athlete, just has been involved in high level sports from a young age up until now and just has a lot to offer from, like, raising athletes to being an athlete and just wanna welcome to the podcast.
Scott:What's up, Anthony?
Speaker 3:Yo. What up, boys? Love it.
Scott:Thanks for
jamie:having me.
Scott:No. It's so awesome to have you. Yeah. Yeah. No.
Scott:It's it's it's such a treat to have you on here. So, yeah, as I was just mentioning, you know, you're also a Jersey guy. We have a bunch of people in common, which is pretty cool to to go over the other day. But, you know, so you were a football guy. Hockey was not your thing, right, if I'm not mistaken.
Scott:What was what was your kind of journey in in sports? Because I know you went on to play college football, like, you know, as a high level athlete yourself, kind of like what was it like growing up for you and and, you know, back in the day?
Speaker 3:Yeah. Like, I I took the journey that I think I felt like we all took, which was hockey, basketball, and baseball. Right? It's like, I mean that I feel like everybody I talked to back from my generation played those three sports. Grew up in a small town of Saddle River.
Speaker 3:What ended up happening is my dad died when I was young. He had brain cancer. It was pretty sudden. And my mom was kind of stuck as a, you know, only, you know, as a solo mom and she had a very crazy boy in her hands. So she was like, I'm gonna drown this kid in every goddamn sport under the sun just to keep him busy, you know, with all that was kind of going on.
Speaker 3:That's it. I had a big love for sports. I was super competitive. Through eighth grade is a small town. I was, you know, sort of a big big fish in a small pond.
Speaker 3:And then I loved football more than anything else and Bergen Catholic was the place at the time Burden Catholic football was it, you know, like number five in the country names like Mark DeRosa Jim Finn. Guys were all there, right? So now we go into Burden Catholic and there's a 100 kids trying out for the freshman football team, 18 quarterbacks, and I was one of those 18 quarterbacks.
Scott:Yeah. Many kids.
Speaker 3:It was it was I mean, freshman football cut a 100 down to 50. Wow. The biggest it was nuts. I mean the biggest thing that I learned from that too was that I wasn't ready. Right?
Speaker 3:I was I was a very good natural athlete, good hand eye, didn't have a ton of size, but some of the kids that came in had been lifting weights already. Know, some guys were benching 300 as a freshman. Some guys had such a jump on me coming in to Burton Catholic and I know it's even crazier now. Right Burton Catholic Don Bosco North Jersey football crazy. So it took me four years at Burton Catholic trying to catch up to these guys from Fairlawn and other towns that were just monsters.
Speaker 3:And I and I would even probably say like it wasn't until like college that I got I was kind of caught up and then I was, you know, playing like the best version of myself. So that's, you know, and that's that kind of leads into with my kids. I just, I felt like, okay, I'm not gonna, I gotta give them a leg up. You know, I gotta make sure that they don't happen. They don't, they don't go through what happened to me.
Speaker 3:And that's like, they're unprepared.
jamie:Yes. Right.
Speaker 3:Right. Going into high school.
Scott:So, you know, one of the things you just mentioned, it's something we've talked about a bunch. You said you love football more than anything, you know, and that's something that, you know, you hear on a lot of podcasts just making sure to, like, foster the love for the game because, like, what we just interviewed, Doug Christiansen, the commissioner of the ECAC. And one of the things that he said that, like, if the kids don't love the game, the the price of admission when it gets hard goes through the roof. And then that's, like, when, you know, you you see the kids drop off. Because at some point, every journey, if you're gonna play a high level, gets really hard.
Scott:So when you were just what was it? It was it was strictly like the love of the game for you that just kept you motivated to keep on being the best version of yourself because it sounds like you had such a hill to climb the way you you kinda laid that out.
jamie:Yeah.
Speaker 3:Yeah. Hockey Center river joined back in the day. And that program has since doesn't exist because there wasn't enough football guys, but we had 14 players. And on that team combined with Hockey's is out of river. And from that team, we had a kid that was captain of Princeton.
Speaker 3:We had a kid that was, you know, a big running back for Cornell. I went to Middlebury. There were so many athletes from that team. We played Ironman went, you know, back and forth. And I think it was we always played together as friends.
Speaker 3:We didn't have clinics like that growing up. Wasn't a big I mean how many clinics do you guys send your boys to at hockey now? Right? Everything's a clinic. Everything is paid for everything is manufactured totally.
jamie:Everything's structured,
Speaker 3:you know, listen, I think that's why Minnesota for hockey still does. Okay. I mean, there's a pawn hockey element. Is a access to ice element where guys will just go on a Saturday and spend four hours messing around. They don't care if there's only triple a players on the ice.
Speaker 3:They don't care who the hell's on the ice. They're just playing for hours.
Scott:Totally. They, the culture is so different. Yeah.
jamie:Yes. You know, I'm curious before we get into stuff. I'm curious. I asked this to just about everybody that kind of comes on here. I'm curious to hear your take on the landscape in our area.
jamie:Do you think there's too many teams, you know, too many clubs, too many triple A teams? Because we've kind of talked a couple of times about things being watered down in our area, right? Because there's too many teams, too many clubs, and it kind of, you know, I think AA hockey used to be really good. You know, now I think you have all these AAA teams that probably really are AA teams. So I'm just curious to hear your take on on the landscape since you've kind of, you know, have have had kids in it.
Speaker 3:Well, I think if I think all the kids need a platform. Right? So I think I I wouldn't say there's too many teams. I would say hockey in our area, the barriers of entry are high. So in other words, I think in Minnesota, the barrier of barriers of entry are low where you could, where a kid, I don't know, can rent, I don't know, just can like borrow somebody's equipment.
Speaker 3:Can get on the ice. And then all of a sudden now you're a hockey guy and you could be like, dude, this kid's enormous. This kid's big and he has a lot of hand eye and and balance and whatever else. And we'll make him into a hockey guy. Right.
Speaker 3:This area, we have to be as dads. We gotta be like, I want my kids to play hockey and I have to spend money and I'm going to try to manufacture him into a hockey player.
jamie:Right. And that was your, that was your idea to, for, at a young age with your guys?
Speaker 3:So again, I I'm the biggest, I own a lacrosse club, but I've never played lacrosse. I just know athletes. And, I always call myself like the biggest poser with that.
Scott:That's amazing.
Speaker 3:Everyone was like, oh, my God. Where'd you play? I'm like, I didn't like I pick up a stick, I look very dumb. But but I If was you run
jamie:a post corner, I can hit you. No problem.
Speaker 3:No. I will say this. Was very strategic because I'm a five ten guy. Know, I, you know, I thank God I married a pretty tall woman, but, you know, I knew my kids were not going to be six foot four. If you start puke All these sports can be fun.
Speaker 3:If you get your I feel like if a kid a kid that needs to run around and play sports and is competitive, it's a ball trying to get to the other side or a puck trying to get to the other side in some sort of net or some sort of goal or it's essentially all the same thing. But if you start breaking down the sports, you're like, okay, football is straight physics. So for my kids to have a chance at college football, they're going to have to have 1,500 car crashes, which I had. Then it also definitely helps them if they're six foot two, two thirty to handle those car crashes. So that's not a and I think people are kind of realizing like, you know, we just saw what happened with the Giants player scataboo.
Scott:It's yeah, it's
Speaker 3:so not sustainable. Like it's just not a sustainable sport. And the only way to get good at football is 140 lift weights handle that car crash, right? That's that's how you get good at football. There's a skill element with with more the skill positions, but so so I kind of like I loved football and I but I'm like, all right.
Speaker 3:I'm like, it's not maybe not meant for my kids. And then you look at baseball and you're like, okay, we're strategically not competitive in baseball coming from New Jersey. We're freezing our butts off for three to four months like it is right now, those kids in Florida and California are having, they're out playing
jamie:all year round. Round.
Speaker 3:We don't have a competitive advantage in football. Excuse me, in baseball. Now basketball, right? I mean, you got to be tall. I mean, if you're not six, three, six, four, but not only that, if you're six, three, six, four, but you also are in a cushy suburb and you're not like going to get your basketball and going down to the streets for seven hours on a Saturday.
Speaker 3:What chance do you have? So like one by one, I'm peeling away every single one of these sports. And I'm like, okay. Interesting. The beautiful thing about lacrosse is that you could sit home by yourself and work on that skill and work on that skill and actually get good.
Speaker 3:And the cool thing about lacrosse is that there's different sizes all over the field. You can have your super big guy in defense. You could have your super small attackman. You could have your quick guy. You could have your ground and pound guy.
Speaker 3:And that's exciting. So that doesn't block you from entering that sport and you can get good on your own. And it has that physical element that I know my kids were like meant for. So, and then I got into hockey because you also, you don't, you know, you could be effective hockey player and not be six foot five either, you know, and the game is sort of changing in that respect where guys are breaking through.
jamie:Absolutely.
Speaker 3:My brother-in-law is a scout for the Islanders and that's how I got pushed in hockey. Sorry. No, no, but
jamie:that's how you got pushed into hockey because your brother-in-law is a scout. Was my next Okay.
Speaker 3:My wife is from Boston and she's like, Hey, listen, you're five ten max basketball is, she agreed with me and she's like, let's do hockey. So
Scott:So but just just going back real quick, the Tower of Lacrosse Club, you started that. How how old were your your your boys? And was there any a real quick, I don't wanna overlook, but you've got five kids, three boys, two girls, all athletes?
Speaker 3:So it's so funny. My daughter is at Fairfield now. Sophomore. And I always tell her if she ever says, I wish I played sports. I am going to say I did everything in my goddamn power to make you an athlete.
Speaker 3:But she like loves fashion. She's a total, I don't want to say girly girl, but she's a total girly girl and she likes what she likes. I tried everything I possibly could. At a certain point, I'm like, I'm not going to waste resources on this. So we parachuted that, you know?
Speaker 3:But then the, and I think that's why I got really into lacrosse, because I always I always say what annoys me about youth hockey or all these youth sports is that they don't let these kids hit because I'm like, if you teach a puppy to bite, he'll always bite. If you teach a puppy not to bite, it's very hard now, right? When the puppy's eight years old to be like, Hey man, go attack that guy. Yeah. It's not going to.
Speaker 3:So my biggest thing is that I take little kids and I get them to fall in love with contact, fall in love with being physical, fall in love with falling, getting hit, being aggressive, and then getting up. Scott, you brought your son back in the day to one of my lacrosse days.
Scott:I did. I was to just mention that because this is a great story. So we're at a we're at a, a weekend. It was like a a lacrosse tournament for kids, all different, like, young I don't know. Otto must have been, like, eight at the time, maybe seven.
Scott:And so as they were young kids, and so they were a bunch of the high the hockey players from Otto's team and, like, you know, other hockey players. And, you know, we're at this tournament, and at the end of the tour I'm watching, like, the final game. And Anthony's youngest son, Nolan, is playing against a kid a goalie that was on Otto's team. So there's a year difference, I think. Nolan's a 15.
Scott:Right? Yeah. And so, so Rocco, during the game, completely steamrolls Nolan. I mean, like, ragdolled him on the ground, like, just murdered him. And, and at the end of the game, Anthony's given out the awards and he gives the MVP to Rocco and he goes, I'm giving this award to the kid, you destroyed my son, but MVP of Rocco.
Scott:And I just thought that that was like, you know, but that was like what was so interesting about that and just seeing the kids, like, with all the physical contact, was that you don't see that in hockey and it's so poo pooed, you know, like to I don't poo poo is not the right way of putting it, but like, it's it's not it's it's not like what lacrosse was. And for Otto, to be honest with you, I don't think he was ready for it at the time, the level of contact. And so I can also see how that might deter kids. But if you're gonna play a contact sport, we were just talking about this, Anthony, Jamie and I just like, how are you gonna start introducing body contact to like boys that are like full of testosterone and just like ready to like, you know, get after it when you missed all those years of learning how to absorb contact, to avoid contact, how to deliver it correctly, how when and not to time things like it's such a missed opportunity. I I I I don't I I feel like the there's much more of an upside to teaching it younger than weight, you know, than the injury concerns.
Scott:You know, of course there's always gonna be injuries as a contact sport. You can't get around that. Right? But like, I think we both fall into your camp of like, yeah, why are they not doing this sooner?
Speaker 3:Yeah. That's a 100%. I I just the idea of making a bunch of young kids, like a pack of wild dogs. And then over the years have to control them as opposed to making a bunch of young kids know every rule and, and worry about breaking them. I mean, you just it's so I just have like a different strategy with that.
Speaker 3:Because I just, I've really got to get the kid going nuts. By the way, who the hell wants to play a team with those kinds of kids? Totally.
Scott:No, no doubt. I jumped around a little bit. I'm sorry, but I just want to, what I wanted to ask you earlier before I just asked about your kids was Towerman. How old were your kids when you started that?
Speaker 3:So it's pretty funny. So lax.com actually did like a documentary on our program. I think like two years ago and I, and I was online in the documentary and it all stemmed from hockey. You guys will get a kick out of this. But I think AJ was like five or six at a time is when they first started traveling for hockey.
Speaker 3:But we went remember the, do you know the hub in Long Island?
Scott:Yes, I do. Absolutely.
Speaker 3:It's like a super small rink in Long Island.
Scott:Yep. Yep.
Speaker 3:So I'm sitting there. I'm sitting there like waiting for their game to start. And there's like some little grass fields there. Like little grass turf fields.
Scott:Totally. And
Speaker 3:I'm watching, and I'm watching these kids that have to be, you know, six years old and they're playing lacrosse really well and passing and catching and they're hitting. I literally like walked on to the grass field and I like flagged down an adult and I'm like, how old are these guys? Like, oh, they're like six and seven. And I go, these guys are playing like real lacrosse. I thought they didn't like start till third grade.
Speaker 3:And the guy's like, this is Long Island, man. Like we get going. Yeah. Lacrosse. And then I go home and I asked the guy from Richmond.
Speaker 3:Go, Hey, when do you guys get going? They're like, well, we started our first, you know, live action in third grade. And I'm like, okay, that kid from Long Island is going to bury my kid. Right. That's true.
Speaker 3:Absolutely. So I get AJ and then now Will's younger than that. I get AJ and then his younger brother and I bring him to a roller rink in Ridgewood and I get a couple of dads that wear hockey mask and we stand in net and I just said, like, Hey guys, anybody that wants that's athletic or likes to run around and we scrimmage them in this roller rink lacrosse week after week after week. And I started seeing them getting good. And I don't know anything about lacrosse.
Speaker 3:I don't I I you know, you could become a YouTube expert, right? You could teach them how to cradle from YouTube. You teach them how to shoot from YouTube. So I was doing that now. And then they were getting better and better every week.
Speaker 3:And I'm finally like, all right, like we should take the show on the road. And we went to a tournament in Long Island and buried everybody in Long Island. And it was like, to the point where I almost like cried at the end of it. And I was like, it was like, and the other dads who took this journey with me were like hugging. And I'm like,
jamie:was supposed be. And
Speaker 3:we're like, we don't know shit. We don't know shit. Right. And
Scott:you just struck gold
Speaker 3:and we struck gold. And then like we went to another tournament and won that went to another one and won that. And then now I'm like, okay, I am trying to find, you know, that I, my kid played football and anybody that was tough in football. I'm like, Hey, plucked him, plucked him, plucked him. Yep.
Speaker 3:He made all stars that year. Anybody in all stars that was a badass. I plucked him, plucked him. And then that's sort of how we built.
Scott:That's unreal. Cause Ridgewood has got a met, like, when I was a kid and played lacrosse in high school, I mean, Ridgewood was always a super strong lax lots program. So that that must have you so you probably were also in the community, you had a lot of that, like, kinda DNA, like, woven in already. Right? Were there a lot of lacrosse families that, you just got to talk to pretty quickly or did you like kind of like, were you a parallel path to what was going on at Ridgewood like, or an alternative?
Speaker 3:Yeah, it was a little alternative. Right. I, I don't think Ridgewood was super supportive of me. Ridgewood's like, Hey, fall in line. Do, do you know, do what we do, you know, start third grade.
Speaker 3:You know, I'm starting a club like in a town. That's like you said, like no one for lacrosse, but I did feel like the game was changing. I felt like it was you have to get started earlier and that was my trip to Long Island that team that original team went from second grade all the, obviously, all the way through, we lost some players along the way. Some players got recruited away from us, some players reclassed, but we got as far as fourth in the country. We almost made it to the ESPN at the world.
Speaker 3:We made the World Series of youth lacrosse. We finished fifth at the World Series at a 24 teams in North America. On that team, that original OG team, the amount of commits is the most insane thing. I mean, a UNC commit a UVA commit a Colgate commit Penn State.
jamie:Big time lacrosse. Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3:That whole team that took the journey with us to Loyola's like everybody went. Everybody went to vision one. So it was like, and then somebody asked me to replicate it for another, another team. And we did that. And now we're a full blown club.
Scott:Yeah. That's amazing. Know, I remember when, when at the abs, when we're starting to, like, learn just about, like, you know, like, families in the building. And, obviously, I knew I knew Nolan, but at the time, didn't know, like, he had older brothers. And then, like, someone was saying, he's like, yay.
Scott:Nolan's got two older brothers. They're, like, ridiculously good at hockey. And then, like, learned a little bit more about how good they were. And then someone says to me, you're not gonna believe it, but like AJ, he's even better at lacrosse. And I'm like, you gotta be kidding me.
Scott:I'm like, really? So just kinda turning the table a little bit back towards hockey. Right? So now you so when when during this journey did they start playing hockey and kinda like what was that road like in terms of, like, getting them, you know, growing their love for that sport since you obviously have a whole club lacrosse program and kind of like was there was it like immediate success, like on the ice or was there like this kind of like, you know, it took a little time and then all of a sudden there was, you noticed that there they had like super talents.
Speaker 3:Yeah. Like every kid kind of comes out a little bit different. Obviously AJ started, I think the, I think the second James, do you have a, how many boys boys do you have?
jamie:Have two, but I have one that plays only my twenty twelve plays.
Speaker 3:Okay. Yeah. I was gonna say sometimes the second one comes out. Don't know if you guys have a second, a brother in the mix. Sometimes the second one comes out two years advanced.
Speaker 3:You know, they're just following the older brother.
jamie:No, not in my case.
Speaker 3:All right. Yeah. So AJ started and then like kind of Will went along for the ride. AJ was pretty unique. Like he had like he was a fierce competitor.
Speaker 3:He was just such a grit monster and just such a competitor, but he was not a natural skater at all. Everything he did, he kind of just did because he was a competitor. You know, and then and then will, you know, will when he first started skating, like he was a natural skater, you know, you know, he just came on the ice and just skated, you know, more naturally than AJ did. But the two sports, I mean, you know, the two sports I just felt like were so I felt like there was like an epiphany moment. I'm like, they're so complementary.
Speaker 3:You know, I mean, if the way you hold the lacrosse stick is, you know, you just holding it up here and then like a hockey sticks down here. And now I felt like so good because when my kid's playing hockey, he's building up his butt muscles and he's building up his quads and his and his stick is getting so like he doesn't have to be playing lacrosse to be playing hockey. And I know his lacrosse stick is going to be 10 times as good when lacrosse happens. Right. And vice versa.
Speaker 3:Yeah. You know, and the funny thing is, is that like, you know, my kids would play six months of hockey, five days a week. They would play one lacrosse tournament, one lacrosse tournament. And I'd get like the moans in the morning and I'm like, I can't walk down the stairs. I'm so sore.
Speaker 3:And I'm like, what the hell? Like they couldn't walk down this. I'm like, dude, you played six months of hockey.
jamie:Yeah, what's the deal?
Speaker 3:Could see the bubble in your butt and like, can't walk down the stairs, but like, that's a whole. That's your calves. That's your hamstrings, you know, like, and then I'm like, oh my God, like this is so important. Like if they just played hockey, the calves, their hamstrings, those fire muscles wouldn't be as, you know, wouldn't be as strong. So I just, I felt like I hit it.
Speaker 3:I felt like this is, you know, my kids don't need to be six foot four. We're in a geographic area, at least for lacrosse where you could go to the highest level.
Scott:Yep.
Speaker 3:Hockey is a little more of a challenge, right? Cause we're the idiots that are on the roads all the time going to Boston or Detroit or Canada, you know,
jamie:but that's right.
Speaker 3:But, but yeah, that's I just, and then I just like rinse, wash, repeat with those two sports. Played a little bit of football and both boys had really nice football careers until I made them stop. The hardest thing about football is that if you're a good athlete or competitor, what ends up happening? And I don't know if you guys watch little guy football or any of your kids played football, but if you can run the ball and you're the, you're the top runner, you'll run the ball 18 times a game.
Scott:A lot. Right. Cause that's the game until when you start.
Speaker 3:And by the way, they'll make you middle linebacker and you gotta make every tackle. Right? So, and now a kid who's not so good, maybe they'll put him at wide receiver. Maybe they'll put him at safety or cornerback and like, he's not involved. But I'm looking at this and I'm like, okay, these three sports are not these three are not sustainable.
Speaker 3:Like the amount of hits my kids are taking now is just it's we only have one human body. Right? So what are you gonna do?
Scott:Right. Right.
jamie:So you made them stop playing football at what age? What age did you shut it down for them?
Speaker 3:Yeah, so AJ AJ going into into his sixth grade year, he stopped will and then once he stopped like will played one year was like a was like a flash in the pan had a really good year and then I'm like, yo, we're done with your brother.
jamie:Right. We're gonna go do something else.
Speaker 3:Yeah. And I honestly, Adrian's gonna come back his senior year at Ridgewood and he, and he would have been like, you know, we, I think you'd have been a starter and I feel like football, you can come back to.
Scott:Interesting.
jamie:I think that's true. By the way, if you're an athlete, you can come back. You would start it as a freshman in high school and be good and get a college scholarship on it. Right? Yeah.
jamie:Hockey and lacrosse, I think are different sports.
Speaker 3:Yeah. Can we can imagine both of your sons quit three years of hockey and tried to come back
jamie:in
Speaker 3:school?
jamie:There's no way.
Scott:Right? No way. There's no way.
jamie:No way.
Scott:No way.
Speaker 3:And the cool thing about hockey, by the way, which is very untalked about is that when it comes to high school and playing on your high school team, the cool thing about that is that like nobody can get an advantage on you. Like somebody can like, if if someone's not playing football, they can figure out how to run a four five and and put on a lot of muscle and take your spot in the football field. If you're a freshman and you can't skate, like, no one's no one's taking your spot, dude.
jamie:That's right. It's over.
Scott:Totally.
Speaker 3:Your spot's safe.
Scott:Yep. So so as far as the, so hockey, the kids started what, so how old were they about? Like they were, when did they, when did their journey start? Were.
Speaker 3:So AJ was like, I don't know, AJ AJ maybe was like five or six. And then Will now was like a four, you know, because when again, younger brother always benefits, you know, and then if we're at the rink, can try to find something for Will. Then he, you know, he was a, you know, startup four.
Scott:Right. And, and, and so they, they were always, so triple a, they tier one, that was their track the whole way through.
Speaker 3:No, no, not at all. I pushed, like I didn't, like I convinced them to put both boys in the same team. Right. So Will was playing up, but we were double a and I loved every second of it because it was local. It was, you know, gay, you know, get to the game and get home.
Speaker 3:They were double a until Pee Wee. And then then I was getting a lot of heat for not playing triple a, interesting at a certain point. And then, and it was
Scott:Was intentional at a at a certain point to keep them at at tier two before making the jump or it was more circumstantial?
Speaker 3:This is kind of a this is kind of funny, but and I'll and I'll and I'll give the abs a little bit of crap right now, But they definitely they definitely both boys did really well in the same team together. And I was trying to continue that as long as I can. And they were they were forcing the split.
Scott:Oh,
jamie:that doesn't surprise
Speaker 3:I
jamie:don't think so. So the difference in age with your two boys is two years. Am I right about that?
Speaker 3:Two years. Yeah.
jamie:Right. So is it easier to play kids on the same team at tier two than it is a tier one? Is that why they made you do the split like that type of stuff?
Speaker 3:Yeah. Well, yes. The team we actually this is a crazy story, but they're in their final year together, The the tier two state championship, we were down three nothing with two minutes left to go. And this was like one of the most insane games of all time until the Will High School Ramaphole game, if you remember that one, Scott. But but we were down three three, and then AJ scored one.
Speaker 3:Will scored one. This kid, Andrew Sherland scored one. And then we won an overtime. So in that three minute window, we tied the game forced overtime and then won the little guy tier two state championship. And I, and then after that, I'm like, oh my god, we're doing this next year.
Speaker 3:And then all of a sudden, was
jamie:like They're like, nope.
Speaker 3:Nope. You're not doing this next year.
Scott:Game over. Game That's why. And, you know, just, I I don't even think we we mentioned this yet, but just to kinda also, like, paint the landscape of, like, how much your kids have achieved just to give a little context for people listening. So AJ is, do you wanna commit to Penn State to play lacrosse next year? Is that correct?
Speaker 3:Yes.
Scott:And and Will is like a a top twenty ten hockey prospect in the in the country. Yeah?
Speaker 3:Yes. Yeah. I mean, he's gotta stay there, but hopefully he stays healthy. He's he's in a he's in a good spot. It's been put me up.
Scott:No. Of course. I I mean, I get just just so people can understand, like, you know, I guess to the the amount of success you've had, you know, as as a family, as as the boys as individuals, Will was at the at the, USA fifteen developmental camp over the spring summer?
Speaker 3:He was. Yeah.
Scott:Yeah. Yeah. And so and I and just I I mean, I also think it's worth pointing out just because I've never even heard this before and I remember towards the end of last was it last season? Because we we auto skates with Kimmer in the morning. On Thursdays, we see obviously, we see each other.
Scott:But I was I don't know. We're just talking to, like, Mike about things, and he's like, yeah. I I think Will maybe had gotten off the ice, and he's like, yeah. He's gonna play you 16. And I'm like, wait a second.
Scott:He's gonna, like, be a double underager and play 16? He he he hasn't even body checked yet. Right? That was his first year of body checking with 16? Or no?
Scott:Did I mess that up?
Speaker 3:No. It might have been the year maybe the year before.
Scott:The year before.
Speaker 3:I mean, but but again, this goes to the multi sport aspect of everything, you know, like he was also playing up in lacrosse and lacrosse is way more physical. I think Wayne Gretzky will agree with me on that one too. Right.
Scott:Right. Yeah. He totally said that.
jamie:Yeah. So I actually have a question. So it fits in here because I wrote it. I wrote it down before you got on Anthony. So so Will is a is playing two birth years up.
jamie:Okay. So he obviously knows that he's a very good hockey player, right? Is it hard to keep him grounded and not let his head get too big and keep him humble? Is that hard to do as a parent?
Speaker 3:Two: Yeah, you know what? You know what it was? So James, that's actually a really good question because that that was like. Not that it was hard keeping him grounded, I think, you know, we always talk about hockey, right? Everyone chirps, right?
Speaker 3:Chirps, you chirps, you chirps you. Now, nobody in the 16 new level wants to see a 14 new kid come at them.
jamie:Right,
Speaker 3:right. So it was beyond chirping, right? Like he always had a target on his back. And that season, just beyond being successful, like he had so much coming at him. And I he has a lot of like emotional maturity for, you know, way more than like my twenty fifteen.
Speaker 3:It was a total psychopath like, you know, like, no one is the best, but like, no one can't handle that. Like, real could handle that. And I think different makeup,
jamie:right? Yeah.
Speaker 3:But those first two months of just like, yo, you're overrated. Like what are you doing here? You know, like just all that stuff and then even like and I made him play high school like I didn't act like he was too good for high school hockey. My teacher playing high school hockey your brother like, you know, go go try to win a state championship, But he always got chirped and and then I'm like, I'm like, sat with him and I'm like, you're if you play like you're trying to prove how good you are. You're going to be awful.
Speaker 3:I'm like, you just gotta just you just gotta be gotta be you. And the best thing about that season is that first two months you could see him emotionally reacting on the ice every time I know somebody said something to him and then I and then he would try to have a monster hit or he'd go after and he threw him out. The guy threw him out of his whole game. Right. And then finally, after two months, like he didn't give a shit like he didn't and he didn't care.
Speaker 3:And I mean, you know, back in the day, someone's like, Oh, your mother.
Scott:Alright.
Speaker 3:And he, Oh, I lost you.
jamie:No, you just came back. Yeah, you go. Yeah,
Speaker 3:no, So he was he wouldn't break anymore. So that was awesome. That was awesome.
jamie:That's nice to see as a parent to see your kid kind of be able to kind of lose it emotionally at first and then kind of figure it out and then it kind of clicks and it's almost like self regulating, right? Because you mentioned mentioned your twenty fifteen to lunatic, my twenty twelve is a lunatic. My twenty twelve gets super emotional and it throws off his entire game. He's gotta figure it out.
Speaker 3:Yeah. Yeah. I James, I love that question so much because owning a lacrosse club and owning just owning lacrosse club and like singing in hockey and you guys have been a part of teams. Right? And how much entitlement do you see creep into these kids, man?
Speaker 3:I mean, like, how about when even the parent, right? Like, oh, tell me the parents not walking around like he's hot shit when, you know, their kids are leading scorer on the team. Right. And you're like
jamie:100%.
Speaker 3:And I'm like, dude, this is like, you know, these scouts in the NHL and these college guys are old school dudes. They're grit monsters. They like to fight like they, you know, you know, if you celebrate too much, they're shaking their head and scratching, you know, scratching your name off the list. And Absolutely. We And the worst thing about it is it's the entitlement piece is hard to control, right?
Speaker 3:Because even in lacrosse, like if there's a really good lacrosse player, like you want to keep him in your club. You know, you want to keep in your club like you, you really respect him and and and you're trying to like, you know, you're trying to make him happy. Right? Because because they are clients, they can leave you. Right?
Speaker 3:So the Avalanche, the Avalanche, the Saints, if there's a good player, they get a little different attention because the club wants to keep them there. When it comes to high school, the high school, the prep schools, all call them and these heads get so goddamn inflated. And they're just in the beginning of their journey, man. I'm like, and it was, I mean, that's why I love that question games because it was hard, and then we never had social. You know, like, like Will's throwing up on social with crazy shit.
Speaker 3:He's the player in North America. Don't know. I'm like, dude, there's, there's a kid in Minnesota. That's gonna, that's gonna be six zero five this year. And by the way, like he's going to take hockey serious and he's going to want to take your head off.
Speaker 3:Like, keep thinking you're good, dude.
jamie:And it's funny that kind of leads into my other question because because my kid is starting to get like that and I'm trying to bring him down, you know, a bunch of notches saying like, listen, you got to be humble. You got to just take care of your business and do your thing. So my other question that I have, which is kind of tied to that is I guarantee that your that will was your older one probably too, but I guarantee that the Don Bosco's, the Burton Catholics, Dell Bartons, the St. Joe's came after your boys to go play high school there, and you didn't take them to play private, most better player parents do. So I'm curious what was the thinking behind that and leaving them in Ridgewood and not having them play private.
Speaker 3:Okay, you guys will agree with this too, and I think you'll see this. It's it. So. I. So many parents and so many people want to package their kid on the best team possible because they somehow think that because they're on the best team or the number one team or number top 10 team in the country that their kids a top 10 player.
Speaker 3:Right. And and I always say I always say that they try to stand on the shoulders of other good players and be like, look at me, like, look how good I am, you know, in high school hockey is the ultimate is the ultimate. It keeps you level and it keeps you grounded because you might have like two or three AAA players and no and other pieces you have to figure out and get creative with playing against, you know, Dom Bosco, which is, you know, three AAA goalies, you know, six AAA defenseman nine AAA forwards and you're just going to sit there and get your ass kicked. But the thing is you have to fucking own it. Like my kids own the losses.
Speaker 3:Like you just take it. Like you pour your heart out. You don't sell out. You bust your ass, but you have to have to own it. And they never like I let them like fight it out.
Speaker 3:Sometimes they landed on awesome teams and sometimes like their teams, know, Will's teams right now is great. But I made sure that they didn't it wasn't their entire they had all different experiences that it wasn't like, you know, how about mid Fairfield, right? Because of the brick mid Fairfield gets these monster teams
Scott:right
Speaker 3:at seven years old
jamie:where these kids
Speaker 3:are flying in from San Diego and Texas to play in the best team. Right? So now you have a kid that's on the number one team in the country. He thinks he's awesome because I'm the number one team in the country and he's and he's like, I'm going to the NHL at seven years old. And then in the springtime, everyone's trying to get the Mid Fairfield kids.
Speaker 3:They're playing on another awesome team in the springtime. They never have an, they never have a non awesome situation. Everything is just awesome. Right. Then they go to the break.
jamie:That's good point.
Speaker 3:And it's awesome. Awesome. Awesome. And you know what ends up happening? Then you go to the USA national development team and they're like,
jamie:and it's a rude awakening.
Speaker 3:Yeah. And you're like, you know what? That awesome little line you had, that perfect little power play. I'm going to strip you from that. You're going to play with some random dude that you don't know from another side of the country.
jamie:Let's see how you handle it.
Speaker 3:Go make your own way pal. Like, you know, and I love every minute of that. That fucking fired me up.
Scott:So that was part of what you saw with with Will over this, at the USA camp. Right?
Speaker 3:Yeah. And I felt like he had a really nice camp and I felt like I did it right, man. I felt like I put him through so many experiences, good, bad or indifferent that like he was battle tested and he could he could like be his own person. This journey goes to a funnel, right? Where you're like, you're stacking teams trying to on the best teams, best teams, best teams.
Speaker 3:And then you kind of realize when you get to the end of it, it's kind of individual, you know? Right. You gotta go make your own way.
Scott:So and that that's so interesting just the way you kind of put that just not always being on the best team and have anything perfect and awesome. But, like, in terms of, like, both, you know, your kids and any one of them, can answer this too, but, in terms of their own personal mindset and being dedicated and, you know, going through that rinse, wash, repeat cycle. Right? Like, were there times along the way where it became too much too early where they were like either at like breaking points where that maybe they thought like this isn't for me or it's too much or like, did you just like the do you like your family's DNA? Like they were just like, go, go, go.
Speaker 3:Yeah. I I mean, I think in the recruiting season for lacrosse for AJ, that was asinine. Anybody that's going you know, you have you know, there was one stretch where those nine days of 25 lacrosse games. Right? These these kids are of the age where they, you know, where they hit, where they could get injured and like 25 games in nine, nine days was the most insane thing ever.
Speaker 3:I didn't even care if he got recruited at the end of his lacrosse season. I'm just like, I was just so happy that he's in one piece, you know, was I'm like, dude, this we know you're healthy, dude. We can go get a burger. Like, this is amazing. Is like, so sick.
Speaker 3:But, you know, we said it, we said no to a lot of spring hockey. Yeah. We said no to a lot of spring hockey and I would dangle like one cool spring tournament for each boy that they would get to do and it'd be like it'd be like Christmas morning. Right? Because they because they'd say like they did have two or three months of lacrosse and all of a sudden they would get a hockey tournament and it would be awesome.
Speaker 3:But I don't think the burnout really happened because of the multiple sports. Interesting.
jamie:Right. We actually talk about that a lot on this. Right, Scott? We talk we've talked about burnout. You know, Doug Christiansen was talking about burnout, the commissioner of the ECAC.
jamie:You know, it's funny. A lot of guys like you, Anthony, and guys like Doug, they think about this. The development piece for their kids in an entirely different way. And just listening to you talk, you and Doug have a lot of similarities. You guys look at stuff from a totally different way that I think most hockey, hockey parents and hockey dads look at them.
Scott:Totally.
jamie:It's impressive.
Scott:Yeah.
Speaker 3:No, thanks. I mean, it's funny. I think, listen, Will came out with a nice amount of skill. Like he really like naturally, he was a good skater, but like but it's funny, like, you know, AJ, you know, led the A. Y.
Speaker 3:In scoring and was, you know, top on his abs 16 new team and like but he did it not by naturally being a good skater. So I think there's a couple. You there's a you could definitely leg it out. You know, I think you have to I think you could I think you have to have that compete. I think that's and that's what everything I've established in the compete at a young age is everything in my mind.
Scott:So what was that like? So what kind of messages are you reinforcing at home? Like, were there anything in particular that you were very intentional about at home raising your kids to, to, you know, to foster that compete?
Speaker 3:So my wife thinks I'm psychotic, right? Because everything, everything is a competition.
jamie:Remember life is a competition.
Speaker 3:Know I think the boys but it like it it definitely spiraled out of control. I remember they were going to you know we had a friend from town that lost a child and it was a charity. It was a charity Turkey Bowl football game. And I remember I'm like, Hey, guys, we're gonna go play in this. I'm like, you know, I love this family dearly.
Speaker 3:These two idiots played in this and there's like all different ages that were playing in a stupid turkey game and they acted like it was. It was like, I don't know, the Super Bowl and they were like yelling and cursing and fighting. I'm like, I literally got home and I like, grab them both by the collar. And I'm like, like, I like, well, I'm like, you guys are like, so but but but I was the problem, right? I built that level of compete in them.
Speaker 3:And then I'm now I'm asking them to kind of like turn it off. But I'm like, dude, this is a charity game on Thanksgiving. I was intentional about like, and I would always like poke them and mess with them and kind of, but somehow like the brothers like came together, like they weren't, they weren't competitive with each other. Like I give AJ so much credit because I think we'll get a lot of hype on the hockey world. But AJ, like AJ, like has his back and is not insecure at all with with his brother.
Speaker 3:Like, you know, his brother blew up in high school and like, you know, AJ got second team Allstate, but we'll got first team Allstate. But it was never like him being upset. Like he loves his brother. Like, I don't know. I think that I think that was cool.
jamie:That's That's different. Yeah, you should be because that's that's a rare trait. Think.
Speaker 3:Yeah. Yeah. She's two years older, right? Then like, it even last year, like, he's got his younger brother playing on his like 16 UAV team with all of his boys and all the boys are not like some of them were not like at the beginning, too fond of like, dude, what is your younger brother doing here?
jamie:Right.
Speaker 3:And he owned it. You know, he's like he's like, dude, help us. He'll help us win. Like, let's win, you know? And then, you know, and that was, you know,
Scott:That's, yeah, I didn't, you know, I didn't even think about that. Like when we, you know, like when I thought about like, just like Will playing up, I was, you know, but then realizing obviously that like AJ's got like those, that's our, that's his crew. Like, now the look and like, I could imagine that put him in like a tough spot sometimes. And like, that's amazing to hear that, you know, that he had his brother's back. I mean and you got they went on to have a great season.
Speaker 3:Yeah. Listen. They're the only team they they so this is crazy. They had a 30 game win streak at one right? Where they beat King twice.
Speaker 3:They beat the Rockets twice. We're like fifth in the country. And they're the only team they were the only team last year in North America to beat to beat Shaddix. Right? So team from New Jersey
jamie:and Shaddock in Minnesota. Yeah.
Speaker 3:Yes. Shaddock St. Mary end up winning the sixteen U National Championship and they beat him twice. Like that was huge. And and and it was at and it was at their home court, you know, so that was kind of cool.
Scott:That's amazing. That's amazing. So so the, so over the years, the boys were just like always fiercely competitive. In terms of like AJ, you were talking about like just a different makeup than Will. You know, it sounded like he had a you know, there was potentially more work to be done to kind of foster those talents.
Scott:You know, we we also talk, James and I do, about, like, how there's, like, know, how he'd be such a money grab, how there's no shortage of people that are willing to take your money. You know, you mentioned, like, all the spring tournaments that, like, you did limit. But in terms of, like, the the extra, the beyond, like, the club practices, the, like, the club stuff, the spring, you know, club practices, like, how much extra, you know, was, were your boys and in that, you know, for AJ maybe and Will too, it could be for lacrosse also. I don't know anything about like the extra stuff there, but is that something that started at a young age also and kind of like to what extent did you kind of dive into that?
Speaker 3:Yeah. Honestly, when you get into like, it's a good question, Scott. And I think when you got into the AAA world, right. Then all of a sudden you're kind of like, okay, the competition definitely is better. Right?
Scott:I mean,
Speaker 3:a lot of kids, a lot of kids can play. So my brother kind of gave me good advice and my brother-in-law, excuse me, gave me kind of gave me good advice. He, he thinks systematic training weekly doesn't have to be a long time, but over a long period of time, right? So like so say you go every Tuesday for eight weeks, right? And you do a power skating every Tuesday for eight weeks.
Speaker 3:He thinks that's way more effective than a very concentrated like, say then and then say you your kids go to a power skating camp for four days, you know, for three hours a day. Right. He thinks one hour a week for eight weeks is way more effective. Yeah. So so Scott, I would see you.
Speaker 3:I would see you in the mornings, right? Like I would see you in the mornings and you know, we would do like a Tuesday and Thursday in the mornings.
Scott:Yep.
Speaker 3:You know, with Kimmer and, we do that for a long period of time. You know, AJ, you know, and then, and then you would splice in maybe like a, you know, a power skating guy. But I mean, I mean, you and I, you guys all you guys all know, we all know the math about hockey. We all know that, especially nowadays, a tournament away is probably like $2,000.
Scott:Yeah,
Speaker 3:and then you take that $2,000 and you divide it by $50 and
jamie:absolutely you use it for skills take that money and go do skills,
Speaker 3:but none of us do none of us. Know, I'm saying like the hockey world doesn't do it right?
Scott:It's like yeah,
jamie:I do now. I do.
Speaker 3:Yeah, no, it's smart. It's like, yeah, it's smart. There was a kid. There was a I love this family. There was a kid.
Speaker 3:His name is Tyler Cough, and he's from Ridgewood, and Tyler cough, came to the abs right play with the abs his whole whole career and was a triple a guy and he played for he played he never played up he played four years of triple a with the abs 16 you then 18 you And he was a good player, always like a good player. He had some he end up getting bigger. Scott, hopefully you're your guy. You're a big dude, so your guy should get big. But he got bigger and his dad was very methodical.
Speaker 3:Like his dad's the man. Like, I love talking to him. He's very, very methodical. He never got too high, never got too low. It was just like, keep training, keep training.
Speaker 3:His kid had the grit, right? So he knew that. And then I think he started in the Null playing the Null and then like did well, moved up to the BCHL, did well in the BCHL kind of had a good month or so and then got a commitment from Brown went to Brown, you know, to Brown, had two years of two years of Brown and then and then just got drafted by the Sabres. And now he's, you know, playing in the HL, but he's a very quiet underground hockey story. And his dad would like always assess his game and he's like, he's a big kid.
Speaker 3:He'll take a puck off the neck. I wish I heard do that multiple times. Like he's that crazy kid. Like, you know, he was one of those kids where like,
jamie:that's impressive. No fear.
Speaker 3:I don't think he was on the, I don't think he was on the abs power play much. He was always in the penalty kill, but he was that kind of kid. But his dad's I like, gotta, I gotta work his edges. I gotta get him more power. Like I gotta do a power skating.
Speaker 3:So he's very methodical about building this kid up. Yeah. But, but he took the long way, you know, it's not like, you know, he played for so many insane team or, you know,
Scott:And that's part of the that that's the interesting thing. Like, living in such a, like, a highlight, like, society, like you mentioned, like, social earlier, how that's so prevalent and, like, everyone's just watching, like, highlights of games and not watching full games. And they just wanna, like, replicate, like, all these skill moves and all all these things yet or be, like, the next, like, true freshman playing d one or being that, like, teenager, you know, whatever. You see the Celebrinis, etcetera. McKinnon, you know, Gavin McKinnon at Penn State now.
Scott:But, like, there's so many stories of people that just like methodically, like you said, year over year just get better at the age that they're in and they don't quit and they keep going. And then over time, they'll, you know, they're just maybe they're late bloomers or they mature later, but like you don't hear as many of those stories. And I think that that's a really important piece because I think myself included, you're in the worlds of like when you see triple a kids and that they're like studs and standing out, you're like, well, what's the quickest way to get to that? You know? And that's and that's not that's not the right way to think about
jamie:it. No.
Speaker 3:I mean, Scott, let's take your son for example. Right? I mean, I your wife is not as tall. Right? How tall is she?
Scott:No. She's like five five.
Speaker 3:She's killing me.
Scott:I'm the tall one. What?
Speaker 3:You're a giant. I see you in the mornings. I'm like, I feel like I'm like when, when you start going, when, when Will starts going to this prospect stuff, I'm going pretend you're the dad. So everyone's like, oh my God, the dad is bummed. But, but listen, I mean, God willing, right?
Speaker 3:If your son starts getting that size, right? Or he starts has that late growth spurs, like you never know what could happen, like that stuff, you know? So I think the biggest thing, you know, does your son love it? Right. Do you have to force him to go to the rink?
Speaker 3:Right.
Scott:And if
Speaker 3:you don't have to force him to go to the rink and he's like super excited on game day and everything else. Yep. I don't know. What are you in a rush to do? Go, go work for a living.
Speaker 3:We're real work for a living kind of sucks.
Scott:Totally. But and that thinking though, and part of like what Jamie and I talk about often is just like how, what an emotional roller coaster being a parent in like in the, in youth sports, broadly speaking, you know, and we'll come off of a weekend where like, let's say there's not enough effort or there's whatever it is that we're like nitpicking or, you know, that's just or just true at the moment. But we also talk about like, maybe they just haven't figured that part out yet. And it's like, I want certain things to be different now. And I think to myself, well, I can't believe we're not past this yet.
Scott:But at the end of the day, it's like you said, like, at least our kids right now are, you know, they're still younger. Jamie's 12, twenty twelve, just started hitting autos, you know, his first year Pee Wee. Like, there's a there's a long runway, you know, and and for me to like emotionally regulate myself and not get, like, totally, like, like, spun out over the fact that, like, you know, he's got a lot of time to learn. And it it at the same time, like, if you start working backwards, you're like, oh, shit. Maybe it's not that much time.
Scott:So it becomes a bit of a mind fuck, you know? And I think part of just like hearing like these different stories helps kind of like level that out, you know, because I certainly have my moments of being like, oh shit. Yeah.
Speaker 3:I mean, and no, no, no, you're right. And the other thing, too, is that like what annoys me about the state of hockey right now is that. Is that even, you know, we always look at like, you know, everybody in youth sports is always looking to the next step, next, like everyone's talking about the next year in the December, like, yeah, like absolutely. What team are we planning on next year? And then even in lacrosse, everyone's like, what college are going to go to?
Speaker 3:Like, I'm like, dude, like, and I remember I remember like, I was at where I was at a Harvard camp and my brother-in-law came and he was checking out the boys and I go, dude, how, you know, and maybe there were, I don't know, 13, you 14, whatever the hell it was. I was like, look, tell my brother-in-law, like, look at this kid. He's like, what am I looking at? I'm like, dude, how nasty is this kid?
Scott:Right.
Speaker 3:He's like, he's like, he's like, I don't I don't care. Like, I don't know what he's going to turn into. He's like, guy's so young. What am I looking at? Like, he didn't.
Scott:Right.
jamie:Like, he wasn't saying that.
Speaker 3:He's not he's not going to write the kid's name down. He's like, dude, tell me where he is. Do when he's 17, we'll talk. I mean, like, you know, does, you know, does he grow? I mean, is he still into it?
Speaker 3:Is he partying? Is he having girl? Like, is he like loves chicks? I mean, I don't know who the hell knows what the hell is gonna happen.
jamie:We say that too. Wait till they, wait till they find girls and drinking. Just wait. Everything changes.
Scott:Yeah. That totally changed for me. I'll tell you that much when I was in high school, and that's when I stopped playing, like, hockey when I realized that, like, I, you know, sacrificed a lot. And it was different landscape with hockey back then because there wasn't as much of a community locally for hockey, and I wasn't surrounded by as many like minded people and my friends were out hanging out and I missed that for, like, the first four years of high school and I was like, I kinda wanna catch up. And I I knew I wasn't gonna go play college hockey or at like a super high level.
Scott:Like, I talked to some like d three schools and, you know, I just didn't wanna go to like the bubble fuck to play hockey. I wanted to go to, like, you know, whatever, have a more normal school experience or what I thought was a more normal school school experience. But what I'm what I wanted to get to is in terms of, like, your boys and, like, just staying focused on, like, you know, the assignment, focused on the mission of like, you know, continuing to get better. What's that been like at home trying to like balance that or like what kind of conversations do you have with your kids in terms of like, you know, you know, his AJ's off to college, obviously, he's very serious and all this, but like, have you talked a lot about, like, these pitfalls and kinda how to navigate that?
Speaker 3:Yeah. You know what's pretty funny? I think when you're younger, you're like kind of like a dog trainer with the kids. You're like trying to get them fired up and you're like, you know, you're in the car blasting music and you're like, go out and, you know, like you better skate your, you know, your butt off today. Like, you're like, you know, and then all of a sudden, like all of a a sudden your kids get it.
Speaker 3:Like you don't need they don't need you to fire them up. They're they're fired up. And then it's kind of cool because then you could start having like intellectual conversations about the game and what they're seeing on the ice or what they're seeing on the field and what would their decision making was about and what team are they playing and what is going be their strategy against you and how are you going to counteract and all of a sudden like you're like actually having you know, you're going to a game and you're talking you're talking like you're actually having like a
jamie:Speaker mindful conversation about like strategy and skill and like that's great. That's tremendous. I'm not there yet with that's for sure.
Speaker 3:No, no, no. Yeah. I mean, no, no. Then it's kind of like I don't need to fire them up like they're going to get you know, once they see the other team and they start skating around they're going to want to like, know, they're going to want to go out to go after it. But right.
Speaker 3:And then even after the car afterwards, right? Like, they don't need me to say like, dude, you had three very bad shifts. You know, they're they're going to be like, what was going on? Like, you know, it's almost it goes back to a conversation. And those are like and then all of a sudden your kids are responding to you and you're like, God damn it, why am I even questioning them?
Speaker 3:Like, they know way more than I do. Right. You know, so, yeah, it's it shifts.
jamie:You know, it's funny to kind of play off that. What are the what were the conversations like in the car? Because we talked about the car conversations after the games a lot, right? Sometimes they can be really bad. Sometimes they can be really good.
jamie:What were the car conversations like with your kids when they were younger?
Speaker 3:Yeah, I mean, again, they were diehard competitors. So I mean, they lose, I mean, like I was I dealt with tears for a while, you know, like, I mean that that is part of it, you know, they're just, you know, so some of that was, you know, sometimes sometimes I would just sometimes I was pissed, you know, but like but I mean but truth be told like there's some you see some parents that like, you know, it's very not constructive the conversation they will have in the car, you know, and that is a whole big part of the development, you know? Yeah. So I don't know, man. I don't know.
Speaker 3:Like, I was, you know, almost like pulling something good, something bad and, you know, just kind of just talk it out. But sometimes I didn't want to talk. But I mean, I was just never I was just never a total a hole, you like you almost got to like no one to be comp, you know, when you know, when you got to be pissed off and like and and be mad at them because they're not, you know, given an effort or whatever it is. And you kind of know when you've got, they need an injection of confidence. Yeah.
Speaker 3:You know, it just can't be some of these parents are just like, it's all, you know, it's all fire all the time. Right. That's that's exhausting for a kid.
Scott:It's exhausting for a parent. I don't know. Mean, that's true. Yeah. It's I there's yeah, it's exhausting, broadly speaking, for sure.
Scott:Wow. So in terms so just, you know, probably gonna start wrapping things up. But, you know, like in terms of like the, like, the what the what the future holds, you know, for, you know, the the boys and kind of like next steps and kind of like as a parent, how you're kind of navigating this because you have some transitions on the horizon certainly with AJ going off to school. What as a, you know, as a parent, like what what's that like for you and like, you know, how how are you kind of handling all that stuff?
Speaker 3:Will's hockey journey might God willing, he stays healthy, you know, might alter after this year and for so long. You know, I mean, I think he's been with one club his entire life, you know, which that's, you know, that that's, you know, not everyone's fortunate enough to have that experience, you know, just because of coaches leaving or whatever the hell happens. Like, I'm happy. You know, I've been I'm very glad he's had that journey, but I can't even tell you how early like, you know, opportunities have been flaunted to him. Hey, go away here, go away here, come to prep school.
Speaker 3:Got to be doing this every every dad that you guys talk to right? I'm sure is adamant that they know the path and I think the one thing with hockey is that there's so many stupid paths. I mean, there's just there's no It's all over the place and every story is has a different, you know, different turn or whatnot. So I think the one thing that I really wanted for my kids is that Will's a sophomore. He's played for one club team.
Speaker 3:He's had some really great teams, awesome friendships. He's had two years of of normal high school where he's gone to school like he's had a girlfriend. He has like, you know, he's he's gone out the weekends and enjoyed himself with his buddies. And like now I feel like if he has to leave the house after sophomore year, he's had a normal childhood and up to this point where he's got a foundation. I think some I think so many people in hockey take away foundation, right?
Speaker 3:They're taking it. They're homeschooling them. Right? So they never had that socialization. They're all they know is a hockey rink and they're pulling them to BK or something so early or, you know, or I'm going to send them out to Michigan or he's going to live with an aunt.
Speaker 3:And then honestly, if it doesn't work out. Dude, you USA hockey hides those stories, you know, like, you know, and by the way, like. Playing four years of high school hockey, you know, scoring a lot of goals, and then, and then even if like going to play club hockey, like, dude, that's an unbelievable road. Like that's, that's super awesome. And then like, and then, and then by the way, and then playing club hockey, even though we spend a ton of money playing club hockey all those years, it kind of kept your kid out of trouble.
Speaker 3:Like it gave you countless hours of a car ride with your kid. You know, your son in and out like, and slept in hotel rooms and by himself and had some laughs and had some jokes. And then you got your high school hockey in and then they possibly could, you know, they possibly could get some club hockey in and then maybe have men's league. I just don't. I think some of this stuff has gotten so extreme that if it doesn't work out, there's going to be a lot of emotional damage done to these kids because whether they disappointed their dad, whether they disappointed their family, whether every time that they're at like a, you know, I don't know a holiday function.
Speaker 3:Everyone's like, oh, I heard you have all these privates. I heard you're on this number two team. I heard your man. You know, we're really excited to see how this ends for you. You know, like that's a lot of pressure for the kid,
Scott:right?
Speaker 3:You know,
Scott:totally.
jamie:Absolutely. That's kind of one of the reasons why I took my kid down to tier two, you know, and stop doing all the spring stuff that we were talking about before. You know, I try to focus on training and trying to give him some sort of normal where I'm not driving two hours to a rink or an hour and a half. You know, I think you're doing it right. Anthony, I got to tell you, I really do.
jamie:And it shows with your kids.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I hope I a real quick. I'm sorry. I feel like I'm thank you guys. I I think No.
Scott:This is amazing.
jamie:No. No. It's great, man.
Speaker 3:It's actually very therapeutic. I feel like I'm talking crazy. I'm sorry. That's the
jamie:whole idea behind this podcast.
Speaker 3:Yeah. You can do it anytime you want. I have a I have a I have a friend that I grew up in the hockey world with that had two sons, and, I love this family so much. And, like, our memories have been unbelievable. They've had one son.
Speaker 3:Now what I didn't like about it is that, like, what I don't like about hockey is that they make you quit other sports. So that pisses me off all the time. And even the club and and the the pressure of spring makes you give up everything because my son loves hockey so much. We also can love lacrosse. You also can love baseball.
Speaker 3:You also can love track. I mean, you know, just let him him let him do other stuff. It doesn't have to be all or nothing. But anyway, this family had two sons and they had one son that was better than the other son at at the game of hockey. Right?
Speaker 3:And the other son was with the Avs to AAA for a long time, and he's always been a good player. Went through sixteen U, didn't get drafted in the USHL, still has a very nice career, could have a good future in college hockey. Now he's at prep school, but is grinding it out and trying to work his way to juniors. But that's a great road, but his other son, right? His other son was not as good as a hockey player.
Speaker 3:Right. Oh, by the way, they didn't let him play the good player. They didn't let him play high school hockey, which I always yelled at him about. They didn't let him play high school hockey and he didn't play another sport because he was all in hockey. Hockey was his future.
Speaker 3:But the other son, they were a little less laid back because he wasn't as good of a hockey player. Right? So he played a little AAA, but then he had four years of high school hockey where he was captain for the last two years. He set some records, got, you know, got an all county award, you know, like did some cool stuff. He also let him play lacrosse.
Speaker 3:And by the way, he ended up being like an amazing face off kid. And he was captain of his lacrosse team. He was captain of his high school hockey team. He had a real nice high school sports career where he got some recognition and cool stuff. He had a girlfriend went to his prom, did all that stuff.
Speaker 3:And he was a super smart kid. He went to the university of Alabama and is playing club hockey. And by the way, that school gets like six, seven thousand people a night at a game.
jamie:I've heard that. Yes. It's true. Okay. All right.
Speaker 3:It's true. And it's all live cast, right? So they have these like announcers and they're talking about it. And he's in a fraternity. And every time I see a picture of him online, I'm like, dude, this is the happiest kid of all time.
jamie:He's crushing
Speaker 3:at the university of Alabama and he's wearing out and he's at the big football games. He's playing club hockey. He's doing great in school. His socialization for days got a girlfriend. He's going to graduate and be very successful
jamie:right now.
Speaker 3:Again, did he go to the NHL? Did he play Division one hockey? Did he go to, I don't know, one of these random schools to play hockey? No, but like, dude, that was an unbelievable career. Now, other son, God willing, he's going to play club hockey and he's going to the kids are really good player and he's and he and he's going to.
Speaker 3:But again, he had a he had a he left. He had to leave high school early. He went to prep school. He didn't play. He didn't play high school hockey.
Speaker 3:He couldn't. He loved baseball and was really good at it. Couldn't play baseball. You know, now he's have to fight through juniors and he'll land. He'll land in a college hockey team.
Speaker 3:Yeah. But and honestly, if anybody, any of these young parents would look at this kid, he was captain of the abs. Right. You've got any people look at this kid and be like, I want my son to be like that. Right.
Speaker 3:And this other son, people were not like in the hockey world were like, Oh, he's not going to play college hockey. I'm like, but dude, this kid did it right.
Scott:Right.
jamie:Yeah. And like like you said before, isn't it funny how many different paths there are? And I think that's one of the things that people why we have guys like you and Doug Christiansen because everybody's path is different and it's crazy to hear. Like no one path is the same. And they're not going to be we're going to have a gazillion people on this podcast over the next ten twenty years.
jamie:And you're not going to see one path that that mirrors somebody else. They're all going to be different, which I think is awesome. And that's what we kind of want to. We want all the different people that listen to us to hear all those different paths. There's no cookie cutter, right?
Speaker 3:Yeah. Yeah. There's a there's a player that I love that's in the Avalanche Organization as twenty ten and I love his dad so much. He's a he's a European guy and his son is as good of a hockey player in the 2010 class as there is. I always joke around.
Speaker 3:I go, man, wherever this ends up between Will and his guy will be hysterical because we're like an incubator. He homeschooled his kid. Any lesson that you go to in Burton County or New Jersey or wherever you go. Will see this kid there, right? He's training him all I the
jamie:know exactly you're talking about Dominic Dominic was a might when the kid you're talking about it was eight Dom was five and then his younger brother was like six or all mites guy know exactly what you're talking about.
Speaker 3:He's doing it all spring hockey. He's all hockey all the time. He's always at rings, you know, like so it's and he's super successful and the kid is a really good hockey player and he will be succeed. He's in a college hockey player.
jamie:Yes. He's like player.
Speaker 3:Yeah, but I I wanted to he's developing a hockey player. I wanted to develop an athlete. I wanted I wanted him to develop compete. I wanted him to I did it a different way. You know, hopefully they get to the same spot.
Speaker 3:But but yeah, there's a lot of roads, man.
Scott:Yeah. And it's it's I really appreciate like hearing your you know, that you're wanting to develop an athlete and not just a hockey player because at the end of the day, I I feel like a lot of people that I've spoken to, like, if you're not all in, like, you know, at a kind of, like, at all costs that, like, you just, like, you're not gonna get there. Right? But, like, here you are just, like, saying how, like, important, like, the normalization piece was in different aspects for you and your, you know, your family, for your kids, and like, they're going on to achieve, like, you know, tons of success in sports. And so just to highlight the fact that, like, it doesn't have to be that like, you know, always like grinding out and like all the clinics and all the things and all the travel and blah, blah, Like you don't necessarily need that.
Scott:Like that will work for some people. It's not going to work for everybody. So just because you see it on the Instagram, you see like the all the things, it doesn't mean that that's the right path. Right? What are
Speaker 3:you serving?
Scott:And it's just We've been talking for a long time. I really appreciate it. We're going to wrap it up. But just like on that note, like to what extent did you like take cues from your kids, like in terms of like how much to push or maybe even pull back sometimes? Like were was there ever like points where like you had like an agenda in your mind, an idea about like a certain path and then like, you know, you would like talk to them or like they would give you some kind of indication that like maybe we should go in a different direction.
Speaker 3:Yeah. I mean, I was always, obviously if you guys have a podcast talking about hockey, right? You're really, you're really good dads and like you're, you're reading the room in your households. No, I mean, no, Jason, you say about your own son. You're reading the room, right?
Speaker 3:You're kind of you're realizing what he needs and what he doesn't need.
jamie:Trying, trying.
Speaker 3:Yeah. No, you're you're doing a good job. But yeah, I was constantly you know, you just knew when your kid needed a break and you knew when it kind of shut it down. I keep on talking about multiple sports, but I think that was just I was just I was so a six month hockey season is like no other. It's so long, so much travel.
Speaker 3:I can't believe we we've done it with hair on our head, right? Like you guys have both hair in your head.
jamie:It's still relatively not gray. No, it's amazing.
Speaker 3:It's amazing. And it's like and but the thing is, like, just loved like, I'm like, all right, let's get the hell out of a rink, you know? Like, I mean, like, I just I got to get the hell out of a rink. Like, let's go sit on grass or something, you know, and just so I think that that naturally just kept It naturally, like, kind of kept him into it. But, yeah, I was I was always reading the room and it's, you know, it's, you know, when your kids are on the ice, especially in the middle of wintertime, you're getting to a cold car and like it's cold rink and there's germs everywhere.
Speaker 3:Your kids are like, look at your kids are glassy eyed and you're like, dude, like, I understand that we have like, you know, three clinics to go to today, but like, let's let's like, we're gonna get out of this. Like, let's go watch a movie, man. Like, what are
Scott:we doing? Totally. You know? That's so refreshing. Listen, I think we're gonna wrap it.
Scott:James, did you have any any other questions you wanna get to?
jamie:Is Listen, I could go forever. Likewise. We're gonna we're gonna have to have you on again is what's gonna have
Speaker 3:to happen.
Scott:You know? Is awesome, dude. And I just wanna thank you so much for your willingness to come on here and take some time out of your evening. I mean, I know you got a busy household and it was just super refreshing and I'm sure our our audience is gonna have a lot of takeaways from this dude. Like, well done on all the success, both lacrosse, family, athletes, all of it, dude.
Scott:Amazing stuff.
jamie:I mean, dude, it's a it
Speaker 3:You're making me feel important and it's like, I haven't done anything. Like I was a division three football player at best. Right. And these guys were like, you know, but like, you know, but, it's such a dude. It's and, and not all my kids are athletes, I got my daughter who's literally hanging out and having a good time.
Scott:But, but Totally. No, of course. But like, just like the, I guess what I'm really just, I I feel like, just wanting to call out is is just like the, there's a real sense of normalcy groundedness and like, and like, you're like, but like at the same time, like a high achieving and you have the club lacrosse program and I'm not trying to pump your tires too much. I'm just, you know, just from like another dad to another, like, you got a lot of shit going on, man. And like you're, you you know, I'm sure there's plenty of things that are not always great, but you know, it just, you know, it just, you're crushing them, man.
Scott:So well done, dude.
Speaker 3:No, that makes me feel good. Thanks guys. I appreciate the airtime. My wife's gonna listen to this. She's like, you talk so much.
Speaker 3:What's wrong with you?
jamie:Want a narcissist. Our audience wants to hear it. Trust me. They trust me. They want to hear it, which is why they keep coming back.
jamie:Yeah. Thank you very much. Anthony, this was really awesome and best of luck to your boys, obviously in your girls too, but we're going have to have you back on and give us an update on both your boys moving forward.
Speaker 3:Yeah. All
Scott:right, dude.
jamie:Thank you, man.
Scott:Take care. Thanks so much. Appreciate
jamie:it. Thanks. Bye. Welcome back to that awesome interview with Anthony LoSauro hockey dad of the year. He seriously actually might be.
Scott:Yeah, might be.
jamie:He's he, I like how he keeps his kids like grounded. I like, I really liked his answer about how, because his twenty ten is a very impressive prospect.
Scott:Yeah.
jamie:Like, like, we'll be playing a high, high level division one hockey. Like, really high level. If not, just bypassing it the entire way and just doing US men's national team. I mean, the kids, he's, you know, he's been in our area for a while. I've known about him for a while.
jamie:Dominic used to get on the ice after him.
Scott:Right?
jamie:Over the abs, you know, so I but you know, I never really know that you're the dad until we did this. Yeah, you did. Know I maybe said hi in passing, but I never talked to him. He's a pretty squared away guy. That
Scott:was cool. Yeah. Yeah. And you know what? You know, one of the things that there's so many things, but just the idea of raising an athlete versus raising a specific sports player Yeah.
Scott:You know, was really interesting. And not not you know, we people talk about it all the time, but we all know families that are just like, you know and ourselves included at times just get really kind of like, oh, awesome. Sorry. Good one, dude. Sorry.
Scott:My bad. You know, get a get kind of those blinders on and kind of like go a little deeper, get another clinic, add another lesson, add another tournament. But, like, they definitely pulled back in the spring. Know, had his boys do in all different sports. And he was so intentional about it, know, just him talking about how, like, he he was like, alright, well, like, my genetics are not gonna yield, like, the biggest kids, like football, like, they're already at, like, you know That
jamie:was cool how he did that. I liked how he's how he was lit he was thinking about what is the best path for his kids.
Scott:Right. And then, like, he didn't even play lacrosse. But then
Speaker 3:He started playing lacrosse.
Scott:His children
jamie:Yeah.
Scott:Started
jamie:Yeah.
Scott:Playing lacrosse with them.
jamie:Then Lacrosse club. Yeah. I mean, the fact that he had the wherewithal to see the what was missing and to fill that gap, right, was impressive. And think he said a bunch of D1 kids came out of that, which was nuts.
Scott:Yeah. And they're still coming out. It's like a major program.
jamie:Cornell and like I'm trying to remember the names he gave.
Scott:I think it said Princeton.
jamie:Prince yeah. There were some high high level, I I don't UNC, Virginia. Right? Like, you know, big time lacrosse school. So
Scott:I think about that. Like, we not not only did he, like, identify a sport that was, like, complementary to hockey. Now, I I don't know. I it wasn't so clear if that was, like, part of the thinking in the beginning because I don't know that hockey was already on the map for the boys at think it worked that
jamie:point. Out that way.
Scott:But it it for no doubt, it worked out. But even just seeing, like, okay, we were talking about, like, body contact. Like, in hockey, it's it's not part of the game at the young ages. Lacrosse is a different story. And I don't know what the exact rules are in lacrosse, but all I know is that when I took Otto to play in a tournament with the Towerman kids like one weekend, there was no shortage of kids running each other over.
Scott:Now, don't get me wrong. There's risks involved with all, you know, contact sports. But the idea that you're not like saving, you know, all of the firsts for like testosterone fueled teenagers, you know, makes sense to me.
jamie:Yeah, we touched on that. Yeah. Which was, which was really good because we've touched on that before on other shows, you know, when do you start hitting? Right? I mean, lacrosse does not start hitting at, 13.
jamie:No, it's definitely earlier. So it makes you wonder why ice hockey is not doing it.
Scott:Yeah. And then, you know, just and then also, like, noting football and, like, just like it was interesting to hear him just talk about referring to, like, all the car crashes. Right? Like Yeah. Just like how how much damage, like it's not a sustainable sport in a lot of ways, you know.
jamie:How he crossed it off the list because of that. Yeah. That's he thinks a lot like Doug Christiansen,
Scott:you know? Yeah. Kind of like like
jamie:Our episode two two episodes ago.
Scott:Yeah. And the word that comes to mind is just like it being very intentional. Like very intentional with
jamie:is like thinking.
Scott:Right. And like planning and looking at a big picture and not just, you know, looking at, you know, very shortsighted, you know, or short term gains. It's like the the the long game, you know?
jamie:Yeah, I was impressed with this thinking. Again, he reminded me a lot of Doug. He did. And if you guys haven't heard our interview with Doug Christiansen, I want to say it's 36.
Scott:36. Yeah.
jamie:Yeah. That's a sick interview too. I mean, the two are very, very similar in their thinking.
Scott:Yeah.
jamie:You know? Yeah. You know, I was that I, when I, I liked everything he was saying. I think, I think, I think, everybody will probably did already get a lot out of it. If you're this far already, you've already listened to him and, know, I liked what I was hearing from him.
Scott:Yeah. Was impressive. One of the things in the beginning when we were talking with Anthony about his own journey and he talked about how he's not the biggest guy in the world, but was a football quarterback, had great hand eye coordination. But he was like, you know, when I got to high school, you know, there was like however many, like, people, like,
jamie:You said 18? Like 18 guys or KB?
Scott:Like, quarterbacks trying out for the freshman squad. And then he, you know, he grinded it out over the course of four years, finally got some, you know, I guess he was a starting QB his senior Senior?
jamie:Yeah.
Scott:Right? So that's like three years of just like being on the team and like not quitting and being determined. And then he said, he was like, it wasn't until college where I finally realized the best version of myself. Yeah. You know, and what's what I like about that is for so many of like our kids or parents, you know, in this highlight real world, you know, you just see like kids that are achieving such great success at the younger ages or doing these phenomenal things.
Scott:And it's like, you know, if the average age and there's a great article in the New York Times recently and that kind of broke down like all the statistics of like the average age, the average height, the average weight, the average
jamie:Oh, you sent that to me. Yeah. All the different
Scott:teams in the NHL league averages. But like if the average age of, like, an NHL player is, like, I don't know, 27 or 24 or whatever it was, I forget. But, you know, if you think about that and it also talks about how, like, 12% of the players in the NHL go undrafted, which is more than the number of players in the NHL that were drafted in the third round.
jamie:Yes.
Scott:So if you think about a path to the NHL as, like, being an undrafted player and all and and what you're doing year over year is you you're not the star. You're not the biggest stud in the world. You're just getting better. You're stacking. To get good and you're stacking success on top of success.
Scott:Yeah. By the time, I don't know, '21, '22, '23, '24, like,
jamie:you don't have
Scott:to be that 17 year old draft picker.
jamie:No. You don't have to be Jack Hughes. Don't quit. You don't have to be. Right.
jamie:Right. Just like, like, Krishna said. Yeah.
Scott:We don't quit. Don't quit. Keep working hard.
jamie:That's right.
Scott:Give it all you got. Yep.
jamie:There's still a path even though you're
Scott:There's a
jamie:path. I mean, you know, so it's funny. Alex Kim, who we're having on shortly from the Anaheim Junior Ducks. You know, he mentioned that to me when we were on the phone, you know, he was mentioning at like sixteen U, he's like, you have a ton of time.
Scott:Right? Scene, which sounds a
Speaker 3:little crazy. Sounds insane,
jamie:but I think you have like ten years, which is wild, but you do. Right. You know, you definitely when we have a mom, we need to clarify that what exactly what you have there. Right? But that's There are not a lot of kids that are studs that are going to come out as a 17 year old and play like Mac on celebrating.
jamie:Not a lot. You don't have to be that kid. And that's fine. You know what, like Anthony LoSauro was also saying, you know, it's okay to, you know, be the captain of your lacrosse team or the captain of your, your high school hockey team and, and score a lot of goals and be the man and get some notoriety,
Speaker 3:you know, go to college
jamie:and play club. He told the story about the kid who went to Alabama. Right? Yeah. I mean, and the kids loving life, you know, four years in Alabama is going to come out with a great degree.
jamie:I guarantee he had a blast. Right. He's got people watching him play club hockey. I'm sure he's getting chicks all over the place because of it, you know? And what's the problem with that?
Scott:Right? That's a super success story. Right. You know? And so I think there's so many people that would be thrilled if that's what they got to like look back on as their journey, you know?
Scott:So And there's just like there's I think it's easy to get caught up in all, like, the higher level stuff. You know, what was I just saw a clip with Billy Garran before we got on call with you. I think
jamie:Team USA. Right?
Scott:Yeah. And he's the GM for the Minnesota Wilds,
jamie:former New
Scott:Jersey But he he was saying he's like, you know, one of the the the interviewer was asking him, like, I don't know, like, maybe what what players, you know, are unwilling to do to go to the next level or something like that. And he was like he was saying he's like, there are so many kids that think they're like top line, top six player, you know, and that if they get a chance to play fourth line, they're like, oh, I'm too good for that. He's like, but if you're, like, willing to do whatever it takes, then that's what you're gonna do. He's like, I was a he's like, I was a, you know, a top player. He's like, my first year for the Devils, I played on the fourth line.
Scott:And then the next five years, I played on the third line.
jamie:Got to earn
Speaker 3:it, man.
jamie:Got to earn it. And
Scott:so he was basically saying like, if you're willing to do whatever it takes, then just do whatever it takes, you know, don't don't get your don't let your ego get in the way of you, you know, just continuing to make progress.
jamie:So it's funny you said that because Tom Brady mentioned recently where, you know, when he went to the University of Michigan, like he was like the third string guy. So the first guy got like, you know, 20 reps. The second sorry, got 20 reps, you know, the the backup got 10 reps and he got like two, right? So he was complaining. He's like, you know, how am I going to get better?
jamie:I'm getting two reps. Like, what am I supposed to do here? How am I supposed to improve, you know, to to move up the depth chart? And the coach said to him, he's like, you know what? He's like, you take those two reps.
jamie:He's like, can you do them to the best of your ability? Right? And you do them as and that will grow into more reps. What Tom Brady did, he all of a sudden changed his attitude and he had a good mindset. He was positive.
jamie:And he, I think he actually says in the interview, he's like, went to the huddle for those two reps. Like it was like the Super Bowl.
Scott:Yeah.
jamie:He's all jacked up here guys. He's he's done. Here's what we're gonna do. You know, here we go. And what he did is he gave everything he had for those two reps.
jamie:Those two reps turned into four reps and four turned into eight and so on and so forth. Right. And now we know what Tom Brady obviously became, you know, but the mindset, and this is, I think what we have to work with our kids on. I know my kid, my kid moves down to the fourth line. He's like, I'm out of here.
jamie:I'm going down to playing on the level. This is not for me. Right? You can't do that. You got to do the hard things.
jamie:And if it's playing on the fourth line, it's playing on the fourth line.
Scott:Yeah.
jamie:You know, you, you got to go out there and you got to show your coach why he should be moving you up a line or why he should be putting you on the panel on the penalty kill or on the power play. You got to earn it, man. Nothing's going be given to you.
Scott:No doubt.
jamie:You know?
Scott:Yeah, man.
jamie:And you gotta do the hard things. And right now, I my child, we're struggling with that. He you know, it's funny, Scott, he does the hard things sometimes, but then other times not. Strange.
Scott:Look, we're still talking about kids and consistency is not something that kids are probably known for.
jamie:Yeah. You
Scott:know? So look, and and and there's there's plenty of maturing to go on.
jamie:And A 100%.
Scott:You know, look, I empathize with that. There's plenty of times where I think to myself, God, I can't believe we're past X, whatever X is, the X of the day, you know? And then you start seeing some things like, Oh, well, this thing over here is not something we were doing so well last year.
jamie:Something else popped up.
Scott:Yeah. You know, and it's like, oh, okay, well, that's good. But like, you know, there's there's probably some things, at least I know in my mind that like I over I over index on or like I'm just, like, maybe too fixated on. And if I just spent less energy and on that and and gave more energy to, like, celebrating the things that are wins, you know, that would probably help me out a little bit. Just knowing that like, okay, I wanted to see growth in this area and I thought we would have had that by now, but we're not there yet.
Scott:But in this other area, that's really good. So, you know, it's it's it's about perspective. It's about, you know, trusting that with time, you know, as long as, you know, you're you're teaching good values instilling hard work and, you know, helping your kids learn to love the game and, you know, all that stuff, you know, things, things should fall into place no matter, no matter what, how high of a level it's going to be. Right?
jamie:Like, it's going be what it's going to be.
Scott:Everyone's got their ceiling, you know?
jamie:It's true.
Scott:So, yeah, A day at a time, week at a
jamie:mental side of the game, and we're going to have somebody on shortly who's
Speaker 3:going
jamie:to address the mental side of the game. That's going to be a sick interview.
Scott:Yeah, I'm looking forward He to
jamie:is so jacked up for you. We finalized that this morning. Perfect. So that's going to be a sick interview.
Scott:That's a good one.
jamie:Yeah. And that's going to be awesome. His scheduler is better than the scheduler of the New Jersey Devils. Let's put it that way. But, but, but, but that's going to be an eye that topic to me is gonna be very, very, that's gonna hit home because I think my kid struggles with the mental performance side of this game.
Speaker 3:Yeah. But like
Scott:but like why should like like here, let me ask you this question. Like, why should he be good at it? For what reason should he be good at it?
jamie:You know, don't I don't have you're probably right. He probably should be.
Scott:Why should
jamie:he be But I good guess at some some kids are better than than others.
Scott:No doubt. No doubt. But
jamie:like I'll give you a perfect example, Scott. Here's what I don't understand. Would you agree that somebody who goes to a school that has 36 high level athletes in it of all different sports, football, basketball, baseball, lacrosse, you know, everything, ice hockey.
Scott:Yeah.
jamie:Would you agree that that somebody who could win an athletic challenge with those kids would be like beaming in confidence?
Scott:Yeah. That would that would be
jamie:You would think so. Right? Right?
Scott:Yeah. But don't oversimplify this either. I mean, I'm sure within the context of the school and that like activity, he's feeling like the man.
jamie:All right. So I'll give you for instance. So before we left for Hershey on Friday, okay, Dominic went into school for half day before we left. And in the morning they did this thing called, they do like a wall sit challenge where like, and they, and they, this was their plank challenge. You know, plank is right?
jamie:Right. So the top, all 36 kids and these kids are, you know, good athletes, they'll all be playing private school sports somewhere around us in North Jersey. So they had to plank for a minute with a fifteen second rest. Okay? And they and they saw who could last the longest.
Scott:Wait. So for every minute, after every minute, you get fifteen seconds of rest and then you re assume the position and then you Okay. So you see who can last the longest. Correct.
jamie:Okay. So, so Dominic is for some reason he gets up for competitions like that. Okay. So he won the plank competition with fifty minutes, five zero.
Scott:What?
jamie:Yeah. He planks for fifty, five zero minutes. And I was talking to, so the guy who, he's like a sports psychologist who runs a class at Dom's school. I dropped Dominic off at school yesterday morning and Doctor. Rob Gilbert, has his own podcast, by the way, this man I've been listening to Doctor.
jamie:Rob's podcast since I was like, in college. It's called the success hotline. You've reached success hotline. This is mission number 12974. The guy's ridiculous.
jamie:So if you guys want to hear like four minutes of like encouragement and like motivation, go look up the success hotline with Doctor. Rob Gilbert. So Doctor. Rob Gilbert teaches a class at Dominic's school. So it was his idea to do this plank challenge.
jamie:So he came up to my window Monday morning, Dominic wanted on Friday morning and Doctor. Rob wasn't there when I picked Dom up. He came to my window, my car Monday morning when I dropped him off at school. And he's like, Jamie, he's like, he's like the other kids were like dying at like, at like 49 and 48 and 47. He's like, Dominic was even breaking a sweat.
jamie:Like, so he has the ability to do that. So I'm like, here we go. He's gonna kill it this weekend in Hershey. Right? I'm like, here we go.
jamie:We have all this confidence. But
Scott:but but so here's here's here's my but to that. Like, I listen, don't get me wrong. It's so much easier to, like, you know, be on the outside looking on some of these conversations. But like that's the that you know what that makes me think of? That makes me think of, like, David Goggins and that winning that plank competition needs to like be that cookie in the cookie jar.
Scott:And that when the going gets tough, Dom with time needs to learn how to access those cookies and, you know, just remember all of like the positivity, you know, with something like that. Because even if it doesn't directly like, okay, it didn't that did not directly
jamie:right now.
Scott:Like immediately. But like once you have like a cookie jar that's got a lot of different things, when the going gets tough, he can be like, oh, well, I fucking do hard things and I can crush it. So right now I gotta dig a little deeper.
jamie:Yeah. So we're gonna ask our mental performance coach when he comes out about that. I'm curious to hear what his thoughts are with the young athlete or just athletes in general. Yeah. You know?
jamie:Because I think mental performance is something that is overlooked by all of us.
Scott:Listen, I I can tell you athletes. I can tell you from my own personal experience. Right. So I've dropped a bunch of LBs since summer. Right.
Scott:Like, and just even playing men's league like that. I have my my level of confidence. Just because just because for no because I have more stamina, because I, you know, I'm taking more chances, I'm doing things that I wouldn't have done before because I'm just feeling better about myself. I'm feeling stronger. I'm feeling lighter.
Scott:I'm feeling quicker. Now, don't get me wrong. It's not like, you know, trailblazing out there. But for me, like, I'm playing a whole heck of a lot better than
jamie:I'm sure you are.
Scott:And and so even though I'm still making, like, some mistakes and getting upset and frustrated, like, before the games, during the games, like, I'm able to just, you know, my self talk is a lot better. And sure it is. You know? And that's all because I gained some confidence from doing some things and seeing some results. So, you know
jamie:Yeah.
Scott:I you know, it's it's it's lucky. Yeah, he's still young.
jamie:Course he is. Yes. Agreed. Agreed. You want to hear my story?
Scott:And then let's wrap it up.
jamie:Okay. So I'm hanging out, in the lobby of the Marriott in Hershey this past weekend and a lot of people went out to Hershey Park Friday night. I just kind of hung out in the lobby. Was watching the Devil's game. Brought my laptop watching Devil's game and he kind of, you know, sat next to me and his kids, they're all devil stints, they were kinda watching like over, so I turned the screen toward them and I was talking to him, a dad on our team, and he has an older son, okay?
jamie:So they went down to Tampa for for a a tournament or a showcase recently.
Scott:Okay.
jamie:Okay. So, they rented a, what did they even meant? They rented some sort of electric vehicle. Wasn't it wasn't a Tesla, but it was something, some, some, some, some EV that, that, that they got from the car rental deal when they, when they landed at the airport.
Scott:Okay.
jamie:So they threw the they threw the hockey bag in the back in the trunk. Okay. And they were hanging out. And like, he said, like, before the game, like, looked like the dad looked like under his watch and had like a like a red mark here. And he's like, Oh, man, like for my watch.
jamie:So, so the kid takes his hockey bags, the bags in the trunk for a while, right? So the kid, you know, takes his bag out and goes into the rink. And he realizes that there's red ants in his hockey bag. What? Red fire ants from South Florida in his hockey bag.
jamie:He takes off all of his gear. He's like they're like like this. Shaking it out. Bro, like this, the the the dad goes back to the car and they opened the back, they turned their flashlights on. He says there were 1000s of red ants in his, it is electric in the EV that they rented.
jamie:So they were getting bites like here. The kids like I am not getting this fucking car. So apparently like some of the parents jumped in instead and drove to the hotel. They were getting fucking bit. So so he calls the he calls the dealership and he's like, or he calls the rental companies like dude, I can't drive this.
jamie:There's fucking thousands of Raynans in here. All right. So so they're like, yeah, they're like, just drive back the airport. He's like, fuck you. He's like, I'm not fucking driving this thing.
jamie:He's like, somebody come get this fucking thing and bring me another car. So they brought his new car on a flatbed. Okay. Dropped it off. Put took the red infested EV stuck out of the flatbed because who the fuck's gonna drive that shit?
jamie:So apparently apparently in South Florida, it's a thing where apparently the wire coating that's used by EV automakers, the wire coatings. Yeah. The chassis of the car is like a soy based substance.
Scott:Okay.
jamie:That apparently the ants are attracted to.
Scott:No shit.
jamie:Apparently, like this happens a lot. Fucking red ant infested cars. The fucking part about it was, is the new car that they brought him was a fucking Tesla.
Speaker 3:He's like, you
jamie:fucking serious, dude? He's like, really? Another fucking EV? He's a kid. She's gonna give me something that guzzles gas that I don't have to worry about fire ants in.
jamie:He said said ants were everywhere. He's like, they bites all over them on their on their, like, he's the kid the kid had bites on them. The parents are in the car. Sucks.
Scott:They get it. So they got it out of the equipment ultimately.
jamie:Bro, he said they were like this, flapping everything out. Like, he's like he's like they saw them flying off the gear as they were, like, flapping the gear out. How fucking ridiculous is that?
Scott:That's crazy that they're attracted to like a component in a car. How weird.
jamie:The wire coating. Right?
Scott:That's wild. Yeah. Well, good to know. I mean, I have an EV.
jamie:Yeah. You'd also live in South Florida where red ants are like, you know, are prominent.
Scott:No. But I've seen red ants in my backyard, like in my patio.
jamie:Google it.
Scott:So I'll be on the lookout for that.
jamie:Yeah.
Scott:Weird. Weird. And you shit can't have EV of yours. It's fucking annoying, but at least they had a solid for it. So that's good.
jamie:That's right. That's right. Yeah. Yeah, man. And thank you to everybody for subscribing.
jamie:And we had a bunch of reviews recently. Thank you very much to those people. Please go review our podcast if you like what you're hearing, because it is impossible to get reviews. So please review, share, subscribe, write us if there's something, a topic you want us to talk about, you know, we need to start we need to start we we get a lot of write ins and we need to start putting them on the air, Scott.
Scott:Yeah. Should keep on not doing that. Yeah. Just like a one shout out to my son, Otto. Happy birthday, Otto.
Scott:He turned 11 this past Saturday. Birthday, Otto. So, my guys, 11 and yeah, man. I think that's, that's what we got going on. My kids, they both want to be on the podcast.
Scott:So, we got to figure out a time to have them show their faces at some point.
jamie:Yes, we need to figure out how to do that. I think when we, when we, next time we podcast from the hockey bunker, I think we should grab two more mics and set that up and two more cameras and see how that works.
Scott:Yeah, we give it a try.
jamie:That'd a cool episode.
Scott:Yeah, man. All right. Well, listen, I think it's a wrap. Awesome. Awesome episode.
Scott:And I will see you next week, dude.
jamie:Thank you for everybody for dealing with us. I'm sure we, I know I sound like shit, so I appreciate everybody dealing with us because we're not exactly well right now, but all good.
Scott:It's what it is. Alright, man. Feel better. I'll talk to soon.
jamie:You too. See you later.
Speaker 3:See you later.