By:  Christie Casciano Burns Ask anyone what the best part about hockey is and they will tell you it’s the people.  When our kids started playing, my husband and I just hoped they would make friends. Walking into our first Learn To Play Hockey session we never could have imagined the lifelong bonds that not only our kids would make, but us as well. I have been fortunate to be welcomed into the most selfless and compassionate community for the past 20 years as a hockey mom, and I have witnessed so many genuine acts of kindness and compassion during difficult times.  Teams, and ..read more

By:  Christie Casciano Burns Our children’s tournament trophies take up three shelves and represent fond memories, glorious wins, tough losses and terrific tailgating. While I can’t come up with a definitive number of tournaments our kids have been to, I can count the number of total failures. One. That one was on me. Failure to prepare meant forgotten equipment, late arrivals and wrong rinks. To help you avoid pitiful pitfalls, I’ve teamed up with Brian and Whitney Harrington of Showdown Tournaments to put together this trustworthy tournament prep playbook for parents.    Pr ..read more

By:  Christie Casciano Burns All it takes is one toxic teammate to ruin a season. The good news is there are many ways us parents can help filter out the negative and protect players from bullying.  Nicole Adams, the Pacific Northwest Amateur Hockey Association’s vice president and USA Hockey Safe Sport Coordinator, was willing to share some advice for us parents now that hockey season is underway.   Q: What can parents do to help prevent and stop bullying on teams? A: Stop talking about the X’s and O’s with your player—leave that to the coach! Your role is to talk to your pl ..read more

By:  Christie Casciano Burns Youth hockey can feel like it consumes your life. It changes the way your family eats, travels, communicates and vacations.  With two hockey players in our lives, the sport became the answer to so many questions from friends and extended family. “How come you never come over for dinner on the weekends?” “We can’t. Our kids play hockey.” “Why don’t you trade that clunky  SUV for a Mustang?” “We can’t. Our kids play hockey.” “We’re headed to a resort for the  holidays. Why don’t you join us?” “We can’t. Our kids play hockey.” I thought I had it ..read more

By:  Christie Casciano Burns Parent pre-game rituals are plentiful. Perhaps a particular coffee order, or in the case of my husband, it’s the same message he tells our kids before every game: ‘Go to the goal, go to the goal, go, go go!’ All of us parents have plenty of favorite inspirational maxims for our kids: “I love watching you play, and I’m going to love you, no matter what happens.” “Hard work beats talent when talent fails to work hard.” “Be a great teammate today.” However, what if your kids could offer YOU an inspirational message? I offered this up for an episode of Our Kids ..read more

By:  Christie Casciano Burns There is a familiar conversation that occurs on youth hockey teams when players reach a certain age. It is one sure to strike fear into the hearts of parents.  “Well…we need a goalie.”  It’s an inevitable part of growing with the game as kids graduate beyond the introductory levels. A common solution is having each player take a turn strapping on a set of communal goalie pads until it finally sticks. Having a child between the pipes requires a whole new level of investment, as well as extreme mental, perhaps intestinal, fortitude.  Goaltendin ..read more

By:  Christie Casciano Burns Even if your kids have been a part of athletic teams or clubs before, there is nothing that can prepare you for the unique rigors and commitments of a hockey season. Our son started his hockey journey with once-a-week, learn-to-play sessions on the weekends. When he moved up to his first team, my husband and I found ourselves in the first parents’ meeting feeling like we had landed on an alien planet.   Wake up at what time? Be there a whole hour early? Wait, how much does ice time for the year cost? What do you mean, “Work the penalty box?”  ..read more

By:  Christie Casciano Burns   My husband – always the silent observer when our kids were on the ice – made a point of sharing encouraging words to our kids before games.  Phrases such as, "Play hard! Play Smart!" or "Work hard every shift!" reverberated throughout our household. Simple. Effective.  So how do we know when kids are heeding our pearls of wisdom? At the same time, carefully chosen words can pay dividends in your child’s development; but how does one settle on those words, especially right before a game?   My fellow podcasters and I brainstormed ou ..read more

Keeping Emotions In Check The Key To On-Ice Success By:  Christie Casciano Burns   Emotions can get the best of us. If you need evidence, watch any of those viral clips I’m sure you’ve seen of meltdowns on the bench, on ice chaos or overzealous spectators.  Plenty of us have had moments of flush faces or choice words that we later regret.  When it happens on the ice, with our kids, we need to pay attention. I’ve seen plenty of “moments.” From an 8U player flailing tantrum on the ice, fistfights, to a 12U skater breaking his stick over his helmet because the ref called a ..read more

Proper Planning May Be The Biggest Present You Can Give Yourself By:  Christie Casciano Burns   What words come to mind when you think of the holidays? Peace, love and joy? Or travel, tournaments and stress?  Hockey families execute a delicate balancing act with school events, holiday parties, family gatherings, practices, games and tournaments. It’s as stressful as a one-goal lead in a playoff game.   The holidays are a lot like hockey in another way: Winning efforts come to those who plan and prepare. So here are a few tips from my life and the lives of my hockey ..read more