The Jack Skille Podcast

Jack and Bill chat youth hockey development with Troy Ward, Associate Head Coach of Minnesota State University.

The reboot episode. Jack Skille and Bill Kerig chat about the podcast's new direction and what you can expect in future episodes.

Throughout season 2 of the show we've shared different perspectives on transitions. We've talked with people in different situations and on different paths. But over and over again the same themes start to emerge. On this week's episode we bring things together by discussing some key takeaways and common themes from the season. The Jack Skille Show is produced by HMMR Media, a leader in helping athletes and coaches learn how to get better. Become a member to get access to a wealth of articles, videos, podcasts and more training resources. The show focuses on exploring the process behind sport with professional hockey player Jack Skille and key people he has met throughout his career. Season 2 on transitions and post-career identity. Highlights from this episode: 0:00 - Introduction. 2:00 - Integrating into the team. 5:30 - Preparing athletes for the next level and learning to accept new roles: "In a new situation you have to have the mental fortitude, or the maturity to understand your place in the structure to not complain. Do your job consistently every day." 10:30 - Transitioning leagues: "There's a time to be a voice and there's a time to be an actions guy. And most of the time it's actions, not words, that are needed. So show up early and to the little things." 18:15 - Pressure on foreign players. 23:30 - The value of purpose. 29:30 - Getting out of your comfort zone. 32:30 - Trusting in faith: "Whatever you believe in, trust it. What's the sense in believing in something if you don't trust it."

Often, the longer you do something, the harder it is to stop. Molly Engstrom was at the top of women's hockey for more than a decade, wining two Olympic medals and four world titles. When it finally came time to retire, it was painful to let go of the one thing she knew well in life. It can feel like you're losing control. She joins this week's episode to discuss dealing with the loss, regaining control, and finding purpose in chaos. The Jack Skille Show is produced by HMMR Media, a leader in helping athletes and coaches learn how to get better. Become a member to get access to a wealth of articles, videos, podcasts and more training resources. The show focuses on exploring the process behind sport with professional hockey player Jack Skille and key people he has met throughout his career. Season 2 on transitions and post-career identity. Highlights from this episode: 0:00 - Introduction. 3:00 - Engstrom's current activities and getting into coaching. 6:45 - Learning to play hockey. 9:45 - Playing with the boys. 14:45 - Developing the passion for hockey. 16:45 - Faith and transitions: "The beauty of my career is that I played until 35. There are not many women that play beyond 30. That was fantastic, but the fall was then harder. It was the most painful thing in my life." 22:15 - Dealing with grief. 26:45 - Changing directions and the roller coaster: "It is so easy to fall into the trap of the roller coaster of successes and failures." 35:30 - Finding purpose in chaos and keeping a positive mentality. 41:45 - Dealing with lack of control and finding new pursuits: "We are professional athletes and when we suck at something it is discouraging." 53:00 - How does Engstrom identify herself. 58:30 - Final thoughts.

Sometimes transitions are planned, other times they just happen. Blake Geoffrion was on the path to stardom when his professional hockey career came to an abrupt end with one hit. On this week's episode of the Jack Skille Show he talks about his career and how he had to suddenly change course to find new dreams. The Jack Skille Show is produced by HMMR Media, a leader in helping athletes and coaches learn how to get better. Become a member to get access to a wealth of articles, videos, podcasts and more training resources. The show focuses on exploring the process behind sport with professional hockey player Jack Skille and key people he has met throughout his career. Season 2 on transitions and post-career identity. Highlights from this episode: 0:00 - Introduction 2:30 - Reflecting on a winning environment at the University of Wisconsin: "If the team does well, everyone does well. You're more likely to get noticed, more scouts come to the game. Winning creates opportunities." 13:45 - Growing up in Tennessee and finding hockey. 19:30 - The fork in the road, military school, and leaving Nashville. 25:00 - Moving to National Team Development Program, changing roles, and accepting adversity. 31:30 - The draft and post-draft. 38:30 - The hit. 47:30 - Retirement and sudden change. 57:00 - Finding new dreams.

On this week's show John Mitchell discusses his NHL career, plus the difficulties of deciding when and how to move on. The Jack Skille Show is produced by HMMR Media, a leader in helping athletes and coaches learn how to get better. Become a member to get access to a wealth of articles, videos, podcasts and more training resources. The show focuses on exploring the process behind sport with professional hockey player Jack Skille and key people he has met throughout his career. Season 2 on transitions and post-career identity. Highlights from this episode: 0:00 - Introduction 2:00 - Starting in hockey and developing a passion. 5:30 - Getting drafted. 9:30 - Making the pros and expectations vs. reality. 14:30 - Identity shift and role change: "Every player that makes the NHL was one of the top players on the team when they were growing up. The pro game is different." 25:00 - Dealing with the ebbs and flows of the game: "If you identify solely as a hockey player, you're riding a roller coaster and it's hard to be a normal person. The best pros can stay calm and take things as they come. They have a life outside the game." 29:00 - Transitioning out of the game: "No athlete is entirely happy when they retire from a sport they love and have played since a kid." 34:00 - Transitioning to European hockey. 39:15 - Starting retirement. 44:00 - Finding purpose. 49:00 - Getting through it: "I want people to hear that you're going to be ok. It's a transition period. It's going to suck. There are challenges, but those challenges are good." 52:00 - Where to start: "Start with service. Find a way to serve in something you are passionate about. Maybe you aren't even paid, but you'll find people that can point you in the right direction."

Season 2 of the Jack Skille Show continues this week with former NHL star Mike Fisher as a guest. He talks about his decision to retire, finding purpose outside of hockey, transitioning to a new life, and starting his own brand. The Jack Skille Show is produced by HMMR Media, a leader in helping athletes and coaches learn how to get better. Become a member to get access to a wealth of articles, videos, podcasts and more training resources. The show focuses on exploring the process behind sport with professional hockey player Jack Skille and key people he has met throughout his career. Season 2 on transitions and post-career identity. Highlights from this episode: 0:00 - Introduction and starting his professional career 3:45 - Switching to Nashville. 6:00 - Contemplating retirement. 7:30 - Faith and retirement: "My identity can't be locked up in just being a hockey player. That's easy to say, but you have to go through the process to recognize that. Hockey became a god early in my career. If anything becomes a god, you're always going to be disappointed." 15:00 - Coming out of retirement: "Coming back from retirement is a win-win: either it reignites a flame in your heart, or it doesn't and you know you made the right call to retire." 17:15 - Catchin' deers: "The lone wolf in the wild dies quickly. But a pack of strong men or women together are unstoppable." 23:15 - Being idle: "Being idle is never good. We need something to do. People think pro players can just play golf and be happy, but you need to have a passion to follow." "Everyone wishes they could retire early and sit on the beach, but most people when they retire and slow down they lose purpose. As people we all need a purpose." 29:30 - Finding passions: "Have as many irons in the fire as possible, especially during a transition period. See what sticks." 32:00 - Accepting a smaller role in life and stepping back from the limelight. 36:30 - Meeting Carrie Underwood. 40:30 - Life in the limelight and celebrity. 45:00 - Final thoughts and advice.

To kick off season 2, Jack and Martin sit down to share our tips, stories, and lessons learned about transitions and post-career identity. The Jack Skille Show is produced by HMMR Media, a leader in helping athletes and coaches learn how to get better. Become a member to get access to a wealth of articles, videos, podcasts and more training resources. The show focuses on exploring the process behind sport with professional hockey player Jack Skille and key people he has met throughout his career. Season 2 on transitions and post-career identity. Highlights from this episode: 0:00 - Introducing season 2. 2:00 - Preparing for transitions: "You always have to plan ahead for the next step since it could come tomorrow. In the hammer throw the next step happens in parallel with the first step since few can even make a living at the sport." 5:30 - Finding and re-finding passion. 12:45 - Entrepreneurism: "Want to be an entrepreneur? Have a safety net so you can really experiment without fear of whether you'll make the rent, or pressure to do that." 16:00 - Financial planning. 19:30 - Hockey hiatus: "We can try the hardest to get all of our ducks in a row and smoothen our transition out of sport, but no matter how hard you try to smooth it out, there will still be a transition period. Embrace the transition and be patient." 23:30 - Patience: "Proactivity and patience go together. If you aren't proactive and find yourself in a bad situation, then you can't afford to be patient." 26:00 - The process. 28:30 - The story of Blake Geoffrion. 31:45 - The stigma of being a former pro athlete. 34:45 - Becoming your own boss: "As an athlete so much of your life is taken care of by someone else. After your career is over you'll have to put up with more bullshit and deal with a wider variety of people." 39:00 - Final thoughts and season preview: "Preparing for the next phase can help you with the current phase."

On Episode 10, Jack and Martin wrap up season one by looking back at our past episodes, and what we learned from talking to Olympians, NHL captains, elite coaches, and Jack's father. In addition, we share our key thoughts on development and put together a checklist for what to look for in a successful development program. The Jack Skille Show is produced by HMMR Media, a leader in helping athletes and coaches learn how to get better. Become a member to get access to a wealth of articles, videos, podcasts and more training resources. The show focuses on exploring the process behind sport with professional hockey player Jack Skille and key people he has met throughout his career. Season 1 focuses on development and what is the difference maker from those that make it to the top, and those that don’t. Highlights from this episode: 0:00 - Highlights from season one. 3:00 - Gracefulness and athleticism. 7:00 - Youth coaching perspective on LTAD. 12:15 - Dealing with fear and having fun. 17:00 - What to look for in a youth program structural: "If your coaches don't have a plan, it is a sign the broader program doesn't really care about what plan the coaches have." 24:00 - Fun and passion in a program, winning: "If youth coaches are going to be passionate, be passionate about the right things: development and process, not winning. 29:30 - Looking forward to season 2.

On Episode 9 of the Jack Skille Show we are joined by Jack's former athletic development coach and mentor in all things physical Steve Myrland. After a long career with collegiate and NHL coaching experience, Steve Myrland always operates against the grain, and his approach provides a needed balance when discussing how to develop athletes. On this episode we talk about his background, training philosophy, and approach to developing athletes young and old. Learn more from Jack and Steve in HMMR Video Lesson 21, where both break down one offseason of training. Steve also contributes articles to HMMR Media. The Jack Skille Show is produced by HMMR Media, a leader in helping athletes and coaches learn how to get better. Become a member to get access to a wealth of articles, videos, podcasts and more training resources. The show focuses on exploring the process behind sport with professional hockey player Jack Skille and key people he has met throughout his career. Season 1 focuses on development and what is the difference maker from those that make it to the top, and those that don’t. Highlights from this episode: 0:00 - Steve's background and path to coaching. 5:15 - What is strength? "Strength is not the end goal. While can't be a good athlete without being strong, you can be strong without being a good athlete." 11:45 - First impressions of Steve and Jack from working together. 16:00 - Conformity and training. 21:30 - Finding the need for something new. 27:45 - Thoughts on equipment, barbells, etc. 37:30 - Early specialization, learning to move the body, and the value of being a generalist. 47:45 - Training for the new NHL. 56:00 - Asking questions of your coach and understanding the why of training: "If your coach doesn't have a good reason why, they shouldn't have been doing it." 1:01:00 - How should young athletes train and how to create movement puzzles. 1:08:15 - Progressing the athlete and finding graceful movement: "Slow is smooth, smooth is fast." 1:15:30 - How athleticism links to performance.