Latest / Hurdle with Emily Abbate / 354. Breaking The Ice: Jessica Campbell On Being The First Female Coach In the NHL, The Importance Of Empathy & Trusting Your Gut

Transcript

354. Breaking The Ice: Jessica Campbell On Being The First Female Coach In the NHL, The Importance Of Empathy & Trusting Your Gut · Hurdle with Emily Abbate

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: The quicker.
• 0:00
  Speaker 2: You can adopt that growth mindset. You can turn any setback,
• 0:04
  Speaker 2: any pain, any hurdle into that catalyst for your next
• 0:09
  Speaker 2: biggest trajectory.
• 0:24
  Speaker 3: What's going on, y'all, Emily and Body here. You are
• 0:27
  Speaker 3: listening to episode three hundred and fifty four of Hurdle,
• 0:31
  Speaker 3: a wellness focused podcast where we talk to inspirational people
• 0:34
  Speaker 3: about everything from their highest ties and toughest moments to
• 0:36
  Speaker 3: essential tips on how to live a healthier, happier, more
• 0:40
  Speaker 3: motivated life. We all go through our fair share of hurdles.
• 0:44
  Speaker 3: My goal through these discussions is to empower you to
• 0:47
  Speaker 3: better navigate yours and move with intention so that you
• 0:50
  Speaker 3: can stride towards your own big potential and of course
• 0:54
  Speaker 3: have some fun along the way. I am elated for
• 0:59
  Speaker 3: episode three one hundred and fifty four to bring you
• 1:02
  Speaker 3: my conversation with Jessica Campbell. She's the first ever female
• 1:07
  Speaker 3: coach in the National Hockey League. She works as an
• 1:11
  Speaker 3: assistant coach to the Seattle Kraken. Prepare to be inspired, motivated,
• 1:18
  Speaker 3: amped up by this chat.
• 1:21
  Speaker 4: Jessica is a ray of sunshine.
• 1:23
  Speaker 3: It is no wonder why she has truly skyrocketed within
• 1:29
  Speaker 3: her chosen field. We talk about how it's been so
• 1:33
  Speaker 3: rewarding for her to have the honor of being the
• 1:35
  Speaker 3: first female coach in the league, and how she wishes
• 1:38
  Speaker 3: that sometimes the focus was less about her gender and
• 1:42
  Speaker 3: more on her let's call it tenosity, strength and leadership
• 1:47
  Speaker 3: as a coach period. Jessica talks to me about growing
• 1:51
  Speaker 3: up skating and playing hockey in Canada and the choices
• 1:55
  Speaker 3: that led her down this path to where she is today,
• 1:58
  Speaker 3: plus the feelings that went hand in hand with being
• 2:01
  Speaker 3: offered her dream job, something that she never thought could
• 2:06
  Speaker 3: be possible for her. We talk about this idea that
• 2:09
  Speaker 3: when you have no one to model the way for you,
• 2:12
  Speaker 3: it might be at times hard to dream that way.
• 2:16
  Speaker 3: And now today, so many young women and girls seeing
• 2:20
  Speaker 3: Jessica playing such an instrumental part of the success of
• 2:24
  Speaker 3: the Seattle Kraken, in turn encouraging them to go after
• 2:29
  Speaker 3: their big dreams. Jessica opens up about a loss that
• 2:34
  Speaker 3: she experienced at a young age which shaped her mentality
• 2:38
  Speaker 3: and why empathy is such an important characteristic for her
• 2:42
  Speaker 3: to demonstrate as a coach, one that she even deems
• 2:46
  Speaker 3: to be her superpower. I don't like to pick favorites,
• 2:50
  Speaker 3: but candidly, this is an interview that I really have
• 2:54
  Speaker 3: been mulling over quite a bit since we had the
• 2:56
  Speaker 3: opportunity to talk. Last week, Jessica was in town four
• 3:00
  Speaker 3: the ESPN W Summit, which I also had the opportunity
• 3:05
  Speaker 3: to attend, and when I tell you, it came at
• 3:07
  Speaker 3: the right time for me. So much inspiration from both
• 3:10
  Speaker 3: front facing leadership in women's sports and behind the scenes
• 3:14
  Speaker 3: analysts to current and past athletes. It made my heart
• 3:19
  Speaker 3: so full to be in a space to be surrounded
• 3:21
  Speaker 3: by so many stellar women. So to espnW, thank you
• 3:25
  Speaker 3: so much for the opportunity. Before I get to this
• 3:28
  Speaker 3: week's episode, I also want to give a special shout
• 3:31
  Speaker 3: out to A six. Not only do they make some
• 3:34
  Speaker 3: of my favorite running sneakers shout out to the Nova Blast,
• 3:37
  Speaker 3: but they also care deeply about May being Mental health
• 3:41
  Speaker 3: Awareness months. In twenty twenty, A six athlete Johnny Grigoriic
• 3:46
  Speaker 3: ran what he called the Blue Gene Mile to support
• 3:49
  Speaker 3: and raise funds for mental health awareness in honor of
• 3:52
  Speaker 3: his late brother. Five years and thousands of miles run
• 3:56
  Speaker 3: in Blue Genes later, we are back for more miles
• 3:59
  Speaker 3: this month, more awareness and more donations. This may put
• 4:03
  Speaker 3: on your favorite pair of blue jeans and join me
• 4:06
  Speaker 3: and the ESIX fan for the fifth annual a six
• 4:09
  Speaker 3: Blue Gene mile. Each step is a step toward awareness
• 4:13
  Speaker 3: and funds for mental health awareness. You can learn more
• 4:17
  Speaker 3: by heading on over to asex dot com. Make sure
• 4:20
  Speaker 3: you're following along over on social. I'm at Emiabody the
• 4:23
  Speaker 3: shows over at Hurdle Podcast. And with that, let's get
• 4:27
  Speaker 3: to it. Let's get to hurdling. About this throughout the month,
• 4:31
  Speaker 3: so stay tuned with that, Let's get to it.
• 4:35
  Speaker 4: Let's get to hurdling. Today.
• 4:42
  Speaker 3: I am sitting down with Jessica Campbell. She is the
• 4:46
  Speaker 3: first ever full time female coach in NHL history. Welcome
• 4:51
  Speaker 3: to Hurdle, Jessica. How are we doing doing good?
• 4:53
  Speaker 1: Thanks for having me.
• 4:54
  Speaker 4: Thanks for showing up here in New York. As it
• 4:57
  Speaker 4: feel to be in the big city.
• 4:58
  Speaker 2: Well, the sunshining can't complain. I love this place. I
• 5:01
  Speaker 2: love the hustle and bustle. Yeah, except when you're stuck
• 5:04
  Speaker 2: in traffic. A little bit different than Seattle.
• 5:08
  Speaker 1: Yeah, much different.
• 5:10
  Speaker 2: I mean, I think the big cities all offer similar things,
• 5:14
  Speaker 2: but there's this city specifically for me, is like one
• 5:17
  Speaker 2: of my favorite places in the world.
• 5:19
  Speaker 1: I went to college and Upstate New York, so it.
• 5:21
  Speaker 2: Always kind of carved out a very like big world
• 5:24
  Speaker 2: to me from just a small town kid.
• 5:26
  Speaker 4: But still cornell Ithaca a little bit different.
• 5:30
  Speaker 1: Yes, exactly.
• 5:32
  Speaker 4: Yeah.
• 5:32
  Speaker 3: It was so interesting as I was doing my Jessica
• 5:35
  Speaker 3: research and every person that I watched interview, most of
• 5:40
  Speaker 3: them were men, and every man wants to talk about
• 5:44
  Speaker 3: you being a woman. Do you feel as though there
• 5:49
  Speaker 3: are so many other things you'd rather talk about with
• 5:52
  Speaker 3: reporters than your gender?
• 5:54
  Speaker 1: Oh? I mean yes.
• 5:56
  Speaker 2: My hope is that someday I'm able to just literally
• 6:00
  Speaker 2: talk about.
• 6:01
  Speaker 1: My love for hockey and my passion.
• 6:03
  Speaker 2: I obviously with respect, want to acknowledge that I think
• 6:07
  Speaker 2: it is important right now have the conversation about me
• 6:10
  Speaker 2: being different in this space because I think it addresses
• 6:13
  Speaker 2: maybe some of the stigmas and fears that people have
• 6:15
  Speaker 2: around doing things differently or seeing different things happen, and
• 6:19
  Speaker 2: gender is around that issue, and for me, the representation,
• 6:23
  Speaker 2: I think is a way to have a conversation that's
• 6:26
  Speaker 2: real and honest. But at the same time, it's like
• 6:30
  Speaker 2: there's a level of it diminishing all of the things
• 6:32
  Speaker 2: that I would rather talk about that I'm passionate about,
• 6:36
  Speaker 2: so there's a balance, but yes, you're spot.
• 6:38
  Speaker 1: On with saying what it is.
• 6:41
  Speaker 3: I am so impressed with your hockey background because you've
• 6:46
  Speaker 3: been playing for essentially as long as you could walk
• 6:50
  Speaker 3: when you were young, knowing that you wanted to play,
• 6:54
  Speaker 3: did you even foresee making a career out of something
• 6:57
  Speaker 3: that you were so passionate about?
• 6:58
  Speaker 2: Honestly, No, I just grew up in a very typical
• 7:02
  Speaker 2: Canadian hockey household with you know, older brothers and older sister,
• 7:06
  Speaker 2: and my parents are hockey players too, So I mean
• 7:09
  Speaker 2: I was skating by the time I was walking, and
• 7:12
  Speaker 2: then when we obviously started playing more competitively and realized
• 7:16
  Speaker 2: we were pretty good at it, we just kind of
• 7:18
  Speaker 2: got challenged to take the next steps being in a
• 7:20
  Speaker 2: competitive hockey sports family. So I dreamt to be honest
• 7:24
  Speaker 2: of playing in the National Hockey League. I played boys hockey.
• 7:27
  Speaker 2: I was the only girl on almost every team I
• 7:29
  Speaker 2: played on till I was fifteen years old, just.
• 7:32
  Speaker 1: With the lack of opportunity for all girls teams.
• 7:35
  Speaker 2: So, you know, as naive as it for me to
• 7:37
  Speaker 2: believe that that was a real dream, that was the
• 7:40
  Speaker 2: only visibility I had for hockey. And then when I
• 7:43
  Speaker 2: realized what team Canada was, being a Canadian rooted kid,
• 7:46
  Speaker 2: I the dream shifted to playing for my country. But
• 7:51
  Speaker 2: obviously there wasn't representation of a professional league to make
• 7:54
  Speaker 2: a career of it, and definitely coaching was not, you know,
• 7:58
  Speaker 2: something I ever imagine for myself, and there was no
• 8:02
  Speaker 2: visibility there as well. So to be here now and
• 8:05
  Speaker 2: to think about, you know, what that looked like for
• 8:08
  Speaker 2: me as a kid, it's just like.
• 8:09
  Speaker 1: It's pretty surreal. Yeah, pretty surreal.
• 8:12
  Speaker 3: And coming up and having this desire to do something
• 8:15
  Speaker 3: that you didn't see modeled for you. Where do you
• 8:18
  Speaker 3: think that, let's say creativity or that drive came from.
• 8:23
  Speaker 3: Was that something that you saw modeled by your parents?
• 8:26
  Speaker 1: Interesting enough?
• 8:27
  Speaker 2: I because I had older brothers and in small town hockey, ye,
• 8:32
  Speaker 2: oftentimes your parents are volunteering their time to coach those
• 8:35
  Speaker 2: younger teams, right, And so my dad is usually helping
• 8:38
  Speaker 2: out with the boys teams. And my mom actually coached
• 8:41
  Speaker 2: our girls or our our boys team, and she opened
• 8:45
  Speaker 2: up the gate, she led the way, she showed up,
• 8:47
  Speaker 2: and I think in many ways she modeled for me.
• 8:49
  Speaker 2: She was a teacher and a coach career wise as well.
• 8:52
  Speaker 2: So she definitely modeled to me that you can do
• 8:55
  Speaker 2: anything that you maybe aren't being exposed to do or
• 9:01
  Speaker 2: that wouldn't be maybe untraditional in some spaces. And whether
• 9:04
  Speaker 2: that planted to see at a young age for me
• 9:06
  Speaker 2: or not, I think it definitely was modeled for me
• 9:08
  Speaker 2: at a young age to show up and do what
• 9:10
  Speaker 2: you love and if you have a dream for something
• 9:13
  Speaker 2: or a love for something, why not chase it. And
• 9:15
  Speaker 2: I think for you know, having the lack of visibility
• 9:20
  Speaker 2: around what this could be in ways, it never held
• 9:23
  Speaker 2: me back because I didn't see the barriers either that
• 9:26
  Speaker 2: were in the way, or maybe you know as a
• 9:28
  Speaker 2: young kid when you're just doing what you love and
• 9:30
  Speaker 2: you're trying to taking those next steps and I was
• 9:32
  Speaker 2: following my pursuits as a player to the highest level
• 9:35
  Speaker 2: and that was the path that has shaped me as
• 9:36
  Speaker 2: a coach anyways, So I was kind of blind by
• 9:40
  Speaker 2: all the things that could have stood in my way
• 9:41
  Speaker 2: and just focused on my passion and chasing that for hockey.
• 9:45
  Speaker 3: And when you say the barrier is being maybe blissfully
• 9:49
  Speaker 3: ignorant to those barriers, what have some of the most
• 9:51
  Speaker 3: difficult barriers been for you both in your time as
• 9:54
  Speaker 3: a player, and then I know that you didn't even
• 9:57
  Speaker 3: foresee that coaching would be a possibility for you. There
• 10:00
  Speaker 3: were certainly some in that avenue as well.
• 10:03
  Speaker 2: You know, I think as a player coming out of
• 10:06
  Speaker 2: small towns Saskatchewan, we you know, there's the power of
• 10:10
  Speaker 2: coming out of small towns, the community of the support.
• 10:12
  Speaker 2: I wouldn't trade my upbringing for the world, but the
• 10:16
  Speaker 2: I think, the limited opportunities to be challenged and to
• 10:19
  Speaker 2: have the resources like professional coaches and experts that can
• 10:22
  Speaker 2: help elevate your training and get you to the next level.
• 10:25
  Speaker 1: That was always a challenge for me.
• 10:27
  Speaker 2: I had to actually move across the country, live with
• 10:29
  Speaker 2: a billet family and really chase it. And thankfully my
• 10:33
  Speaker 2: parents got behind my crazy dream as a player, but
• 10:35
  Speaker 2: I had to do some things the harder way and sacrifice,
• 10:38
  Speaker 2: you know, some of those things you give up as
• 10:40
  Speaker 2: a kid to just go for the dream. But thankfully,
• 10:43
  Speaker 2: you know, it all ended up working out for me.
• 10:46
  Speaker 2: But when I transitioned from playing to coaching, you know,
• 10:50
  Speaker 2: one of the biggest barriers for me was I actually
• 10:52
  Speaker 2: retired when I was twenty five because we didn't have
• 10:54
  Speaker 2: a professional league being, you know, one that was paid
• 10:59
  Speaker 2: to continue to play as a pro. So I was
• 11:02
  Speaker 2: kind of fronted with the harsh reality of like, all right,
• 11:04
  Speaker 2: I have a degree in education.
• 11:06
  Speaker 1: But what am I going to do next?
• 11:08
  Speaker 2: And I knew I still love the game, wanted to
• 11:10
  Speaker 2: be in the game, I just didn't know which avenue.
• 11:12
  Speaker 2: And I found myself back on the ice almost immediately,
• 11:16
  Speaker 2: teaching skating and I had a real passion for that.
• 11:20
  Speaker 2: But when it kind of formulated for me this dream
• 11:24
  Speaker 2: of becoming a coach at the highest level, there was
• 11:27
  Speaker 2: definite challenges for me to navigate, but I wasn't focused
• 11:32
  Speaker 2: or fixated on really those being hurdles, just more as
• 11:37
  Speaker 2: tried to shift my mentality around opportunity or how that
• 11:39
  Speaker 2: could be seen as an opportunity. Like I heard no
• 11:43
  Speaker 2: many times, and I think there was a stigma around
• 11:45
  Speaker 2: hiring a female coach, especially on a male team or
• 11:49
  Speaker 2: on a men's team, just because it hadn't been done before,
• 11:52
  Speaker 2: and doing things outside the box are different was whatever
• 11:55
  Speaker 2: reason scary or not, it hadn't been done, and so
• 11:59
  Speaker 2: hearing no, without letting it deflate me and discourage me
• 12:03
  Speaker 2: in my path was something I had to learn how
• 12:05
  Speaker 2: to process and turn as a catalyst into just becoming
• 12:08
  Speaker 2: a better coach and showing up for the right reasons.
• 12:11
  Speaker 2: And it actually grounded me in the end, those hurdles
• 12:14
  Speaker 2: and those barriers of hearing no. Is like, Okay, this
• 12:16
  Speaker 2: is just kind of more fuel to the fire. I
• 12:18
  Speaker 2: know I can do it. I know I have a
• 12:19
  Speaker 2: skill and a passion that can do it at this level.
• 12:22
  Speaker 2: So I'm going to just focus on myself the impact
• 12:25
  Speaker 2: of my work and see where it takes me.
• 12:27
  Speaker 3: Yeah, just a little bit of redirection right that now,
• 12:30
  Speaker 3: And to be in that headspace. Such a testament to
• 12:36
  Speaker 3: your tenacity and the strength that you have as an individual.
• 12:40
  Speaker 3: For individuals that are listening to this and maybe struggle
• 12:44
  Speaker 3: with showing up after hearing no, struggle with staying true
• 12:49
  Speaker 3: to the course their passions, what do you tell them something.
• 12:53
  Speaker 2: I've learned through sport and even more so now I
• 12:56
  Speaker 2: understand as a coach, the quicker you can turn earn
• 13:00
  Speaker 2: the adversity into your power, the better you know. I
• 13:04
  Speaker 2: think that's a huge strength that actually separates the greatest
• 13:08
  Speaker 2: athletes in the world, the people who are winners at
• 13:10
  Speaker 2: the end of the day.
• 13:11
  Speaker 1: They talked about the hard.
• 13:13
  Speaker 2: Times and the moments that turned for them, and a
• 13:16
  Speaker 2: lot of those those turns were for the worst at
• 13:19
  Speaker 2: the time, or you know, getting cut from a team
• 13:21
  Speaker 2: or hearing no, or you're not ready, you're not good enough.
• 13:24
  Speaker 2: Those are the moments that I think really defined some
• 13:27
  Speaker 2: of the best athletes and leaders in sport. And so
• 13:30
  Speaker 2: I think that's the magic. Once you can figure out
• 13:33
  Speaker 2: how to take the set back and turn it into
• 13:37
  Speaker 2: something that can help you, whether it helps you grow,
• 13:39
  Speaker 2: whether it helps you learn, navigate the next step, or
• 13:43
  Speaker 2: like you said, redirects you if you can really absorb it,
• 13:47
  Speaker 2: feel it and then apply it. But the longer you
• 13:50
  Speaker 2: sit in that, the harder it is, the more it's
• 13:53
  Speaker 2: going to hold you back, the more it's going to
• 13:55
  Speaker 2: sidetrack you. And so you know, for me, that's what
• 13:58
  Speaker 2: I've seen and learned that I tell athletes now, it's like, hey,
• 14:02
  Speaker 2: this the tabne do is really good.
• 14:04
  Speaker 1: I know it sucks and you're.
• 14:05
  Speaker 2: In it and you feel it and you should, but tomorrow, like,
• 14:09
  Speaker 2: let's embrace it and try to turn it into something
• 14:11
  Speaker 2: good as the next step. And quicker you do that,
• 14:14
  Speaker 2: the quicker you're going to be ahead of everybody else.
• 14:15
  Speaker 3: Yeah, using that adversity to your advantage. I know from
• 14:19
  Speaker 3: a young age you certainly faced some adversity yourself with
• 14:22
  Speaker 3: the loss of your brother. Would you say that was
• 14:24
  Speaker 3: one of the biggest challenges for you as you came
• 14:26
  Speaker 3: up as a player, stepping back into your own and
• 14:28
  Speaker 3: getting back on the ice.
• 14:30
  Speaker 1: Yeah.
• 14:30
  Speaker 2: I mean, gosh, everything that you know happens in your life.
• 14:34
  Speaker 2: You think, looking back, how does this reason or make sense?
• 14:39
  Speaker 2: But I think the childhood adversity and some of the
• 14:43
  Speaker 2: traumas that came with loss, and anybody who experiences loss
• 14:47
  Speaker 2: and any magnitude knows the weight of it and the
• 14:49
  Speaker 2: pain of it. But I think, you know, having my
• 14:53
  Speaker 2: oldest brother be a model for me of who I
• 14:57
  Speaker 2: wanted to be, who the player I you know, looked
• 15:01
  Speaker 2: up to as well, it was I had this like
• 15:03
  Speaker 2: inside fire and legacy to carry and everything I did
• 15:08
  Speaker 2: moving forward. And you know, you don't understand all of
• 15:11
  Speaker 2: that at a young age, but when you carry something
• 15:13
  Speaker 2: like that in you, you realize, like, nothing really is
• 15:16
  Speaker 2: harder than that pain. And so as you go through
• 15:19
  Speaker 2: life and you face other setbacks and challenges, that was
• 15:22
  Speaker 2: adversity that became strength for me and strength that I
• 15:25
  Speaker 2: tap into each and every day, but doing it in
• 15:28
  Speaker 2: a way that's honoring my brother and the dream that
• 15:31
  Speaker 2: he had and knowing that his presence, you know, I
• 15:34
  Speaker 2: still feel it in everything I do.
• 15:35
  Speaker 1: I know very much.
• 15:37
  Speaker 2: So I'm living out his dream and so that's the
• 15:40
  Speaker 2: greatest honor in the world, knowing that this is what happened.
• 15:42
  Speaker 2: But to be here now and to know that you
• 15:45
  Speaker 2: know that he's with me in it. It definitely defined
• 15:48
  Speaker 2: my journey. It guided my journey. He kept me grounded
• 15:52
  Speaker 2: in the journey, and more than ever, I feel like
• 15:55
  Speaker 2: things all connected full circle.
• 15:56
  Speaker 3: And you honored him for so long by wearing his
• 15:59
  Speaker 3: number as well, which is so special. I love this
• 16:03
  Speaker 3: through line of turning your pain into purpose. I do
• 16:06
  Speaker 3: think that it's something that's so many individuals struggle with
• 16:10
  Speaker 3: getting over that time period where you do need to
• 16:13
  Speaker 3: feel it right. There are going to be events that
• 16:16
  Speaker 3: happen that are major setbacks that do really punch you
• 16:19
  Speaker 3: in the gut. And so the advice is not necessarily
• 16:22
  Speaker 3: to pretend that it's not happening, it's to experience it
• 16:26
  Speaker 3: right right exactly.
• 16:27
  Speaker 2: That's I think that's the biggest gift and the blessing
• 16:30
  Speaker 2: in going through life like not every day is beautiful
• 16:35
  Speaker 2: as much as we want sunshine and rainbows. Like in sport,
• 16:39
  Speaker 2: sport and life go hand in hand of how you
• 16:41
  Speaker 2: know you how it goes.
• 16:44
  Speaker 1: It's it's a beautiful thing.
• 16:46
  Speaker 2: But I think when you're gifted with a challenge, you
• 16:49
  Speaker 2: have to see it as a gift. When you're gifted
• 16:51
  Speaker 2: with an opportunity, have to see it as a gift.
• 16:53
  Speaker 2: And the quicker, like I said, you can adopt that mindset,
• 16:57
  Speaker 2: that growth mindset. You can turn in any setback, any pain,
• 17:01
  Speaker 2: any hurdle into that catalyst for your next biggest trajectory.
• 17:07
  Speaker 2: And I learned that along the way in harder ways
• 17:11
  Speaker 2: and sometimes you know, and even just my you know,
• 17:13
  Speaker 2: the end of my playing career, I was I was
• 17:15
  Speaker 2: faced with the harsh reality of what do I do
• 17:17
  Speaker 2: now my identity?
• 17:18
  Speaker 1: You know.
• 17:19
  Speaker 2: I would say building your identity on something that can
• 17:21
  Speaker 2: be taken away from you is.
• 17:23
  Speaker 1: The worst thing you can do in life.
• 17:25
  Speaker 2: But when you're an athlete and you're in it, and
• 17:27
  Speaker 2: you're in a high performing athlete, you know to say
• 17:29
  Speaker 2: that it's it, you know, don't build your identity around
• 17:33
  Speaker 2: the game of hockey or around sport like that's a
• 17:36
  Speaker 2: harder thing to do than not. And so when you're
• 17:38
  Speaker 2: faced with that reality, you too have to look of like, Okay,
• 17:41
  Speaker 2: what did sports sports teach me? What did my playing
• 17:44
  Speaker 2: days do for me? And how is it going to
• 17:46
  Speaker 2: elevate me in my next chapter of life? And just
• 17:49
  Speaker 2: go through it and navigate it as best you can.
• 17:52
  Speaker 4: When we think about what did sports teach you?
• 17:54
  Speaker 3: And focus on the fact that you did play with
• 17:57
  Speaker 3: the boys for so long? What were the resounds, lessons
• 18:00
  Speaker 3: and teachings that came out of that unconventional chapter for you?
• 18:05
  Speaker 2: Oh wow, there's so much gold I think in growing
• 18:08
  Speaker 2: up playing with the boys. You know, first and foremost
• 18:11
  Speaker 2: my parents. I give them a lot of credit.
• 18:14
  Speaker 1: They signed me.
• 18:14
  Speaker 2: Up for a team where nobody else looked like me,
• 18:18
  Speaker 2: and they didn't think twice about it. So I give
• 18:20
  Speaker 2: them credit for that because there was just some immediate
• 18:23
  Speaker 2: character building I think that came in showing up as
• 18:28
  Speaker 2: one of the only and it definitely has helped.
• 18:31
  Speaker 1: Me today to show up the same way.
• 18:33
  Speaker 2: But what it did for me, I think is growing
• 18:35
  Speaker 2: up with the boys, is it didn't matter about the
• 18:39
  Speaker 2: age we were at or how strong or whatever it was.
• 18:42
  Speaker 2: But the differences that we had, I always was challenged
• 18:47
  Speaker 2: in different ways to be my best self. They pushed
• 18:51
  Speaker 2: me on a strength size, so then I had to
• 18:53
  Speaker 2: be faster, I had to find out how to be
• 18:55
  Speaker 2: more strategic into having success. But I always saw being
• 19:00
  Speaker 2: different as strength, and I think that was the biggest
• 19:03
  Speaker 2: lesson and what I've taken out of my experiences is
• 19:07
  Speaker 2: I was able to embrace that mindset and learn that
• 19:12
  Speaker 2: you know, being unique and being different is strength and
• 19:14
  Speaker 2: having a different voice, a different way of looking at
• 19:16
  Speaker 2: a different way of playing, having different attributes, Like that's
• 19:20
  Speaker 2: what makes good teams great is when you have a
• 19:23
  Speaker 2: team full of different people that all embrace different roles
• 19:26
  Speaker 2: and bring different traits to the table. And so more
• 19:29
  Speaker 2: than ever, obviously in my job, every day, I feel
• 19:32
  Speaker 2: that I have to embrace that same mindset I learned
• 19:34
  Speaker 2: as a five year old kid a ten year old kid,
• 19:37
  Speaker 2: and showing up when it's hard and uncomfortable. That's the
• 19:40
  Speaker 2: secondary piece to it. Was when things aren't going easy,
• 19:43
  Speaker 2: you usually look to your best friend or your closest person.
• 19:46
  Speaker 2: Like I was forming friendships with a bunch of boys
• 19:50
  Speaker 2: and some of those things they didn't understand that I
• 19:53
  Speaker 2: was going through and just strictly on those differences. So
• 19:56
  Speaker 2: learning how to communicate and navigate that space of when
• 19:59
  Speaker 2: you're on comfortable and just embracing that discomfort and knowing
• 20:03
  Speaker 2: that it's stretching you, it's growing you in ways that
• 20:05
  Speaker 2: maybe you don't understand at the time, but now more
• 20:07
  Speaker 2: than ever, I understand.
• 20:08
  Speaker 3: Why do you remember specific moments of getting picked on, teased, humiliated?
• 20:15
  Speaker 2: Even, Yeah, there was there was moments as a young
• 20:18
  Speaker 2: kid where I was often faster and stronger and I
• 20:22
  Speaker 2: could score more goals than a lot of the boys
• 20:24
  Speaker 2: they played against, and so being one of the top
• 20:27
  Speaker 2: players on my team and being the girl, I immediately attracted.
• 20:31
  Speaker 1: A little bit of the bullying.
• 20:32
  Speaker 2: But it's kind of the part of hockey where you
• 20:35
  Speaker 2: learn at a young age it's the banter. But I
• 20:37
  Speaker 2: felt it immediately. I even remember one boy said to
• 20:40
  Speaker 2: me at a young age, she would be she would
• 20:43
  Speaker 2: be pretty, but she shouts like a boy. And I'm like,
• 20:46
  Speaker 2: I remember that, like very clear as a ten year
• 20:49
  Speaker 2: old kid, and I'm like, why is this? Why is
• 20:51
  Speaker 2: this something that sticks out to you as a little kid,
• 20:54
  Speaker 2: Like why am I concerned about that, and I know
• 20:57
  Speaker 2: I didn't really care too much about it, but if
• 21:00
  Speaker 2: the end of the day, like those things stick out
• 21:02
  Speaker 2: to you and what is this meaning for my adult
• 21:05
  Speaker 2: brain to digest now? But there was moments where I
• 21:09
  Speaker 2: think it actually made me a better competitor because it
• 21:12
  Speaker 2: made me a little bit more tenacious and gritty, and
• 21:15
  Speaker 2: at the end of the day, I wanted to be
• 21:17
  Speaker 2: better than them, I wanted to be stronger than them,
• 21:19
  Speaker 2: and in doing so, when I shifted over to the
• 21:22
  Speaker 2: women's game, I did have traits that the boys instilled
• 21:25
  Speaker 2: into me from a physicality and a competitiveness that I
• 21:28
  Speaker 2: may not have learned on a girls team where there
• 21:32
  Speaker 2: wasn't body checking and hitting, and those those entry level
• 21:35
  Speaker 2: points were massive for me in terms of the type
• 21:37
  Speaker 2: of athlete I had to become.
• 21:39
  Speaker 3: I would also imagine that there were moments, despite you
• 21:43
  Speaker 3: being so fantastic and being able to turn like the
• 21:45
  Speaker 3: challenge into a positive right that it was tiring.
• 21:49
  Speaker 4: It was tiring to be the other.
• 21:52
  Speaker 2: Yeah, there was there was definitely periods where you know,
• 21:56
  Speaker 2: I I think just the social component comes in at
• 22:01
  Speaker 2: a certain age where you're you know, well, I wish
• 22:04
  Speaker 2: you know that was with a bunch of girls are
• 22:06
  Speaker 2: surrounded by people like me that understood.
• 22:09
  Speaker 1: But I think you know again that just.
• 22:12
  Speaker 2: Shapes who you are and how you operate and the
• 22:15
  Speaker 2: type of person. And for me it was teammate I
• 22:18
  Speaker 2: could be. And when you're kind of isolated and alone
• 22:20
  Speaker 2: in that, you you just learn to navigate and again
• 22:23
  Speaker 2: try to turn it into something that can define you
• 22:26
  Speaker 2: in a good way versus you know, put you on
• 22:28
  Speaker 2: a track that distracts you or holds you back from
• 22:31
  Speaker 2: all the other things.
• 22:33
  Speaker 1: But definitely it's a real feeling.
• 22:34
  Speaker 3: Yeah. Now I know that you yourself stopped playing about
• 22:38
  Speaker 3: seven eight years ago. Now, talk to me about where
• 22:41
  Speaker 3: your mindset was at when you decided that it was
• 22:44
  Speaker 3: time for you to stop being on the ice as
• 22:47
  Speaker 3: a player.
• 22:48
  Speaker 2: Well, at first I was my mindset. I was shattered
• 22:52
  Speaker 2: when when it ended because I was one of the
• 22:55
  Speaker 2: last cuts from going into you know, the Olympic cycle
• 22:58
  Speaker 2: that year. So I was chasing this goal of playing
• 23:01
  Speaker 2: on the Olympic team. And though I had represented my
• 23:03
  Speaker 2: country on many different levels and teams, the goal was always.
• 23:06
  Speaker 1: Like this Olympic title, in this Olympic ring.
• 23:10
  Speaker 2: But I think again, when you're chasing this very clear,
• 23:14
  Speaker 2: vivid goal, it can be very detrimental because you're not
• 23:17
  Speaker 2: always celebrating the big wins and gains along the way.
• 23:21
  Speaker 2: And so when I was kind of forced with the
• 23:24
  Speaker 2: reality of my journey coming to an end, not on
• 23:26
  Speaker 2: my terms, but I was put in that position to
• 23:30
  Speaker 2: have those conversations and you start having all the voices
• 23:33
  Speaker 2: go in your head of like, Okay, you know I'm
• 23:35
  Speaker 2: not good enough, wasn't capable, wasn't deserving, you know, didn't
• 23:39
  Speaker 2: do this right, and you can easily dive down that
• 23:41
  Speaker 2: rabbit hole. And I did, Like I fell into the
• 23:46
  Speaker 2: hole of feeling all the real human feelings of feeling
• 23:49
  Speaker 2: like I was a failure. And though I had friends
• 23:51
  Speaker 2: and family, you know, sit with me in that space
• 23:53
  Speaker 2: of talking me through, like know all the things you've done,
• 23:57
  Speaker 2: but it wasn't even about the accolades in the end.
• 23:59
  Speaker 2: It was like when you're chasing this goal and then
• 24:01
  Speaker 2: you feel like you got to the mound, but you
• 24:03
  Speaker 2: couldn't get up the final step. That's how it just
• 24:05
  Speaker 2: felt like this void of not completing it and feeling
• 24:10
  Speaker 2: left empty with it. But I think I allowed myself
• 24:14
  Speaker 2: to really take the space to find myself naturally become
• 24:19
  Speaker 2: a coach. Interesting enough, when I was faced with that decision,
• 24:24
  Speaker 2: I actually called one of my former coaches who he
• 24:27
  Speaker 2: really helped catapult my playing career that I moved out
• 24:32
  Speaker 2: out to BC, and I called him right away and said,
• 24:35
  Speaker 2: I don't know what to do, and he was right away,
• 24:37
  Speaker 2: come coach for me, come work for me. And I
• 24:38
  Speaker 2: was like, I'm not ready to do that. I'm not
• 24:40
  Speaker 2: ready to dive into it. I don't even think I
• 24:42
  Speaker 2: can coach anyone right now in the headspace that I'm in.
• 24:46
  Speaker 2: But he said something to me that was so formative
• 24:48
  Speaker 2: and still very clear to me. The stay said, remember
• 24:52
  Speaker 2: who you were as a player, when you love the game,
• 24:54
  Speaker 2: just show up and be a mentor to that girl,
• 24:57
  Speaker 2: like who you would need every day. And I think,
• 25:00
  Speaker 2: think you have the courage and ability to do that.
• 25:02
  Speaker 2: And I'm like, hate you for saying this, because like
• 25:05
  Speaker 2: part of me did miss being on the ice, and
• 25:07
  Speaker 2: he's like, just do me a favor, come down, get
• 25:09
  Speaker 2: back on the ice, work with these kids.
• 25:11
  Speaker 1: And see how you feel and then decide.
• 25:13
  Speaker 2: And from that moment, I was packing up my playing
• 25:17
  Speaker 2: bag and grabbing my coaching skates and tracksuit and never
• 25:20
  Speaker 2: left the ice again as a coach, and I honestly
• 25:22
  Speaker 2: haven't laced up and put on my gear ever again,
• 25:25
  Speaker 2: which is kind of crazy. But I found myself completely
• 25:29
  Speaker 2: back in a space where I was able to still
• 25:32
  Speaker 2: almost shift the same passion and love I have for
• 25:35
  Speaker 2: the game, but in an avenue. Now that was still fulfilling.
• 25:37
  Speaker 2: That you're still gratifying to go through that process with
• 25:41
  Speaker 2: an athlete and learn all the.
• 25:43
  Speaker 1: Things along the way.
• 25:45
  Speaker 2: But just the role of being a coach, being a mentor,
• 25:48
  Speaker 2: and the power of having that. I mean, I still
• 25:51
  Speaker 2: looked all the great mentors and coaches I had in
• 25:53
  Speaker 2: my life and how they shape me, and now.
• 25:55
  Speaker 1: I realize it's the greatest privilege of my work.
• 25:57
  Speaker 2: Getting to be that for other people is so warding
• 26:00
  Speaker 2: and so fulfilling.
• 26:01
  Speaker 4: What makes you a good coach?
• 26:03
  Speaker 2: I think the biggest thing that I try to bring
• 26:07
  Speaker 2: to the table, and that separates me as my empathetic nature.
• 26:12
  Speaker 2: You know, I first and foremost see the human in
• 26:15
  Speaker 2: every athlete I work with, and this is beyond gender,
• 26:18
  Speaker 2: and I try to create a very real, honest and
• 26:22
  Speaker 2: vulnerable space with that person because I know that specially
• 26:26
  Speaker 2: through some of the things that I went through in life.
• 26:29
  Speaker 2: You know, this game is just the avenue of which
• 26:32
  Speaker 2: I can reach a person and work through a person.
• 26:35
  Speaker 2: But it's the relationship, it's the trust, it's the communication,
• 26:39
  Speaker 2: all of the gold of just being really authentic and
• 26:43
  Speaker 2: honest and able to listen, where you create a safe
• 26:48
  Speaker 2: space for an athlete to actually take step take steps
• 26:53
  Speaker 2: forward with the guidance of a coach. And I learned that,
• 26:58
  Speaker 2: and I took that from some of the best coaches
• 27:00
  Speaker 2: I had in all little different pieces, and I just
• 27:02
  Speaker 2: try to really show up in the most honest ways
• 27:06
  Speaker 2: that I can be myself so they know that I'm
• 27:08
  Speaker 2: willing to be seen so they can do the same.
• 27:12
  Speaker 2: And I've learned that, especially now in a male dominated
• 27:15
  Speaker 2: space or as a woman working with men, I still
• 27:18
  Speaker 2: try to create those spaces right away, like they know
• 27:21
  Speaker 2: they can be honest with me, they can be emotional,
• 27:23
  Speaker 2: they can have the hard conversations about maybe what they're
• 27:26
  Speaker 2: going through, and then we can get to business back
• 27:29
  Speaker 2: on the other side of the game, where there's a
• 27:31
  Speaker 2: mutual respect on I'm here to serve you, I'm here
• 27:33
  Speaker 2: to help you.
• 27:34
  Speaker 1: This has nothing to do with me.
• 27:35
  Speaker 2: How can I be there for you, and that has
• 27:38
  Speaker 2: to start with a real empathetic approach to understanding them
• 27:42
  Speaker 2: versus a person, and then realizing how you can help
• 27:44
  Speaker 2: them as a player.
• 27:45
  Speaker 3: I think it's a really commendable POV and such a
• 27:48
  Speaker 3: beautiful thing to articulate as your strength, especially because one
• 27:53
  Speaker 3: would assume that words like empathy and feelings and emotions
• 27:58
  Speaker 3: aren't the first thing a male hockey players want to
• 28:02
  Speaker 3: get into.
• 28:02
  Speaker 2: Right And you know, it's interesting at the end of
• 28:06
  Speaker 2: the day, every athlete and player, and I think I
• 28:10
  Speaker 2: could say this is true to most that I've played
• 28:12
  Speaker 2: with or the best teams have been part of with
• 28:14
  Speaker 2: great coaches, is they just want to have a coach
• 28:18
  Speaker 2: that they know is there for them and can help them.
• 28:21
  Speaker 2: And once you create that trust in bond and it
• 28:24
  Speaker 2: takes time sometimes for me some guys and some players
• 28:27
  Speaker 2: are easier than others. But I think when you show
• 28:31
  Speaker 2: up with authenticity and you create a space for people
• 28:34
  Speaker 2: to just be themselves, it's really unbelievable what you can
• 28:39
  Speaker 2: unlock and unpack. And I always say that one of
• 28:41
  Speaker 2: the first things I say to a player is like,
• 28:43
  Speaker 2: how do you like to be coached? And how can
• 28:46
  Speaker 2: I help you, like, how how can I be there
• 28:49
  Speaker 2: just support in your journey wherever you're at as a
• 28:52
  Speaker 2: younger player is an older player like what are the
• 28:54
  Speaker 2: ways that you need support? And you might not know
• 28:57
  Speaker 2: that answer right now, but I might identify a lot
• 29:00
  Speaker 2: the way and communicate certain ideas and ways and I've
• 29:03
  Speaker 2: figured out a lot of activities like to help a
• 29:07
  Speaker 2: player kind of get to that place. And it's a
• 29:10
  Speaker 2: really interesting process. But it's really cool when you create
• 29:14
  Speaker 2: those meaningful relationships and you realize and they look at
• 29:16
  Speaker 2: you like they start to have success and you're like, yeah,
• 29:19
  Speaker 2: we've been there, I get it. You know, you go
• 29:21
  Speaker 2: through that process with them. So it's been really special
• 29:23
  Speaker 2: to be able to bring that to the table and
• 29:25
  Speaker 2: to know that having voices like that and having maybe
• 29:29
  Speaker 2: a more of an emotional investment to the coaching process
• 29:33
  Speaker 2: is a good thing.
• 29:34
  Speaker 4: It's bigger than coaching, right. We all want to be seeing.
• 29:37
  Speaker 3: Right every day when you go into the world, like,
• 29:40
  Speaker 3: we all just want to feel safe and understood, and
• 29:43
  Speaker 3: so to be this let's call it light for so
• 29:47
  Speaker 3: many people that maybe don't take that same approach, it would,
• 29:51
  Speaker 3: I would assume, really benefit you as a coach and
• 29:54
  Speaker 3: as a figurehead to so many of these guys.
• 29:57
  Speaker 2: Yes, and just the power of showing up, Like I
• 30:01
  Speaker 2: always say, just some people ask me too, I'm like,
• 30:03
  Speaker 2: I just so excited to get in the trenches and
• 30:05
  Speaker 2: do the work, Like being on the ice is my
• 30:07
  Speaker 2: happy place. And so much of the NHL now would
• 30:10
  Speaker 2: do play so many games, so we're so deep in
• 30:13
  Speaker 2: video and having to rely on using video to coach,
• 30:16
  Speaker 2: and that's a challenge in itself. But when you have
• 30:19
  Speaker 2: the ability when a player's going through something or when
• 30:22
  Speaker 2: they're at their peak and they're really feeling it to
• 30:24
  Speaker 2: be able to get in the trenches with them and
• 30:27
  Speaker 2: support them either to overcome it or to keep the momentum,
• 30:31
  Speaker 2: it's a really cool thing that you can leverage in
• 30:35
  Speaker 2: terms of relationship building. Because, like I said, the.
• 30:38
  Speaker 1: Power of showing up.
• 30:39
  Speaker 2: That's what I think about my mom showing up for
• 30:41
  Speaker 2: me as a young kid, Like she didn't have to
• 30:42
  Speaker 2: do that, she volunteered her time and she modeled that
• 30:46
  Speaker 2: a woman can do what traditionally has been a man's
• 30:48
  Speaker 2: job or dad's job. And what did that do for me?
• 30:51
  Speaker 2: I mean put me in the National Hockey League, Whether
• 30:53
  Speaker 2: she believes it or not, so it's just show up
• 30:56
  Speaker 2: and see what happens.
• 30:58
  Speaker 3: Would you say that she is also the person and
• 31:00
  Speaker 3: that modeled the importance of empathy to you.
• 31:03
  Speaker 2: Yes, absolutely, And obviously, like some of the trauma we
• 31:06
  Speaker 2: went through as a family and kind of leaning and
• 31:08
  Speaker 2: grieving through some of that, I just saw her way
• 31:12
  Speaker 2: of healing and going through it and navigating it in
• 31:17
  Speaker 2: you know, my young childhood self witnessing that she poured
• 31:20
  Speaker 2: into other people as her way to heal and help.
• 31:23
  Speaker 2: And so I think there's a lot of that in
• 31:26
  Speaker 2: me as a coach. Is you know what this Like
• 31:29
  Speaker 2: I said, my job as a coach is to support
• 31:32
  Speaker 2: And I think that honestly, you can lose sight of
• 31:35
  Speaker 2: like what a coach is supposed to do because there's
• 31:36
  Speaker 2: so many responsibilities and tasks and you're managing communication, you're
• 31:42
  Speaker 2: making decisions, or's doing all this all of these things
• 31:44
  Speaker 2: as a coach. And so I think she very much
• 31:47
  Speaker 2: modeled for me just how helping people and showing up
• 31:52
  Speaker 2: for other people lifts you to a better version of
• 31:54
  Speaker 2: yourself at the end of the day, or makes you
• 31:56
  Speaker 2: a stronger version of yourself. And so I know that
• 31:59
  Speaker 2: if I'm more inspired by helping the guys that I'm
• 32:02
  Speaker 2: going to be a better coach. I'm going to show
• 32:03
  Speaker 2: up as a more prepared, more eager, more hungry coach
• 32:06
  Speaker 2: and if I'm asking them to do the same. It's
• 32:08
  Speaker 2: this kind of cycle of just joy and filled with
• 32:13
  Speaker 2: passion and it's felt. You can feel it on both sides.
• 32:16
  Speaker 2: I think from as a player as a coach, and
• 32:18
  Speaker 2: it just creates, you know, a space where you could
• 32:21
  Speaker 2: screw up and bake mistakes and say like, I mess
• 32:24
  Speaker 2: that up, but I'm going to find the answers and
• 32:26
  Speaker 2: we're going to work through it. And you know, there's
• 32:28
  Speaker 2: some humanity that goes into.
• 32:29
  Speaker 3: That humanity and there's also so much value in that
• 32:33
  Speaker 3: accountability factor as well, something that not everyone feels comfortable
• 32:38
  Speaker 3: stepping up to the table and saying.
• 32:40
  Speaker 4: I've got this. It's on me.
• 32:46
  Speaker 3: Taking a break from today's episode to talk to you
• 32:49
  Speaker 3: about something I really care passionately about, and that is sleep.
• 32:55
  Speaker 3: Good mornings start with optimal sleep, and Lagoon pillows are
• 32:59
  Speaker 3: made for just that. They're customizable, supportive, and we'll have
• 33:04
  Speaker 3: you waking up feeling your best when I tell you
• 33:08
  Speaker 3: that within two weeks of swapping out my pillows. I
• 33:12
  Speaker 3: was stoked to see both an increase in my deep
• 33:15
  Speaker 3: and rem sleep. I measure it wearing my oar ring
• 33:19
  Speaker 3: and I attribute this to.
• 33:21
  Speaker 4: My Lagoon pillows.
• 33:23
  Speaker 3: Lagoon has helped me improve my sleep immensely by pairing
• 33:26
  Speaker 3: me with the performance pillow that has everything I need.
• 33:30
  Speaker 4: I am a fan of their order.
• 33:32
  Speaker 3: It was what I was matched with after taking their
• 33:35
  Speaker 3: super simple two minute sleep quiz, and you can take
• 33:39
  Speaker 3: it today and get matched with your ideal pillow as well.
• 33:43
  Speaker 3: I'm telling you the research agrees using the right supportive
• 33:45
  Speaker 3: pillow to maintain proper spinal alignment during sleep. It led
• 33:50
  Speaker 3: in a recent study to a sixty three percent improvement
• 33:53
  Speaker 3: in overall sleep quality.
• 33:55
  Speaker 4: Head on over to lagoonsleep.
• 33:56
  Speaker 3: Dot com slash hurdle today take your too monch quiz
• 34:00
  Speaker 3: and get yourself a pillow by using the code Hurdle
• 34:04
  Speaker 3: at checkout for fifteen percent off. Again, head to lagoonsleep
• 34:07
  Speaker 3: dot com slash hurdle and get fifteen percent off your
• 34:11
  Speaker 3: new favorite pillow today. Also got to give some love
• 34:15
  Speaker 3: to my sponsor at Pillar. Performance. Pillar is a performance
• 34:19
  Speaker 3: health brand developed by leading sports scientists dietitians and athletes.
• 34:24
  Speaker 3: They're focused on getting you to whatever starting line, challenge,
• 34:29
  Speaker 3: thing that excites you in the best condition possible. For me,
• 34:35
  Speaker 3: a big piece to that puzzle is homing in on
• 34:39
  Speaker 3: my nutrition, and lately that has been all about creatine. Now,
• 34:44
  Speaker 3: I know you're wondering why take creatine. Let's talk about
• 34:47
  Speaker 3: the benefits of energy production. It helps orplenish atp which
• 34:51
  Speaker 3: is the body's primary energy source. It also enhances recovery
• 34:55
  Speaker 3: and training by reducing the muscle damage and inflammation while
• 34:58
  Speaker 3: promoting fast glicajin replenishment. I know I'm using a lot
• 35:02
  Speaker 3: of buzzy terms here, You've got this and also has
• 35:05
  Speaker 3: cognitive benefits, which means that it supports a brain function,
• 35:09
  Speaker 3: reducing mental fatigue and improving focus throughout your day. It
• 35:14
  Speaker 3: feels so good to feel like my body is working
• 35:17
  Speaker 3: with me right now, and I know fueling it properly is.
• 35:22
  Speaker 4: A major piece to that puzzle.
• 35:25
  Speaker 3: Get in on Pillar today by heading on over to
• 35:28
  Speaker 3: Pillar Performance dot Shop, or if you're in North America,
• 35:32
  Speaker 3: head on over to the Feed dot com and enter
• 35:35
  Speaker 3: code Hurdle for fifteen percent off your first purchase. Again,
• 35:39
  Speaker 3: head on over to the Feed search for Pillar Performance
• 35:43
  Speaker 3: and get your supplements for fifteen percent off today using
• 35:47
  Speaker 3: the code hurdle at checkout. Two years ago give or
• 35:59
  Speaker 3: take your sitting in a lobby in Las Vegas.
• 36:03
  Speaker 4: Yea, and you get an email tell us about the email.
• 36:07
  Speaker 2: Oh man, oh gosh, that was now almost three ago.
• 36:11
  Speaker 4: Three years ago.
• 36:12
  Speaker 1: Yeah, just finished last year.
• 36:14
  Speaker 2: So I was sitting in Vegas running a junior hockey camp,
• 36:19
  Speaker 2: or oddly enough, we were in Vegas for this camp.
• 36:22
  Speaker 2: So I was preparing to go to the rink. And
• 36:24
  Speaker 2: I just actually returned from World Championships having coached the
• 36:27
  Speaker 2: German national team, which for me was the peak of
• 36:30
  Speaker 2: my career at that moment, to the highest level. And
• 36:33
  Speaker 2: so I was coming off of this really big high
• 36:36
  Speaker 2: and when I got back from Germany shortly now found
• 36:39
  Speaker 2: myself in Vegas back to coaching, I don't want to
• 36:42
  Speaker 2: say a lower level, but now I was coaching junior players,
• 36:44
  Speaker 2: and I was kind of faced with the reality of like,
• 36:48
  Speaker 2: what's next. I just got to experience this really big
• 36:51
  Speaker 2: moment for me in his career, and is it going
• 36:54
  Speaker 2: to continue on? And how do I, you know, find
• 36:58
  Speaker 2: that next step.
• 36:58
  Speaker 1: And how do I fit?
• 37:00
  Speaker 2: You know? Like that was still very much of a
• 37:02
  Speaker 2: reality of the barriers that were there. And I had
• 37:05
  Speaker 2: an email land on my you know, hockey power skating
• 37:10
  Speaker 2: random website, email like any parent would if they were
• 37:13
  Speaker 2: trying to sign up for lessons or hockey camp, and
• 37:16
  Speaker 2: it was from Stanley Cup winning coach, very renowned coach
• 37:21
  Speaker 2: Dan Balsma from his personal email. And it was like
• 37:25
  Speaker 2: one sentence coaching inquiry, looking to get in touch with
• 37:28
  Speaker 2: Jessica for a coaching opportunity. And I'm like, this has
• 37:32
  Speaker 2: to be s fan like, first of all, this is
• 37:34
  Speaker 2: too short, this is from a personal email.
• 37:36
  Speaker 1: Is this really the Dan Balsma?
• 37:37
  Speaker 2: And anyways, of course I responded, hoping it was all real,
• 37:41
  Speaker 2: and it was, and we got on a call and
• 37:43
  Speaker 2: pretty quickly, you know, he did his research and asked me,
• 37:47
  Speaker 2: you know, he's interviewing for his staff, he took over
• 37:50
  Speaker 2: the new coaching staff in the AHL obviously the minor
• 37:53
  Speaker 2: league team to the Seattle Kraken, and wanted to know
• 37:56
  Speaker 2: if I'd be interested in interviewing in that. He had
• 37:59
  Speaker 2: you know, conversation with other athletes I had worked with
• 38:01
  Speaker 2: and did some of his digging on me, and I
• 38:04
  Speaker 2: seemed like a candidate that he would want to have
• 38:06
  Speaker 2: on his team, and it obviously worked out, but super
• 38:10
  Speaker 2: crazy because I'm sitting there thinking like I have no
• 38:13
  Speaker 2: idea how I'm going to continue in pro sports, Like
• 38:16
  Speaker 2: where do I go from here? And I had to
• 38:18
  Speaker 2: move to Sweden then to Germany to find my start,
• 38:21
  Speaker 2: and now I'm back in North America where it should
• 38:23
  Speaker 2: be easier in a hockey you know market, and here
• 38:28
  Speaker 2: I am fronted with the harsh reality. But again, he
• 38:30
  Speaker 2: was a massive ally to me and the biggest, you know,
• 38:33
  Speaker 2: biggest green light for me to take my start in
• 38:37
  Speaker 2: coaching full time in pro hockey.
• 38:39
  Speaker 3: I got chills when you started the story and you
• 38:44
  Speaker 3: said I thought I was at the peak of my career.
• 38:47
  Speaker 3: What a beautiful illustration of you didn't know that there
• 38:54
  Speaker 3: was more for you. You hadn't seen someone who did
• 38:57
  Speaker 3: what you are currently doing, and so you felt limited
• 39:02
  Speaker 3: and not to put words in yourself, but maybe like
• 39:05
  Speaker 3: you were a little bit at kind of a dead end.
• 39:07
  Speaker 3: You're like, where do I go from here? So many
• 39:10
  Speaker 3: people can relate to that being at this place where
• 39:12
  Speaker 3: we're like I want to throw my hands up. I
• 39:14
  Speaker 3: feel like I have nothing else to give. It's all
• 39:15
  Speaker 3: no and also a testament to you. I think it's
• 39:18
  Speaker 3: so interesting that you use one of your strongest skill sets.
• 39:21
  Speaker 3: You're talking about like him coming through your personal website, right,
• 39:24
  Speaker 3: and like you were like, this is something I'm good at,
• 39:27
  Speaker 3: so I'm going to work on that and figure out
• 39:29
  Speaker 3: how to be an entrepreneur. In that sense, you were
• 39:31
  Speaker 3: doing the best you could with everything that you had,
• 39:33
  Speaker 3: and I think that that for a lot of people
• 39:35
  Speaker 3: is a very frustrating thing because it's like you want more,
• 39:38
  Speaker 3: but you don't know how to get it, and until
• 39:41
  Speaker 3: you can articulate sometimes what that more is, I'm kind
• 39:44
  Speaker 3: of on the mindset that you don't get to get it.
• 39:46
  Speaker 3: But what happens is that someone needs to open the
• 39:48
  Speaker 3: door and say this is possible for you.
• 39:52
  Speaker 4: When you.
• 39:53
  Speaker 3: Learned that this was possible for you, how did it
• 39:58
  Speaker 3: make you feel?
• 40:00
  Speaker 2: Oh god, now I got chilled. I two moments happened
• 40:05
  Speaker 2: to me, or there's been many moments, but pinch me moments.
• 40:07
  Speaker 2: And when I was hearing the nose along the way
• 40:12
  Speaker 2: and people are always like network and figure out your
• 40:16
  Speaker 2: next you know your next move and knock on the door,
• 40:19
  Speaker 2: and it's like, well, what if the door doesn't open,
• 40:22
  Speaker 2: or what if it's never been open before that we're
• 40:24
  Speaker 2: talking about the reality like a women's never coached and
• 40:27
  Speaker 2: but been behind the bench in pro hockey, and so
• 40:32
  Speaker 2: what if that you don't even know what that looks
• 40:34
  Speaker 2: like and in fact you've knocked and they've said no,
• 40:36
  Speaker 2: what do you do? And something that I found myself
• 40:39
  Speaker 2: doing and someone recently told me that I did it,
• 40:42
  Speaker 2: I didn't realize I was doing it.
• 40:43
  Speaker 1: But my way of shifting through.
• 40:44
  Speaker 2: That was I just built my own house and seen
• 40:49
  Speaker 2: who would walk through the door, and created my own product,
• 40:53
  Speaker 2: started my own business. Was obviously an entrepreneur, but I
• 40:59
  Speaker 2: obviously in that process or in the journey of doing that,
• 41:03
  Speaker 2: I was able to define who I was going to
• 41:06
  Speaker 2: be in the hockey space, in the hockey market, the
• 41:09
  Speaker 2: product of my coaching, the services that I offered, the
• 41:11
  Speaker 2: type of communicator and obviously leader that I could be.
• 41:15
  Speaker 2: And when I started small too, I was working with
• 41:18
  Speaker 2: kids five years old and eight years old and boys
• 41:21
  Speaker 2: and girls, and then grew, you know, junior players started
• 41:23
  Speaker 2: showing up.
• 41:24
  Speaker 1: I'm like, okay, this is awesome. These guys are fun.
• 41:27
  Speaker 2: But after coming home from Sweden and Germany working with
• 41:31
  Speaker 2: you know some pro players there. The NHL guys started
• 41:34
  Speaker 2: to show up, and the opportunity.
• 41:37
  Speaker 1: For me completely changed.
• 41:39
  Speaker 2: And that was the Aha moment or the moment where
• 41:42
  Speaker 2: as they started to show up in numbers, not just
• 41:45
  Speaker 2: two three. I'm talking now there's twenty guys on the ice,
• 41:48
  Speaker 2: and I'm catching myself running this whole practice. I'm like,
• 41:51
  Speaker 2: I'm doing it. And I remember a very clear conversation
• 41:54
  Speaker 2: I had with Brent Seberrock, who obviously in Canada is
• 41:57
  Speaker 2: the household name Stanley Cup champion playing for Chicago Blackhawks
• 42:00
  Speaker 2: at that time, a captain, very reputable person and leader.
• 42:04
  Speaker 2: And he asked me to do additional private sessions with
• 42:08
  Speaker 2: him to help his skating. And this is someone who's
• 42:10
  Speaker 2: been playing the game, skating the game for decades and
• 42:13
  Speaker 2: won and done it all, and he's coming to me,
• 42:15
  Speaker 2: a young coach and believes I can help him. For me,
• 42:18
  Speaker 2: that gave me one It gave me confidence, but it
• 42:20
  Speaker 2: also gave me conviction and what I was doing. And
• 42:23
  Speaker 2: he said to me flat out, you're going to coach
• 42:25
  Speaker 2: in the NHL someday. It's just a matter of time.
• 42:27
  Speaker 2: Don't know when or how, but you're going to do it.
• 42:29
  Speaker 2: And you're gonna do it on your own. And I
• 42:31
  Speaker 2: remember I called my dad right after and I told
• 42:35
  Speaker 2: him about that. I was emotional and he's like, it's amazing,
• 42:37
  Speaker 2: just keep going. And I still didn't know, Like we're
• 42:40
  Speaker 2: sitting here, I still didn't know what that looked like.
• 42:43
  Speaker 2: And a year and a half later then I get
• 42:45
  Speaker 2: that email from Dan to coach in the AHL, which
• 42:48
  Speaker 2: wasn't an NHL team, but it was a direct step
• 42:50
  Speaker 2: of doing things the right way into the NHL and
• 42:53
  Speaker 2: following my path to be prepared. But I still come
• 42:56
  Speaker 2: back every single day to my confidence as a coach
• 43:01
  Speaker 2: comes in the preparation and the work that I did
• 43:03
  Speaker 2: to start my business the way I did, because I
• 43:06
  Speaker 2: come back to those relationships, to the way I was
• 43:09
  Speaker 2: able to build my product, my voice, And that's the
• 43:13
  Speaker 2: leverage and the experience that I bring now to the
• 43:16
  Speaker 2: you know, being in the NHL full time, that has
• 43:18
  Speaker 2: just been so invaluable. And you know, the advice I
• 43:22
  Speaker 2: give to everyone is show up, do the work and
• 43:24
  Speaker 2: see where it takes. You. Don't worry about knocking on doors.
• 43:26
  Speaker 2: I mean, yes, you got a network, you got to
• 43:28
  Speaker 2: meet people, You've got to find ways. But if you
• 43:31
  Speaker 2: just define yourself and focus on that process, eventually there
• 43:35
  Speaker 2: will be there will be a pivotal moment.
• 43:37
  Speaker 3: This is about sport, it's not about sport for everything
• 43:39
  Speaker 3: in life. When you start to do the work on yourself,
• 43:42
  Speaker 3: it will pay off tenfold and everything that you're going after.
• 43:45
  Speaker 3: It's so inspiring to hear from someone who truly just
• 43:50
  Speaker 3: said I am going to do the best I can
• 43:52
  Speaker 3: with what I have. That doesn't mean that you weren't
• 43:54
  Speaker 3: frustrated about the nose or the doors closing or none
• 43:57
  Speaker 3: of the doors opening, right, but it was just like,
• 43:59
  Speaker 3: instead of letting this get me down and prevent me
• 44:02
  Speaker 3: from moving forward, I'm going to figure out how to
• 44:04
  Speaker 3: move forward on my own terms. Now, you're a thirty
• 44:08
  Speaker 3: two year old coach in the NHL. There are players
• 44:12
  Speaker 3: that are older than you. What's that dynamic like for
• 44:14
  Speaker 3: you to show up and stand in your power not
• 44:16
  Speaker 3: only as a woman, but has a thirty two year
• 44:19
  Speaker 3: old coach.
• 44:19
  Speaker 4: Telling them what to do.
• 44:20
  Speaker 2: Yeah, it's interesting because I think obviously even you know,
• 44:24
  Speaker 2: I didn't play until I was thirty two obviously, or
• 44:26
  Speaker 2: even that late in my career, but I think that
• 44:29
  Speaker 2: the player changes a lot in their journey, especially as
• 44:31
  Speaker 2: a young athlete. And I got off a call with
• 44:33
  Speaker 2: one of our players who's twenty twenty two, just yesterday
• 44:38
  Speaker 2: and talking about his whole kind of was focus in
• 44:41
  Speaker 2: his plans, and it's a very different conversation. But some
• 44:44
  Speaker 2: of those older guys, the veteran guys, they're so mature
• 44:48
  Speaker 2: in there already philosophy understanding. They've had multiple coaches, they've
• 44:53
  Speaker 2: been coached probably in ways they've liked and not liked.
• 44:56
  Speaker 2: Coach has been hired and fired, and they've gone through
• 44:59
  Speaker 2: the cycle of or lived the real realities of being
• 45:02
  Speaker 2: a veteran player. And so they're actually, to me, they're
• 45:06
  Speaker 2: really easy guys to work with because they understand that,
• 45:11
  Speaker 2: you know, every coach kind of enters in on a
• 45:13
  Speaker 2: certain point. For me obviously younger, but I think they
• 45:18
  Speaker 2: acknowledge right away is that I'm committed to helping players,
• 45:22
  Speaker 2: and how I help them looks a little bit different.
• 45:24
  Speaker 2: How I support them again is from a place like,
• 45:26
  Speaker 2: this is where you're at.
• 45:28
  Speaker 1: What can I do to help you unlock.
• 45:30
  Speaker 2: Maybe two percent here, ten percent here, Because if we
• 45:33
  Speaker 2: do that, that's massive gains for where you're at. So
• 45:35
  Speaker 2: it's a different conversation, but it's all again about just
• 45:38
  Speaker 2: showing up and them also seeing and learning right away,
• 45:42
  Speaker 2: like she's committed to helping players. Doesn't matter like age, gender,
• 45:46
  Speaker 2: you leave it out of it. She loves what she does.
• 45:48
  Speaker 1: She's prepared, she's creative.
• 45:50
  Speaker 2: I think that the work I put forward, I take
• 45:52
  Speaker 2: a lot of pride in being very detailed and organized,
• 45:56
  Speaker 2: and I think they feel that they see it and
• 45:58
  Speaker 2: doesn't matter whether they had that or not, their coaches
• 46:00
  Speaker 2: or not. I think they don't really have me to
• 46:02
  Speaker 2: compare to anyone, and that's always for me. The biggest
• 46:05
  Speaker 2: gift in the beauty of being different is I feel
• 46:07
  Speaker 2: like I'm not compared a lot of times to my.
• 46:10
  Speaker 1: Colleagues, though I'm sure I am.
• 46:12
  Speaker 2: At the same time, I don't feel that I feel
• 46:14
  Speaker 2: like I create my own path in relationships with each player.
• 46:16
  Speaker 1: So it goes beyond age.
• 46:19
  Speaker 3: Yeah, that two percent approach I want to talk about that.
• 46:23
  Speaker 3: It's hard to think in small incremental steps. Sometimes often
• 46:29
  Speaker 3: times there is a bigger picture goal and it's difficult
• 46:35
  Speaker 3: to think of the little amounts of progress and focusing
• 46:40
  Speaker 3: on those smaller benchmarks that can get you to where
• 46:43
  Speaker 3: you want to be. When working with players and trying
• 46:46
  Speaker 3: to instill that mentality. How do you even go about
• 46:49
  Speaker 3: explaining it or perhaps portraying the benefits of thinking small
• 46:54
  Speaker 3: to get to that bigger picture.
• 46:56
  Speaker 2: Well, there's a lot of ways to do it. I
• 46:58
  Speaker 2: think that if you can do it, you're way ahead
• 47:01
  Speaker 2: of most. But something I do when I first work
• 47:06
  Speaker 2: with an athlete, as I sit down with them, obviously
• 47:09
  Speaker 2: I kind of do a little bit of my digging,
• 47:11
  Speaker 2: try to understand who they are as a player, do
• 47:13
  Speaker 2: my research of what they are, what type of role,
• 47:16
  Speaker 2: what type of identity they are. But I say with
• 47:19
  Speaker 2: them pretty much immediately and I create a one page document,
• 47:23
  Speaker 2: call it a contract between the two of us. But
• 47:25
  Speaker 2: I create, you know, a blueprint for them of who
• 47:28
  Speaker 2: are you at your best? And I let them tell
• 47:32
  Speaker 2: me who are you at your best? What does your
• 47:34
  Speaker 2: best game look like?
• 47:35
  Speaker 1: And we write it out. I jot it down.
• 47:37
  Speaker 2: I obviously have my own thoughts and written notes, but
• 47:41
  Speaker 2: I let them define, like my best game looks like X,
• 47:44
  Speaker 2: Y Z, And you know, at my best I feel
• 47:47
  Speaker 2: like this. You know, I walk away from the rink
• 47:50
  Speaker 2: thinking this, and what do I.
• 47:55
  Speaker 1: Think I do well?
• 47:55
  Speaker 2: And what are the things that I think I can
• 47:57
  Speaker 2: work on and then we have this kind of conversation
• 47:59
  Speaker 2: where there's an ability for me to see them and
• 48:03
  Speaker 2: them to acknowledge that I am hearing and listening, and
• 48:06
  Speaker 2: then oftentimes I'm unlocking things for them that they haven't seen.
• 48:10
  Speaker 2: But you're saying you can't do this, but you do
• 48:12
  Speaker 2: this really well, and you know if you can shift
• 48:17
  Speaker 2: the framework for them to see, Wait a minute, like
• 48:23
  Speaker 2: this coach actually thinks I'm more than I am of myself.
• 48:26
  Speaker 2: There's this permission of oh wait, there's a whole other
• 48:30
  Speaker 2: level that I can reach, and that's something that like
• 48:32
  Speaker 2: I said, that process with a younger player is very
• 48:36
  Speaker 2: different than a veteran player. But when you sit and
• 48:39
  Speaker 2: you define it, then I just create weekly action items
• 48:42
  Speaker 2: or priorities like okay, if you want to be let's
• 48:44
  Speaker 2: just the centerman and the best in the face off circle,
• 48:48
  Speaker 2: then you need to be taking face offs every week
• 48:51
  Speaker 2: and working on so let's be committed to dropping twenty
• 48:55
  Speaker 2: pucks and working on a post practice like I'm going
• 48:57
  Speaker 2: to come find you or you come find.
• 48:58
  Speaker 1: Me, and you lead it.
• 48:59
  Speaker 2: But there then an accountability piece of like you can
• 49:02
  Speaker 2: say you want to be these things but when you're
• 49:04
  Speaker 2: at your best, you're winning face offs. Therefore we can
• 49:07
  Speaker 2: define a plan, and that plan then highlights those little
• 49:10
  Speaker 2: goals that I think starts to unlock the one percent,
• 49:13
  Speaker 2: the two percent, the ten percent. But for me, it's
• 49:17
  Speaker 2: always what we come back to, especially after a bad game.
• 49:19
  Speaker 2: It's like, we know you weren't moving your feet and
• 49:22
  Speaker 2: that's that's not who you are. So it's already a
• 49:24
  Speaker 2: place from like an accountability. But then you can come
• 49:27
  Speaker 2: back to let's get back to work, let's focus where
• 49:30
  Speaker 2: we lost sight of. But it just becomes this bond
• 49:34
  Speaker 2: between coach and player to figure out what are those
• 49:37
  Speaker 2: one percent gains and how do we get to them
• 49:39
  Speaker 2: and how do we create that process of working on
• 49:41
  Speaker 2: it every day because that's how you get it.
• 49:43
  Speaker 3: Yeah, it's so fun to see you talk about enabling
• 49:49
  Speaker 3: the athlete to articulate who it is that they are,
• 49:52
  Speaker 3: however they see themselves, and then using that picture to
• 49:56
  Speaker 3: be like, Okay, this is how you see yourself, So
• 49:58
  Speaker 3: this is what the next step is.
• 50:00
  Speaker 4: Is right?
• 50:00
  Speaker 3: That baseline is super critical. When you're performing at your best,
• 50:06
  Speaker 3: what does that feel.
• 50:06
  Speaker 1: Like for you? Who?
• 50:09
  Speaker 2: Well, so much of our job is results based winning
• 50:12
  Speaker 2: and losing. So obviously after a win, when the team
• 50:16
  Speaker 2: performs to the x's and o's, that you drop as
• 50:19
  Speaker 2: a coach.
• 50:19
  Speaker 1: I mean, that's the greatest feeling.
• 50:21
  Speaker 2: Because you give them a plan, they have the skill
• 50:23
  Speaker 2: and the ability to go out and execute it. So
• 50:25
  Speaker 2: when they do, and you know, you have that glance
• 50:28
  Speaker 2: on the bench, it's like there's a huge fulfillment.
• 50:31
  Speaker 1: I get it.
• 50:31
  Speaker 2: It's my teachers teach you see the impact. But these
• 50:34
  Speaker 2: are some of the best players in the world. So
• 50:36
  Speaker 2: when I can just make minor adjustments in their game,
• 50:39
  Speaker 2: they go out and do it and it makes a
• 50:40
  Speaker 2: difference to our team's result. I feel like, Okay, this
• 50:43
  Speaker 2: is this is the golden coaching at the highest level.
• 50:45
  Speaker 2: To find those details, define them, communicate them, give them
• 50:49
  Speaker 2: the tools and confidence to go out and execute it.
• 50:52
  Speaker 2: And it's so cool. It's really cool to watch that.
• 50:55
  Speaker 2: And I love seeing, especially our younger players go and
• 51:00
  Speaker 2: take steps that they have yet lived because it reminds
• 51:03
  Speaker 2: me of myself so much of like, you haven't gone there,
• 51:06
  Speaker 2: but when you get there.
• 51:06
  Speaker 1: I know you're going to get there, you're in the process.
• 51:08
  Speaker 2: But when you do and then they get there, there's
• 51:10
  Speaker 2: a moment of like, this is what it's about, and
• 51:13
  Speaker 2: like you said, there's still so much more to come.
• 51:16
  Speaker 3: And they're so lucky to have someone that like gets
• 51:18
  Speaker 3: excited for them in that way. You look back on
• 51:22
  Speaker 3: your first year with the Kraken, what would you say
• 51:25
  Speaker 3: has been the peach and the pit?
• 51:28
  Speaker 2: Ooh oh man, Okay, Well, I think that the hockey
• 51:32
  Speaker 2: season presents so many challenges and waves, like literally, you
• 51:39
  Speaker 2: go through growing pains, you go through successes, you come together,
• 51:43
  Speaker 2: you know, the team goes through all of It's like
• 51:45
  Speaker 2: in a family would growing pains, and so you live
• 51:48
  Speaker 2: that as the coaches, and so I think the pit
• 51:51
  Speaker 2: for me to address first is that you carry it
• 51:54
  Speaker 2: so much more as a coach and as a player
• 51:57
  Speaker 2: you're in control and you would almost maybe think this
• 51:59
  Speaker 2: was be flipped. But I can speak to this as
• 52:02
  Speaker 2: a player, you don't feel losses the same way you
• 52:04
  Speaker 2: do as a coach. As a coach, you go back home,
• 52:07
  Speaker 2: you lose sleep over it, You go back to the
• 52:10
  Speaker 2: drawing board, you try to find a new answer, but
• 52:12
  Speaker 2: you realize the answer is what it was. You just
• 52:14
  Speaker 2: got to stick to it or you have to ask
• 52:16
  Speaker 2: harder questions and you just live in that. You have
• 52:18
  Speaker 2: to live in that loss longer to navigate what's the
• 52:21
  Speaker 2: next step or what's the answer. So for me, that
• 52:24
  Speaker 2: was there was some challenges around going through that more
• 52:27
  Speaker 2: emotionally on just the microscopic level of the National Hockey
• 52:31
  Speaker 2: League where wins and losses are far more analyzed.
• 52:36
  Speaker 3: Do you think that that is specific to you as
• 52:39
  Speaker 3: a coach and your personality and being an empathetic person
• 52:42
  Speaker 3: if you think that's across all coaches.
• 52:44
  Speaker 2: I think every coach would attest that it's something real.
• 52:47
  Speaker 2: For me, probably more because I carry a lot of
• 52:50
  Speaker 2: I do everything wholeheartedly and try to pour myself into
• 52:54
  Speaker 2: sometimes things that I realized the veteran coaches I'm taking
• 52:57
  Speaker 2: mentorship from, they're like, you can't care so much, unlike
• 53:00
  Speaker 2: you're right. So I'm learning the balance of like, you know,
• 53:03
  Speaker 2: being like just a it's a double edged sword really
• 53:07
  Speaker 2: to that approach.
• 53:08
  Speaker 1: But it is real.
• 53:09
  Speaker 4: Yeah, it is real, Okay, the peach, it's pretty cool.
• 53:13
  Speaker 1: You know.
• 53:13
  Speaker 2: This This year for me was obviously different from any
• 53:17
  Speaker 2: hockey season because I was coaching and I was so
• 53:20
  Speaker 2: in the trenches of being behind the bench and obviously
• 53:24
  Speaker 2: doing my job. But then I felt like there was
• 53:26
  Speaker 2: this whole other world and movement and thing happening behind me,
• 53:30
  Speaker 2: with fan base and young girls and even young boys
• 53:34
  Speaker 2: and women coming behind the bench and warm ups with
• 53:36
  Speaker 2: signs and tears and Campbell shirts and things where.
• 53:40
  Speaker 1: I never imagined that.
• 53:42
  Speaker 2: You know, if you would have told me ten five,
• 53:44
  Speaker 2: ten years ago that you'd be in this position, there
• 53:47
  Speaker 2: would be little girls holding up signs, Sam, I can
• 53:50
  Speaker 2: coach in the NHL someday, or I dream.
• 53:53
  Speaker 1: Of being you, I would pinch me.
• 53:55
  Speaker 2: But I never thought that that could ever be in
• 53:58
  Speaker 2: the position of blazing a trail and doing it in
• 54:02
  Speaker 2: a way where I get to do what I love
• 54:04
  Speaker 2: every single day. You know, it's the greatest gift and honor,
• 54:07
  Speaker 2: and I just feel so much pride and just motivated
• 54:11
  Speaker 2: through having that purpose and intent behind what I do.
• 54:15
  Speaker 2: Because anytime you get to lace up the skates for
• 54:19
  Speaker 2: me and get to share my love and passion for hockey,
• 54:23
  Speaker 2: it's already the greatest job in the world. But when
• 54:25
  Speaker 2: you get to do it with knowing that something good
• 54:29
  Speaker 2: can come of it, or a new dream can be
• 54:31
  Speaker 2: you know, imagined, or a new conversation can be had
• 54:34
  Speaker 2: at the dinner table after a game, or a new
• 54:37
  Speaker 2: hockey fan becomes one just because they now see themselves
• 54:40
  Speaker 2: in a space that they've never imagined before. And to
• 54:43
  Speaker 2: do that in a city like Seattle, a new hockey market,
• 54:46
  Speaker 2: where sometimes I see young kids it's their first game
• 54:50
  Speaker 2: ever and they won't ever know a day in men's
• 54:54
  Speaker 2: professional sports that a woman doesn't belong in it. And
• 54:57
  Speaker 2: to me, that doesn't just say something to young girls
• 55:00
  Speaker 2: a minute, it says something to young boys as well,
• 55:02
  Speaker 2: and what leadership can look like, and that visibility is
• 55:06
  Speaker 2: really not that important that you can still you can
• 55:11
  Speaker 2: still have the permission to believe in dreams that seem crazy.
• 55:14
  Speaker 2: And obviously I take back what I just said around
• 55:17
  Speaker 2: visibility is not important, because it is important, but it
• 55:19
  Speaker 2: doesn't truly matter in the end, because you can do
• 55:22
  Speaker 2: things that look hard to others, are unimaginable, and I
• 55:26
  Speaker 2: feel the greatest joy in the world they get to
• 55:27
  Speaker 2: do that in a city that takes a lot of.
• 55:29
  Speaker 3: Pride in It's so awesome and I can't even imagine
• 55:32
  Speaker 3: the feelings that come up as you are standing at
• 55:34
  Speaker 3: that bench and you see signs behind you and young
• 55:37
  Speaker 3: girls behind you, and it's just something.
• 55:39
  Speaker 4: That when you were a young girl, you didn't see right.
• 55:42
  Speaker 1: And I couldn't.
• 55:43
  Speaker 2: There's you know, there was a moment this year that
• 55:46
  Speaker 2: kind of inspired this little creative movement.
• 55:50
  Speaker 1: Through through my year.
• 55:51
  Speaker 2: But there was a little girl that came to a
• 55:52
  Speaker 2: first NHLD game in Dallas and she brought a friendship
• 55:56
  Speaker 2: bracelet in it it said JC run the World on it.
• 56:01
  Speaker 2: It was the cutest little thing and it had a
• 56:02
  Speaker 2: number eight.
• 56:04
  Speaker 1: She threw it over the glass.
• 56:05
  Speaker 2: Her mom was like, you know, filming the whole thing,
• 56:07
  Speaker 2: and she threw it all the way over the over
• 56:09
  Speaker 2: the boards, landed on the ice. A couple of our
• 56:11
  Speaker 2: guys skated over it, almost picked it up, brought it over,
• 56:15
  Speaker 2: took a moment like had a good little chuckle and laugh,
• 56:17
  Speaker 2: but you could see there was an acknowledgment of what
• 56:19
  Speaker 2: that meant between our players, the little girl for me,
• 56:23
  Speaker 2: and that was a moment where I realized, you know what,
• 56:26
  Speaker 2: I have to do more.
• 56:27
  Speaker 1: I need to do my.
• 56:28
  Speaker 2: Job, but I can do more of connecting with young kids.
• 56:32
  Speaker 2: And so you know, my best friend started making friendship
• 56:35
  Speaker 2: bracelets for me, and now you know, I try to
• 56:37
  Speaker 2: give them out at every game when I can find
• 56:39
  Speaker 2: a way to connect with a fan because you just
• 56:41
  Speaker 2: never know. And I think to that little girl, if
• 56:43
  Speaker 2: that was me, what that would have meant for me
• 56:45
  Speaker 2: in that moment. So I'm trying to just be as
• 56:48
  Speaker 2: present with it all, take it all in and learn
• 56:51
  Speaker 2: along the way. But it is a crazy, beautiful journey
• 56:55
  Speaker 2: and hockey's the best sport in the world.
• 56:58
  Speaker 4: The doors are opening and it's exciting.
• 57:01
  Speaker 3: And as you look ahead, now, what would you say
• 57:05
  Speaker 3: are the goals on your horizon?
• 57:09
  Speaker 2: I mean, my first goal and primary goal is I
• 57:11
  Speaker 2: want to win a Stanley Cup. I really want to
• 57:15
  Speaker 2: lift and hoists to Stanley Cup like I did and
• 57:17
  Speaker 2: dreamt of as a kid. That would be the first
• 57:21
  Speaker 2: primary focus.
• 57:22
  Speaker 1: Beyond that, I mean, I don't know.
• 57:24
  Speaker 2: I could see myself as a head coach one day
• 57:28
  Speaker 2: and regardless of when and how, and just going to
• 57:31
  Speaker 2: follow my path and try to develop as much as
• 57:33
  Speaker 2: I can as.
• 57:34
  Speaker 1: A coach and see where that goes. But I do.
• 57:38
  Speaker 2: Believe still that there's some unknowns and some barriers to
• 57:42
  Speaker 2: be broken, and maybe someone does it before.
• 57:44
  Speaker 1: Me, that would be even greater.
• 57:46
  Speaker 2: Yeah, but we're in a spot now, I think in
• 57:48
  Speaker 2: sport and women are in our industry now holding the
• 57:53
  Speaker 2: door open for others, and it's you know, We've had
• 57:57
  Speaker 2: allies that have walked through the door with us, and
• 58:00
  Speaker 2: seats are at the table, and I'm just one of
• 58:02
  Speaker 2: many that I'm really proud of being on a long
• 58:04
  Speaker 2: list of in the league. So to know what could come,
• 58:07
  Speaker 2: I would be crazy to still say I don't know,
• 58:10
  Speaker 2: but got to win a Stanley Cup.
• 58:13
  Speaker 3: God. I mean, can you even imagine if you told
• 58:15
  Speaker 3: yourself like ten years ago that you would be saying
• 58:18
  Speaker 3: the sentence like one day aspire to be a head coach.
• 58:20
  Speaker 4: In the NHL.
• 58:22
  Speaker 2: No, I probably wouldn't have believed you, right, nor would
• 58:25
  Speaker 2: many of people.
• 58:26
  Speaker 3: Yeah, it's so it's so spectacular and so magical and truly, again,
• 58:30
  Speaker 3: such a testament to your work ethic and how far
• 58:33
  Speaker 3: that you've come. Right now, someone goes to your Instagram
• 58:37
  Speaker 3: page and they see you standing as an assistant coach
• 58:41
  Speaker 3: in the NHL, someone that is paving the way for
• 58:44
  Speaker 3: so many. When they see you, they think that they
• 58:47
  Speaker 3: too can aspire to be you and whatever that looks
• 58:50
  Speaker 3: like for them in their own capacity.
• 58:51
  Speaker 4: But when you look in.
• 58:53
  Speaker 3: The mirror, Jessica, what is it that you see looking
• 58:56
  Speaker 3: back at you.
• 58:58
  Speaker 2: Wow. I don't know if anyone has asked me that
• 59:00
  Speaker 2: question before. I see someone who is full of passion
• 59:10
  Speaker 2: and drive and determination to be the best version of themself.
• 59:17
  Speaker 4: Every day.
• 59:18
  Speaker 1: I see someone who's vulnerable and.
• 59:21
  Speaker 2: Failed a lot along the way. But in turn, I
• 59:24
  Speaker 2: think I see strength. And I know that when I
• 59:26
  Speaker 2: show up every day and I lace up my skates
• 59:30
  Speaker 2: and again I look in the mirror and I tie
• 59:32
  Speaker 2: my hairback, I know that I see that person. I
• 59:34
  Speaker 2: see the person that can make a difference in someone
• 59:36
  Speaker 2: else's lives, and that I have gifts and abilities given
• 59:39
  Speaker 2: to me as a coach and as a leader to
• 59:42
  Speaker 2: share it and to.
• 59:43
  Speaker 1: Not hold it back.
• 59:44
  Speaker 2: And you know, I always try to remind myself of
• 59:48
  Speaker 2: that power, and I think that starts with who you
• 59:51
  Speaker 2: look at, and being able to look in the mirror
• 59:53
  Speaker 2: is sometimes harder, and having real conversations with yourself and
• 59:57
  Speaker 2: letting go of some of the fears and the unknown
• 1:00:00
  Speaker 2: and the things that I think can just completely distract
• 1:00:05
  Speaker 2: what we're capable of doing, and looking at the core
• 1:00:08
  Speaker 2: of who we are and how that can make up
• 1:00:10
  Speaker 2: people better.
• 1:00:11
  Speaker 1: That's who I see.
• 1:00:12
  Speaker 4: Yeah, I would be your amans.
• 1:00:14
  Speaker 3: I mean it sounds like you're feeling quite fulfilled in
• 1:00:16
  Speaker 3: your professional career.
• 1:00:18
  Speaker 4: How are you feeling personally?
• 1:00:20
  Speaker 1: I am now in the off season.
• 1:00:22
  Speaker 2: Unfortunately we didn't make playoffs, so still discouraged by the
• 1:00:25
  Speaker 2: way it ended. But at the same time, I feel
• 1:00:28
  Speaker 2: hopeful and excited knowing you know, when you're under my belt,
• 1:00:31
  Speaker 2: learned a lot, saw a lot, felt a lot. I
• 1:00:34
  Speaker 2: would be lying if I didn't say I was tired.
• 1:00:37
  Speaker 4: Yeah, totally understanding.
• 1:00:38
  Speaker 1: Probably can hear it to my voice.
• 1:00:39
  Speaker 2: I'm definitely trying to do a lot or reflecting. So
• 1:00:43
  Speaker 2: I think I'm feeling a lot of emotions, especially as
• 1:00:45
  Speaker 2: of late, of just navigating what the whole year meant,
• 1:00:49
  Speaker 2: what's to come, and knowing how I can play a
• 1:00:52
  Speaker 2: big part in the next step next year, but at
• 1:00:55
  Speaker 2: the same time reflecting on how great this year was
• 1:01:00
  Speaker 2: for me and allowing myself to feel the goods and
• 1:01:02
  Speaker 2: the highs and the lows and come to a place say, okay,
• 1:01:06
  Speaker 2: let's use that again.
• 1:01:07
  Speaker 1: Is fuel to the fire, and you'll chase another year.
• 1:01:10
  Speaker 2: Me.
• 1:01:10
  Speaker 4: How do you feel personally?
• 1:01:12
  Speaker 3: You let me talk about how I'm preparing for my
• 1:01:14
  Speaker 3: next year of work.
• 1:01:17
  Speaker 2: Yeah, as I'm unpacked, as I haven't digesting it all,
• 1:01:20
  Speaker 2: unpacking it.
• 1:01:21
  Speaker 1: I'm also preparing the beauty of coaching. You have no time,
• 1:01:25
  Speaker 1: no time, no.
• 1:01:26
  Speaker 3: I totally understand, and I am very much operating from
• 1:01:29
  Speaker 3: the same engine.
• 1:01:30
  Speaker 4: So I hear that.
• 1:01:31
  Speaker 3: Well, as we wind down here right now, you have
• 1:01:33
  Speaker 3: an opportunity to offer yourself a piece of advice. Let's
• 1:01:36
  Speaker 3: go back to the hurdle moment where you weren't sure
• 1:01:39
  Speaker 3: what was going to happen for you next professionally. You
• 1:01:41
  Speaker 3: know you were doing these workshops and hoping to figure
• 1:01:45
  Speaker 3: it out, but it was well before you knew that
• 1:01:47
  Speaker 3: that email was going to hit your inbox. Right now,
• 1:01:50
  Speaker 3: knowing what you know now, what advice would you offer
• 1:01:53
  Speaker 3: yourself going through that hurdle moment?
• 1:01:57
  Speaker 2: I would say that usually the scariest moment is going
• 1:02:03
  Speaker 2: to be the catalyst or the defining moment for what's
• 1:02:09
  Speaker 2: the greatest thing to come and to embrace it. I
• 1:02:12
  Speaker 2: think in that moment, I was terrified. I was concerned.
• 1:02:16
  Speaker 2: I didn't know how to live in that space and
• 1:02:19
  Speaker 2: embrace that feeling. But I had to just trust and
• 1:02:21
  Speaker 2: let go. And I'm not someone who's ever been good
• 1:02:24
  Speaker 2: at just letting go and letting go of control, and
• 1:02:28
  Speaker 2: so I would tell myself to let go and just
• 1:02:31
  Speaker 2: trust and know that it's going to happen if it's
• 1:02:33
  Speaker 2: meant to happen. If it doesn't happen, it will eventually
• 1:02:36
  Speaker 2: read this will redirect you to what's supposed to happen.
• 1:02:39
  Speaker 2: So trust that process and figure out how to let
• 1:02:42
  Speaker 2: go of the fear and the anxiety that comes with
• 1:02:46
  Speaker 2: not being able to control outcomes, because they're going to
• 1:02:49
  Speaker 2: happen anyways, for the right reasons.
• 1:02:50
  Speaker 4: They're going to happen anyways.
• 1:02:52
  Speaker 3: Jessica Gamble, I'm so excited that we were able to
• 1:02:54
  Speaker 3: do this today. For those that want to keep up
• 1:02:56
  Speaker 3: with you, follow along with you. Where do they find
• 1:02:58
  Speaker 3: you on the internet? Supio Weight that's it.
• 1:03:02
  Speaker 1: That's it.
• 1:03:03
  Speaker 3: I'm over at Emily a Body and at Hurdle Podcast.
• 1:03:06
  Speaker 3: Another Hurdle Conquered. Catch you guys next time.