Behind the Gear National Skill Development Association

Never Give Up! It was a pleasure to get the opportunity to talk some hockey with Jason Brooks. Jason shares his hockey journey from minor hockey, playing Jr. B, making the OHL, overcoming injuries and deciding to pursue coaching at a young age. Following his playing days Jason’s coached over 13 years in the OHL, … BEHIND THE GEAR Episode 118: Jason Brooks – The Ups and Downs of Hockey, Coaching and Life Read More »

What a Hockey/Life Journey! It was great to catch up with Alan Keeso, he’s an awesome human with more than just an amazing hockey journey, he has an unreal life journey filled with great stories and insights. Alan is from the small town of Listowel ON, where his work ethic began at an early age, … BEHIND THE GEAR Episode 117: Alan Keeso – From Listowel ON, Jr, NCAA, Canadian Army, Oxford Univ Read More »

Part 2: In our first episode (#103) Aaron Snow came on and shared his hockey journey sharing some great stories and touched on his battles with mental illness and addiction. In part 2 we re-live some of his fun memories of playing in the OHL, being drafted to the NHL but we also dive into … BEHIND THE GEAR Episode 116: Aaron Snow – Part 2 – The early years, Mental Health and Addiction Read More »

Hockey Talk! It’s always fun to have Kevin Galerno and Wade Russell, 2 professional skill coaches, on the podcast to hear what they are seeing in the rinks and on the ice. We discuss a variety of topics, player development and the roles parents can play when trying to motivate and help players succeed, social … BEHIND THE GEAR Episode 115: Kevin Galerno and Wade Russell – Hockey Talk Read More »

Hockey Dad! This episode was a blast, we were joined by Kevin’s father, Kenny Galerno. Kenny played multiple sports, he was a hockey player, hockey coach and a hockey dad. Kevin and I had a lot of fun picking Kenny’s brain on parenting, coaching, being a hockey dad and how to navigate the hockey world. … BEHIND THE GEAR Episode 114: Kenny and Kevin Galerno – A Hockey Journey Through Dad’s Eyes Read More »

Earn It!! It was a lot of fun to talk with Mitch Brooks, at the young age of 25 he shares some interesting perspectives and insights into his hockey journey. Like many players Mitch had a minor hockey wake up call when he was cut from his AAA team at 13, he talks about how … BEHIND THE GEAR Episode 113: Mitch Brooks – Earning It – From Jr C to University Hockey Read More »