The Total Female Hockey Podcast

Coach Kim McCullough
  • 5.0 (13)
  • Hockey
  • Semiweekly

Coach Kim McCullough, Director & Founder of Total Female Hockey, shares the information and inspiration that players, coaches and teams need to take their game to the next level.

  1. 6d ago

    Would Body Checking Make Girls Hockey Better?

    Would body checking make girls’ hockey better? My short answer is yes—if we introduce it thoughtfully and prepare players properly. In this episode, I share my perspective as a former pro player and longtime coach on how more physicality could change our game, from scanning and decision-making to confidence and contact readiness. In this 25 minute episode, we dive into: The history of body checking in women’s hockey and what we can learn from the PWHL. Why anticipating contact could change how players see the ice, protect the puck and support their teammates. My experience playing through rule changes—and what I’ve noticed as a coach. The question of safety, injury risk and whether better preparation is the biggest missing piece. What introducing checking could mean for different ages and levels—and why physicality belongs in player development right now. Whatever the rules allow, we need to prepare girls for the physical game they already play. SHARE: Share this episode with a teammate, parent or coach—and let me know where you stand on body checking in girls’ hockey! 🟠 Want me as your personal Hockey IQ coach all season long? Join The Orange Machine for weekly video breakdowns featuring the best female players in the world. I’ll show you what to look for, why it matters and how to apply it to your own game—so you can make smarter decisions and become more of a threat with and without the puck. 👉 Join The Orange Machine

    Would Body Checking Make Girls Hockey Better?

  2. Oct 21

    The Hardest Age Group to Coach

    The Hardest Age Group to Coach Which age group is the hardest to coach—and why might it also be the most rewarding? In this 32 minute episode, Coach Kim shares her experiences behind the bench, from teaching U9 players the basics to helping U22 players reach their college hockey dreams . It’s an honest look at what players need at each stage and why great coaching always comes back to communication, relationships and trust. In this episode: Why U15 is the toughest: Balancing exciting hockey development with changing social dynamics and pressure about the next level. The U18 and U22 challenge: Building a team while navigating recruiting, college opportunities and competing priorities. Why U13 is a huge Hockey IQ opportunity: Connecting skills with reads and decisions without turning players into robots. What matters most at U9 and U11: Simple teaching, confidence, lots of repetitions and a love of the game. Finding the right coaching fit: Why team culture and relationships matter alongside the X’s and O’s. 🧠 Help your daughter think the game for herself. The Orange Machine gives her Coach Kim as her personal Hockey IQ coach, with weekly video breakdowns featuring elite female players and practical takeaways she can apply in practices and games. Help her recognize pressure, find space and make smarter decisions—with and without the puck. 👉 Join The Orange Machine

    The Hardest Age Group to Coach

  3. Oct 14

    5 Things I Wish I Knew As A Young Player

    🧠 Want Coach Kim as your personal hockey IQ coach this season? Join ⁠⁠⁠⁠The Orange Machine⁠⁠⁠⁠ and learn how to think the game better. What would Coach Kim tell her younger self? In this 26 minute episode, she shares five lessons from her playing and coaching career about confidence, relationships, recovery and enjoying the game. It’s an honest look at chasing big goals while making room for the people and experiences that make hockey special. In this episode: Your performance is not your identity: Why a bad game doesn’t define you as a player or a person. Take the blinders off: How connecting with teammates matters just as much as focusing on your own performance. Listen to your body: What Coach Kim learned from pushing through injuries and undervaluing recovery. Embrace mistakes: How to move past the last play and see opportunities in what happens next. Have more fun: Why the moments you remember most might have nothing to do with the scoreboard. Whether you’re a player, parent or coach, these lessons are a reminder to work hard, dream big and enjoy the journey. SHARE: Please feel free to share this episode with any coaches, parents, teams or associations that want to take their game to the next level.

    5 Things I Wish I Knew As A Young Player

  4. Oct 7

    Stop Yelling. Start Trusting.

    🧠 Want Coach Kim as your personal hockey IQ coach this season? Join ⁠⁠⁠The Orange Machine⁠⁠⁠ and learn how to think the game better. You’re yelling “Pass!” or “Skate!” because you want to help—but could those instructions be making it harder for your players to learn? In this episode, Coach Kim shares why constant “yelling and telling” can disrupt focus, limit decision-making and undermine confidence. Drawing on her own coaching experience and an unexpected lesson from the squash court, she explains how to give players more room to think, compete and grow. In this episode: Why even well-intentioned yelling can hurt more than it helps. How directing every play takes away opportunities to develop Hockey IQ. Why players need to learn from mistakes and own their great decisions. The difference between useful team cues and constant instructions. How to turn what you see in games into better teaching at practice. A candid message for coaches and parents: teach in practice, trust in games and let players learn. SHARE: Please feel free to share this episode with any coaches, parents, teams or associations that need to take their communication to the next level.

    Stop Yelling. Start Trusting.

  5. Sep 30

    Making Plays Under Pressure

    🧠 Want Coach Kim as your personal hockey IQ coach this season? Join ⁠⁠The Orange Machine⁠⁠ and learn how to think the game better. Make Plays Under Pressure Making plays under pressure is a five-player skill—and your work starts before the puck ever touches your stick. In this episode, Coach Kim breaks down how to make better decisions with the puck and help your teammates create options without it. Learn simple Hockey IQ habits you can take into your next practice or game. In this episode: Scan, read, decide, act: Four steps to making better plays under pressure. Be “second quick”: Beat their second player into a close support position and create two-on-ones all over the ice. Get "dangerous": Get lost, arrive on time and be puck-ready. Support the breakout: How all five players help your team escape pressure with possession. Create better options: Why standing still and calling for the puck won’t cut it. 🧠 Want me as your personal Hockey IQ coach all season long? Join The Orange Machine for weekly video breakdowns featuring the best female players in the world, plus instant access to 70+ videos with practical takeaways you can use in your own game. Join by Friday, October 2 at midnight to get live access to our October 11 Hockey IQ Kickstart group call. In this 60-minute session, we’ll set your Hockey IQ goal, build your personal plan for the season and work through a guide together—with time to ask me questions. 👉 Join The Orange Machine Listening after the deadline? You can still join, explore the video library and access the Kickstart recording once it’s available. SHARE: Please pass this episode along to any friends, teammates, coaches or colleagues that want to take their hockey IQ to the next level.

    Making Plays Under Pressure

  6. Sep 23

    The 10-Minute Advantage

    🧠 Want Coach Kim as your personal hockey IQ coach? Join ⁠The Orange Machine⁠ and learn how to think the game better. What could 10 extra minutes a day do for your game? Over a hockey season, that adds up to 40 extra hours of preparation—and a whole lot of opportunities to get better. In this episode, Coach Kim shares personal stories and practical ways players, coaches and parents can use those minutes to build skills, improve hockey IQ and develop lasting confidence. In this episode: Players: Simple ways to work on stickhandling, shooting and quick feet—without needing more ice time.Hockey IQ: How to watch beyond the puck and bring lessons from The Orange Machine into your next practice or game.Mental game: Using visualization to build confidence, sharpen focus and bounce back from mistakes.Coaches: Making the most of short, position-specific conversations that give players a clear purpose.Parents: Preparing food, supporting daily habits and helping your daughter take ownership of her development.Consistency: Why even a couple of minutes counts—and how to keep a missed day from becoming a missed month. Take the time. Make the time. Start with your 10 minutes today. SHARE: Please pass this episode along to any friends, teammates, coaches or colleagues that want to take their game to the next level.

    The 10-Minute Advantage

  7. Sep 16

    Can Hockey IQ Be Taught?

    🧠 Grow Your Hockey IQ: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join The Orange Machine⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Can hockey IQ actually be taught—or are some players simply born with it? In this episode, Coach Kim breaks down how players learn to see the ice, recognize patterns, make smarter decisions and take better actions both with and without the puck. In this episode, you’ll learn: The four steps of Hockey IQ: Scan, Read, Decide and ActWhy great Hockey IQ can look like instinct—but is actually developed through experience and repetitionHow pickup hockey, watching full games and playing other sports build smarter playersWhy highlight clips show the “magic,” but often miss the reads that created itThe difference between practicing skills and learning when, where and why to use themHow coaches can add options, pressure and decision-making to drillsSimple ways players, parents and coaches can start developing Hockey IQ today Hockey IQ doesn’t just fall from the sky—and it shouldn’t be left to chance. SHARE: Please pass this episode along to any friends, teammates, coaches or colleagues that want to take their hockey IQ to the next level. 🏒🧠 WANT TO TAKE YOUR HOCKEY IQ TO THE NEXT LEVEL? Join ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Orange Machine⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ — your secret weapon to building next level hockey IQ and confidence this season. Have Coach Kim as your personal hockey IQ coach all season long!  What You Get as a Member of The Orange Machine: 🎥 Weekly hockey IQ video breakdowns of the best female players in the world 📝 Simple takeaways you can use right away in games & practices 📚 Parent & coach cheat sheets you can use to reinforce key concepts 🎯 Full access to 60+ video breakdowns & 12 PWHL spotlights 🔄 On-demand training she can revisit anytime 👩‍🏫 Me, Coach Kim, as your personal Hockey IQ coach all year Click here to join ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Orange Machine⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    Can Hockey IQ Be Taught?

  8. Sep 9

    Use These 4Cs To Stand Out This Season

    🧠 Grow Your Hockey IQ: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join The Orange Machine⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ What makes a player stand out for all the right reasons—at any age or level? In this episode, Coach Kim breaks down the 4 Cs every player can control: compete, consistency, coachability and confidence. These four can be career makers—or deal breakers—in the eyes of coaches and scouts. In this episode: Why compete level is the most important quality a player can bringHow consistency separates good players from dependable onesWhat being truly coachable looks likeWhy stepping outside your comfort zone is essential for growthHow confidence is built through preparation—not goals, points or praiseCoach Kim’s journey from starting hockey at 13 to playing NCAA Division ISimple ways players can apply the four Cs on and off the ice Whether you’re 8 or 18, these four qualities can help you stand out and take your game to the next level. SHARE: Please pass this episode along to any friends, teammates, coaches or colleagues that want to stand out for all the right reasons this season. 🏒🧠 WANT TO TAKE YOUR HOCKEY IQ TO THE NEXT LEVEL? Join ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Orange Machine⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ — your secret weapon to building next level hockey IQ and confidence this season. Have Coach Kim as your personal hockey IQ coach all season long!  What You Get as a Member of The Orange Machine: 🎥 Weekly hockey IQ video breakdowns of the best female players in the world 📝 Simple takeaways you can use right away in games & practices 📚 Parent & coach cheat sheets you can use to reinforce key concepts 🎯 Full access to 60+ video breakdowns & 12 PWHL spotlights 🔄 On-demand training she can revisit anytime 👩‍🏫 Me, Coach Kim, as your personal Hockey IQ coach all year Click here to join ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Orange Machine⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    Use These 4Cs To Stand Out This Season
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Coach Kim McCullough, Director & Founder of Total Female Hockey, shares the information and inspiration that players, coaches and teams need to take their game to the next level.

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