Jack Skille Show Episode 6: Like father, like son

On Episode 6 of the Jack Skille Show we are joined by Lee Skille. Not only did Lee raise his son Jack to become a successful hockey player (and person), he was also a collegiate hockey player himself, and has decades of experience coaching youth and high school hockey. On this episode he discusses his own experiences in parenting and coaching.

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Show notes

  • 0:00 – Introducing Lee.
  • 3.45 – Lee’s own athletic background.
  • 8:00 – Playing for Bob Johnson and experiences at the University of Wisconsin.
  • 12:30 – Learning by playing: “If you have two hours on the ice each week, don’t waste time sitting on a knee drawing up a complex drill. If you spend more than a couple of minutes explaining a drill, you are wasting valuable time.” “Kids need to play hockey, just drop a puck out there and let them figure it out for themselves.”
  • 23:00 – Ice time and learning to love the game: “You have to learn how to be creative on the ice. That has been lost, partially because we don’t have the ice time any more. But you can create the ice time.”
  • 32:00 – Working hard.
  • 34:00 – Relinquishing control to let children fall in love with the game on their own.
  • 37:30 – Learning how to compete.
  • 41:00 – Being honest with parents: “Parents really want to do the best for their kids, but this is their first time doing it. If you can be honest. But there are systems that just want to make money and they tell people what they want to hear instead.”
  • 50:00 – Looking for opportunities for your kid.
  • 54:00 – Helping children overcome obstacles and struggles: “If something bad happens, something positive happens.”
  • 1:01:00 – What is your kid doing to develop.