If you have ever questioned the importance of your role in the lives of the players you coach, you won’t after watching this TCS Live presentation from Dr. Jody Carrington.

“Why do a bunch of hockey coaches need a child psychologist?”

Those are the first 11 words Dr. Jody Carrington said when she took the stage as the keynote speaker at TCS Live 2023. We had some big name coaches present during Hockey’s Premiere Coaching Conference,  and even Carrington was hilariously questioning why she was chosen to close out the event.

Those in attendance know exactly why she was selected as keynote speaker and now you can too.

Carrington is a Clinical Psychologist who has spent most of her career working with children and families who have experienced trauma. The native of Viking, Alberta, previously worked on the Mental Health Inpatient Units of the Alberta Children’s Hospital in Calgary for 10 years. Through her experience she’s developed an affinity for helping teams and organizations solve their most complex, human centered problems.

In addition to her work as a psychologist, she’s also the best selling author of three books, Kids These Days, Teachers These Days and the recently released Feeling Seen. 

Her 60-minute TCS Live presentation is focused on helping coaches lead a connected culture, which is learning how to connect with even the most difficult of children. Having helped over 1,000 kids in her life, Carrington says she has yet to meet a bad kid. They all simply need love and support – old school coaches, this lesson is especially important for you.

A lot of Carrington’s work is focused on the “Big People,” as she describes them, those in a position to look after the little people, aka kids. Through the relationships that young children have with their caregivers, they begin to develop the story of themselves and others around them. They decide two things: if they are worthy of love and support and if they are capable and competent beings. When they have these things in place, they have a much greater chance of developing into strong and healthy adults.

If you have ever questioned the importance of your role in the lives of the players you coach, you won’t after watching this presentation.

Watch as she shares how we connect with our players, the importance of staying regulated and self-care, and why “lighting up” is every coaches superpower.

Noteworthy timestamps:

• 2:00 Players haven’t changed, the world has changed
• 3:00 “What happened to you?” Not “What’s wrong with you?”
• 4:20 We’re playing by a set of rules that no longer exist
• 7:00 Why the concept of emotional regulation is the number one skill needed by kids
• 10:00 We’ve never been more disconnected than now
• 14:40 We were born with everything needed emotionally to coach
• 18:00 “We are all just here walking each other home.”
• 20:00 Highest rate of suicide is middle age men
• 22:00 Controlling our “flipped lid”
• 27:00 “If you’re not interested in building relationships with your players, get out.”
• 30:00 How the pandemic has blown up the mental health crises
• 32:00 The idea of burnout and emotional exhaustion
• 34:00 Sleep is the number one predictor of mental wellness
• 37:00 When your “give a shit” is broken
• 40:00 How to deal with inappropriate behaviour
• 42:50 Hockey has a problem with inclusion
• 44:00 The power of acknowledgment
• 47:40 Tips for helping people stay regulated
• 49:20 The importance of your people, your breath, your why