Adam welcomes back Sean Connors, Hockey Director in Oklahoma City and a Texas Hockey League board member. Together, they dive into Sean’s journey through hockey, the resilience needed after setbacks, and the role of cuts in athlete development. Sean explains his work representing out-of-market hockey programs in the THL and their efforts to create balanced, competitive play across diverse markets. They discuss supporting Oklahoma’s hockey growth and how educating parents in southern hockey markets is crucial. The episode closes with a positive shout-out to young athletes and the vibrant Oklahoma hockey community.

00:00:00 – 00:01:40 Host Adam Larson welcomes listeners to The Face Off Spot and gives a shoutout to his sponsor, Play It Again Sports in Mansfield. He introduces returning guest Sean Connors, Hockey Director in Oklahoma City and Texas Hockey League board member.

00:01:40 – 00:06:00 Sean discusses his hockey background: starting as a kid in Canada, playing junior hockey, turning pro, and getting cut from teams repeatedly until his persistence paid off with a Montreal Canadiens camp invite. Adam and Sean reflect on how getting cut can actually motivate young athletes.

00:06:00 – 00:09:30 They dive deeper into the importance of resilience, using Sean’s own experience and his son’s journey as an example. Sean emphasizes that loving the game is the key to pushing through setbacks.

00:09:30 – 00:17:30 Adam asks Sean about his role on the Texas Hockey League board as a representative for “out-of-market” programs like Oklahoma City, Tulsa, and Houston. Sean explains how he advocates for these smaller markets and ensures fair competition and representation in the league.

00:17:30 – 00:24:00 They discuss the challenge of creating balanced matchups in youth hockey to avoid lopsided wins or losses, and how the leveling committee is working to place teams at the correct skill level.

00:24:00 – 00:33:00 Conversation expands into classifying players (AA, A, birth-year teams) and how it differs for smaller markets versus large markets like Dallas. Sean describes how their focus is on putting kids in situations where they can develop and succeed, rather than fixating on labels.

00:33:00 – 00:38:30 Sean shares a vision for the future of Oklahoma hockey and the THL: growth, sustainability, and providing resources to educate families about hockey’s unique development path compared to other sports.

00:38:30 – 00:45:00 They talk about the extra responsibility of educating parents in the South about the hockey development journey, compared to more established hockey regions like Canada. Sean reflects on how even he had to adjust to sending his son to play AAA hockey away from home.

00:45:00 – 00:46:15 In the “Shout Out” segment, Sean dedicates his shout out to all the kids he’s coached over the past decade, thanking them for teaching him as much as he taught them. Adam echoes his support and gives a shout out to Oklahoma hockey as a whole.