Dave Starman, Episode #113

Dave Starman

Dave Starman is a National TV and Radio Game and Studio Analyst for College Hockey and the World Juniors. He is entering his 20th year at CBS Sports Network as college hockey’s lead national analyst and his 15th year as the analyst for Team USA’s games on NHL Network at the World Junior Championships. This season will mark his 11th with ESPN as an analyst on their coverage of the NCAA Men’s NCAA National Tournament for Ice Hockey, The Frozen Four.

Dave is a level 5 USA Hockey master’s coach (since 2001) and has been an instructor in the Coaching Education and Player Development Programs for 25 years. Dave is a former NHL scout having spent 11 years with Toronto, Montreal, and most recently with NHL Seattle.

Currently, he is the Director of Player Development for the Long Beach Lightning in Long Beach, NY (the hometown of NHL defenseman Charlie McAvoy), goalie coach for the Long Beach Sharks of the NA3HL, and does a series of Hockey IQ vignettes for The Coaches Site, an international hockey coaching platform, called The Breakdown with Dave Starman.

Listen in for some great takeaways about Dave’s love of the game of hockey (and why it is the best sport around), and his thoughts on the future of the game.

You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in…

  • Learn more about Dave Starman’s career [4:23]
  • Why the World Juniors is the best amateur sporting event [8:24]
  • What youth sports can teach children about life [14:09]
  • How hockey is different from other sports [17:10]
  • Advice for parents dealing with challenging coaches [19:57]
  • What hockey players’ families need to know about the process [25:28]
  • The importance of practice-to-game ratio at the youth hockey level [28:37]
  • Dave’s thoughts about the future of college hockey [31:43]
  • How do we grow the game of hockey? [34:23]
  • Dave’s experience as a hockey Dad [38:34]
  • What Dave did today that brought him joy [43:18]

Dave’s experience on The World Juniors broadcast

Dave’s biggest takeaway from The World Juniors broadcast? It’s unpredictable. Dave has had a lot of play-by-play partners. They always look back on this tournament in amazement. These are the most elite 18–19-year-old hockey players in the world. It’s a three-week think tank. No matter how busy Dave is, when the World Juniors is happening, it’s all he focuses on. All of the legendary minds in the league are at the World Juniors.

When the US beat Canada in overtime, it was one of the greatest events Dave ever attended. It was an improbable victory that launched the United States as a member of the Big 5. Why is it so unpredictable? Listen to hear Dave’s thoughts.

What youth sports can teach children about life

According to Dave, youth sports will help you be successful in life. Why?

Youth sports teach you to get along with other people and work together as a group. Becoming a good teammate helps you become a good friend, partner, employee, boss, etc. Sometimes the objectives of the group supersede the objectives of the individual. Your contributions make the group what it is.

Secondly, youth sports teach you to work smarter, not harder. You can’t mistake effort for execution. You have to make sure you’re grinding, but what’s your why? What are you doing it all for?

Youth sports help kids experience adversity and learn how to overcome it. Sometimes, parents have to step back and let their kids figure things out for themselves. Parents and coaches need to allow their kids to face adversity and figure out what to do to get out of it.

Advice for parents dealing with challenging coaches

How do you deal with challenging coaches? How do they keep their kids involved with the sport?

Take the emotion out of the complaint. If you’re mad at the coach on Sunday, wait to talk to them until Tuesday. You’ll probably talk to people you respect and get a different opinion. You might learn that your opinion was wrong. It’s a great way to go into a discussion.

Secondly, the problems you see may be magnified by your ego. If your kid isn’t playing as much as another, your instinct is to be unhappy. But there are times when you have to step back and realize the other kid might be better. So the challenge is to help your child play better.

How can you help your student advocate for themself? What else do you need to keep in mind? Dave is a huge believer in feedback and constructive criticism to help kids get better.

How do we grow the game of hockey?

What does Dave believe is the key to growing the game of hockey? More rinks. The Blaine super rink in Blaine, Minnesota consists of an eight-rink facility with an incredible workout area, health clinic, etc. The town of Blaine has a total of 12 rinks—the same as Long Island. That’s a problem. There are way too many teams, not enough ice time to support those teams, and poor utilization of ice time.

What’s more important? Hockey needs to become less expensive. What if the NHL bought equipment companies to regulate the prices? That will get more kids in equipment, get on the ice cheaper, and get on the ice during daylight hours. That’s just the starting point. The #1 reason parents choose a sport for their kid(s) is based on the cost. The longer you play the more expensive it gets.

Resources & People Mentioned

Connect with Dave Starman

Bio

Dave Starman is a National TV and Radio Game and Studio Analyst for College Hockey and the World Juniors. He is entering his 20th year at CBS Sports Network as college hockey’s lead national analyst and his 15th year as the analyst for Team USA’s games on NHL Network at the World Junior Championships.

This season will mark his 11th with ESPN as an analyst on their coverage on the NCAA Men’s NCAA National Tournament for Ice Hockey, The Frozen Four. Dave is married to three time Michigan Emmy Award winner Shireen Saski and they are currently the only husband and wife on air tandem working on the same broadcast crew.

Dave is a level 5 USA Hockey master’s coach (since 2001) and has been an instructor in the Coaching Education and Player Development Programs for 25 years. His coaching career has included 8U through the AAA level of professional hockey. He was part of the original coaching staff of the expansion Macon Whoopee in 1996 when the Central Hockey League expanded from six to ten teams and was the Associate Head Coach from 1996–1999. He became the youngest head coach in CHL history when he took over the Memphis River Kings midway through the 1999/2000 season.

Dave is a former NHL scout having spent 11 years with Toronto, Montreal, and most recently with NHL Seattle. Currently he is the Director of Player Development for the Long Beach Lightning in Long Beach, NY (the hometown of NHL defenseman Charlie McAvoy), goalie coach for the Long Beach Sharks of the NA3HL and does a series of Hockey IQ vignettes for The Coaches Site, an international hockey coaching platform, called The Breakdown with Dave Starman.

Guests on the Mitlin Money Mindset Show are not affiliated with CWM, LLC, and opinions expressed herein may not be representative of CWM, LLC. CWM, LLC is not responsible for the guest’s content linked on this site.

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