🎧 Guest:

Chuck Thuss – Former pro goaltender, All-American at Miami University, certified performance coach, founder of The Compassionate Connection

📌 Topics Covered:

• Differentiating nerves from anxiety in athletes

• How performance expectations can become destructive

• The mental health toll of professional hockey

• Signs parents and coaches should never ignore

• Chuck’s personal story of survival and rediscovery

• Building emotional resilience in goalies and youth athletes

• Social media’s impact on athlete identity and anxiety

• The importance of separating parenting from coaching

• Tools to help athletes reclaim their confidence and purpose

📞 Need support?

If you or someone you love is struggling, don’t wait. Call or text 988 (USA). Help is always available.

Chuck Thuss Contact:

🌐 Website: TheCompassionateConnection.com

📞 Phone: 251-680-5731

📱 Instagram: @thecompassionateconnection

Main Topics:

• Why point shots are (mostly) useless in the NHL

• How dopamine spikes from phones damage goalie performance

• Why goalies must “earn their playing time at practice”

• The myth that strong goalies are “too bulky”

• The epidemic of low hockey IQ in today’s players

• How sleep, structure, and screen habits affect cognition and confidence

• iPads on the bench: helpful or harmful?

• Gaming vs. scrolling: what’s the real impact?

Key Quote:

“If your screen time is higher than your practice time, don’t complain about your ice time.”

Join EGM Labs Now! https://www.elitegoaliemethod.com/egm-labs/

Main Topics Covered:

• Why being a “goalie YouTuber” is harder than it looks

• Self-correcting as coaches: How Jamie and Derek adjusted their summer approach

• The “No Saves Made” summer: Designing training to be brutally effective

• How to mentally rebound after bad games or playoff slumps

• A deep dive on NHL Cup-winning goalies and why they aren’t always “superstars”

• Goalie trivia and stats from MoneyPuck.com

• The importance of structured rebound drills and fatigue-based training

• Breaking down Bauer SV Pro pads, junior/intermediate gear updates, and gear myths

• Final reflection: Why Triple-A hockey matters, even if your kid doesn’t “make it”

Shoutouts:

• Max Source for Sports (Hamilton, ON)

• Ben from Clear Sight Analytics

• Bauer, CCM, Warrior gear reps

• MoneyPuck.com for goalie analytics

• Vlog watchers… even if there’s only 60 of you

Follow-ups / Resources Mentioned:

• MoneyPuck.com – Breakdown of NHL scoring scenarios

• Book referenced: Travell and Simons’ Myofascial Pain and Dysfunction

• Bauer SV Pro gear reviews and customization options

• EGM Labs App – In-app training and giveaways

• New vlogs by Jamie & Derek on YouTube

Closing Quote:

“Everything I have in life is from good parents and hockey.”