Mike Garman on Development, Recruiting, and the Path to the Next Level

Episode Description: In this episode, Drew Shore and Lyndsey Fry sit down with Mike Garman, Associate Head Hockey Coach at Notre Dame and former head coach and general manager of the Chicago Steel, to discuss recruiting, player development, and the mental side of hockey success. They explore how young players can continue to improve, why versatility is such a valuable asset, and how parents can best support their kids throughout their hockey journey.Key Points From This Episode:00:00 - Season 2 begins: what listeners can expect from thepodcast01:36 - Why college recruiting and NIL make Mike’sperspective timely02:39 - Lindsay’s recruiting path and the importance ofeducation04:43 - Drew’s path through the national development programand University of Denver05:31 - Why academics can narrow college hockeyopportunities06:20 - Introducing Mike from Notre Dame07:09 - How a temporary goalie-coach role became a coachingcareer10:03 - What set elite USHL players apart beyond talent11:32 - Balancing strengths with weakness development13:22 - Teaching players to think the game and make the nextplay17:34 - Recruiting timelines and why grades matter so much19:30 - Late bloomers and why 16 is not the whole story20:29 - What college coaches look for in a recruit22:44 - Work ethic, attitude, and competing through mistakes23:50 - How parents should think about development foryounger players26:39 - Where families should invest limited resources29:47 - Do 3-on-3 and small-area games create bad habits?32:02 - Shooting habits that create better goal-scoringchances37:30 - Training game-like situations and using incentivesin practice39:22 - Why versatility at multiple positions increasesopportunity41:41 - Notre Dame freshman Sammy Nelson and rapid firebegins42:36 - Why trying to fool college coaches is a bad idea46:01 - Post-interview reflections from Lindsay and Drew48:00 - Why recovery after mistakes matters more thanperfection51:13 - Top takeaways for parents and playersLinks:USA Hockey - ⁠⁠https://www.usahockey.com⁠⁠Drew Shore - ⁠https://www.drewshore.com⁠⁠Lindsey Fry - ⁠⁠https://fryhockey.com/⁠