Jun 30, 2020
By now, you're probably sick and tired of hearing the phrase "unprecedented times," but that is the reality we currently live in. As the NHL prepares for a possible return to play, it, along with the rest of the hockey world, remains in a state of great uncertainty. Nowhere is that more prominent than minor and youth hockey. What happens if a player tests positive for COVID-19? When will full team practices be allowed? Will 5-on-5 games be played or will it be purely skill development and practice? Those are just a few of the many questions that face Ian Taylor, the Executive Director of the Ontario Minor Hockey Association, and Glen Andresen, Executive Director of Minnesota Hockey. Both men oversee two of the largest hockey organizations in the world and will play critical roles in how their leagues approach the upcoming hockey season during the current pandemic. Their main objectives will be keeping everyone involved safe, while returning to some level of normalcy to keep the game fun and competitive. It's a tall task that will require all involved, including players, parents, coaches, managers, and volunteers, to do their part. Taylor has over 28 years of coaching and minor hockey experience. After 14 years as the OMHA’s director of development programs, he was named executive director in 2016. He holds a NCCP High Performance 1 Coaching Certification and has sat on Hockey Canada’s Athlete Development Council, as well as the National Coach Mentorship Program Advisory Committee. Andresen has spent nearly eight years as Hockey Minnesota’s executive director and oversees the marketing, promotion and growth of game in the State of Hockey. Prior to that, he spent four years working with the Minnesota Wild as their website and social media manager. He's a graduate of the University of Minnesota and is also an executive board member of the Positive Coaching Alliance. In this season's final episode of the Glass and Out Podcast, find out how they are developing a game plan for their players getting back on the ice, what the biggest challenges will be, and what they’ve learned about the importance of youth sports and the role of their organizations.