The Curious Competitor with Connor Carrick

In this episode, we welcome Dr. Nikole MacLellan aka “Dr. Kokes”, a naturopathic doctor and fellow member of the Designs For Sport advisory board. We talk about the dance between sympathetic and parasympathetic states for athletes, strategies for getting back into a parasympathetic state after an event, how to balance a playful approach in stressful situations, and using breathwork as a tool to build your CO2 tolerance. Dr. Nikole also dives into the tradeoffs that often occur between performance and longevity, why you should build a support team of different professionals you trust, and how to endure the darker periods as an athlete. Dr. Nikole on socials @sportsdockokes Check out her podcast “The Off Season Podcast” on all platforms Episode Overview: 2:30 - What athletes should be doing less of 7:00 - Parasympathetic recovery tools 14:00 - Managing your lifestyle as an athlete 18:00 - Changing your beliefs about performance 21:00 - Breathwork as a tool for building CO2 tolerance // breathwork as a powerful tool 30:00 - Building your foundation before adding external factors 32:00 - Performance and longevity 38:00 - Importance of building a support team 42:00 - Navigating dark periods as an athlete To purchase my favorite Designs For Sport supplements visit www.connorcarrick.com TOLOS BAREFOOT SHOES - Use Code “CC” for 10% Off Your Order - https://weartolos.com/ Follow Connor’s Instagram or Twitter Visit our YouTube for additional content

In this episode, we are joined by the founding members of Apex Cool Labs, Ariel Paul and Evy Lyons to discuss their new and innovative palm cooling device “The Narwhal”. Ariel and Evy share their inspiration for creating Apex Cool Labs, how your core body temperature and local muscle temperatures affect your performance and why palm cooling is such an effective tool. They also discuss the use of palm cooling for downregulation at the end of your workout and to reduce delayed-onset muscle soreness, the optimal temperature for palm cooling to see results, and how palm cooling can be used to aid those who experience exercise intolerance. Discover Apex Cool Labs on all socials @Apexcoollabs Visit ApexCoolLabs.com Episode Overview: TOLOS BAREFOOT SHOES - Use Code “CC” for 10% Off Your Order - https://weartolos.com/ To purchase my favorite Designs For Sport supplements visit www.connorcarrick.com Follow Connor’s Instagram or Twitter Visit our YouTube for additional content

Do you ever wonder how your brain works? In this episode, we have the privilege of hosting Neurotherapist Dr. Andrew Hill, who graciously guides us through an exploration of cerebral operations. Following our participation in Quantitative EEG "brain mapping," we had the opportunity to interpret the ensuing data in real time during the podcast. Our analysis delves into an array of brain patterns, connections, and states of neural activity. Notably, several of these revelations unveil significant correlations with the daily-life symptoms I encounter and even extend to my athletic performance, all without any prior interaction with Dr. Hill. Our discussion extends to the impact of brain injuries on function, alongside an examination of how brain mapping holds promise for forthcoming athletes. We conclude by addressing pivotal lifestyle factors poised to enhance cognitive capabilities. Episode Overview: Connect With Peak Brain Institute at https://peakbraininstitute.com/ To purchase my favorite Designs For Sport supplements visit www.connorcarrick.com TOLOS BAREFOOT SHOES - Use Code “CC” for 10% Off Your Order - https://weartolos.com/ Follow Connor’s Instagram or Twitter Visit our YouTube for additional content

If you're a hockey player or any sport for that matter, and If you're looking to gain an edge on your opponents and train your brain in the same way that you train your body, then watch this video! Scott Livingston shares with us his methods for training our brain in the same way that we train our body, and it's sure to help you unleash your athletic potential! In this episode, I welcome renowned Performance Coach and Physical Therapist Scott Livingston. We discuss the concept of Neuro Reconditioning, and how traditional training modalities fail to consider how the brain functions. We talk about the importance of individuality in training based on sport, position, injury history, and body type. We also chat about the hidden challenges of working through injury as well the importance of disrupting narratives we tell ourselves. Episode Overview: Connect With Scott Here: https://www.instagram.com/kingopain/ Website: https://www.reconditioningHQ.com Leave Your Mark - https://leaveyourmark.buzzsprout.com/ TOLOS BAREFOOT SHOES - Use Code “CC” for 10% Off Your Order - https://weartolos.com/ To purchase my favorite Designs For Sport supplements visit www.connorcarrick.com Follow Connor’s Instagram or Twitter Visit our YouTube for additional content

In this episode, I break down some of my thoughts on the latest NHL trade deadline as well, as some personal stories of players that have been moved. I also discuss some recovery modalities I use to help me regulate my nervous system and maximize athletic performance during the season. I also talk about the importance of emotional regulation and off-season training advice for youth athletes. TOLOS BAREFOOT SHOES - Use Code “CC” for 10% Off Your Order - https://weartolos.com/ To purchase my favorite Designs For Sport supplements visit www.connorcarrick.com Follow Connor’s Instagram or Twitter Visit our YouTube for additional content Episode Overview:

In this episode, I sit down with Jeff Lovecchio, a former professional hockey player and current trainer and co-host of the Hockey Think Tank Podcast. We talk about how it’s not enough to just show up in the sport of hockey, how to grow confidence through discipline, and how to learn from your mistakes. Jeff also shares his journey from a professional athlete to becoming a trainer, his methods of using visualization to better his game, and the role models he looks at to expand his toolbox and better help his clients. Listen to Jeff on the Hockey Think Tank Podcast: https://www.thehockeythinktank.com/podcast Episode Overview:

In this episode, I am joined by Jack Han, a hockey consultant, former NHL analyst, and AHL coach. We discuss Jack’s approach to personalized player analytics and development, what it’s like to work alongside NHL head coaches and the exhausting nature of a hockey season. We also dive into the importance of storytelling to improve your game, how you can use hockey as a vessel to reach your long-term goals, and different exercises to better your physical and mental game. Connect with Jack on Twitter: https://twitter.com/jhanhky The Hockey Tactics Newsletter: https://jhanhky.substack.com/ Timeline:

In this episode, we welcome Strength Coach Jim Ferris. Jim is known for his work in the basketball community from training with the Philadelphia 76ers for many years and training several NBA players that live their offseason in the Philadelphia area. We discuss how to adapt your training for performance and recovery metrics and identify weak links in training protocols. We also dive into where most athletes fail to focus on for their off-season training, and how playing the long game is the key to a sustainable and injury-free career. We also discuss the challenges in youth development in sports and the success of your training is completely individual. Episode Overview: Connect with Jim at https://gymferris.com/ To purchase my favorite Designs For Sport supplements visit www.connorcarrick.com Follow Connor’s Instagram or Twitter Visit My YouTube for additional content

In this episode, I sit down with Christian Burrus and Jeremy Tucker from Adapt Fitness, an app for customized training programs from top hockey performance experts. We talk about setting your training goals as an athlete based on your needs from the game, how Adapt Fitness can help fill gaps in various aspects of your athletic training, how to manage the stress of all the moving parts in maintaining your health and the game, and how to manage the tradeoffs between training and sleep. We also dive into why you should be customizing your training specific to your goals and needs, how to draw inspiration from the previous generation of athletes, and why education on all aspects of your training is the key to being a great athlete. Episode Overview: Visit https://www.adaptfit.io/ to learn more about Adapt Fitness App To purchase my favorite Designs For Sport supplements visit www.connorcarrick.com Follow Connor’s Instagram or Twitter Visit My YouTube for additional content

In this episode I am joined by Sam Whiting, a human potential specialist, to discuss all things breathwork. Sam talks about his journey as an alpine ski racing athlete and how he came to discover breathwork in his training, how to gain the ability to notice your nervous system and why breathwork is a powerful tool for wellness. Sam talks about the importance of training your breathing muscles, and the different types of breathwork practices, and teaches some tools accessible to everyone when starting with breathwork. We also dig into the impacts of chronic mouth breathing, the connection between your breath, your physiology, and your psychology, and how you can use breathwork to help influence your state of being. Sam's Jackson Hole Winter Experience - https://www.samuelwhiting.com/jackson Free Week Of Passes Available Here Edge Theory Labs - Use Promo code "WhitingEnergy" For A Discount Visit Sam at https://www.samuelwhiting.com/ To purchase my favorite Designs For Sport supplements visit www.connorcarrick.com Follow Connor’s Instagram or Twitter Visit our YouTube for additional content Episode Overview:

In this episode, I recap what the last few months have looked like and some of my strategies for adopting a growth mindset. I dig into the concept of DIIG: Desire, Intent, Imagination, and Grind, and how I use these concepts to fuel my growth as a professional hockey player. I walk through some of the ways that I support healthy dopamine levels to fuel my desire, including cold exposure, vagal tone, taking phone breaks, and creating variations within my routine. I also talk about the mindset I take to prevent burnout, how to ask yourself questions in order to find solutions to your game, as well as how to effectively put your plans into place. Timeline: To purchase my favorite Designs For Sport supplements visit www.connorcarrick.com Follow Connor’s Instagram or Twitter Visit My YouTube for additional content

In this episode I sit down with J.B. Spisso to chat about career design, mental wellness, performance and what it looks like at the highest level. J.B. is a veteran of the US Armed Forces, leadership and culture expert, and author of the Warrior Leadership: Steps to Success for Leaders on the Ground. J.B. opened up about his decision to join the military and some of the parallels between the military and athletes in terms of setting and maintaining high standards and short term goals. We spoke about some of the examples of leadership in the locker room, how to pick yourself back up after defeat, some of our tools for mental wellness, and the importance of enjoying the journey that is your life. Episode Overview: Instagram @ jbspisso Website: https://www.jbsleaders.com/ To purchase my favorite Designs For Sport supplements visit www.connorcarrick.com Follow Connor’s Instagram or Twitter Visit our YouTube for additional content

In this episode, we welcome Frankie Corrado, a professional hockey defenseman and former teammate of mine from the Toronto Maple Leafs. We took a trip down memory lane remembering our journeys into the professional hockey space and joining the OHL before becoming teammates on the Toronto Maple Leafs. We talked about the struggles of transitioning from junior hockey to the NHL, the ways that luck works for or against you, how we build mindfulness into our day, and battling through injuries. Timestamps: To purchase my favorite Designs For Sport supplements visit www.connorcarrick.com Follow Connor’s Instagram or Twitter Visit our YouTube for additional content

In this episode, I sit down with Sylvie Tetrault, sports nutritionist, about all things nutrition for athletes. We discuss her experience working with Gary Roberts and the NHL, the importance of good nutrition, systems or habits you can implement to help you achieve your nutrition goals, and staple foods to have on hand. We reflected on the changes in food systems that have led to food intolerances, and why the quality of food you eat is important. She breaks down why fasting may not be beneficial for all athletes and the cyclical nature of athletes, how to wind down after a late-night game, and why you should take responsibility for your own health. Episode Overview: Sylvie’s Instagram: @Sylvietetrault Find Sylvie at Gary Robert’s Performance: https://garyrobertsperformance.com/sports-nutrition/ Email: info@sylvietetrault.com To purchase my favorite Designs For Sport supplements visit www.connorcarrick.com Follow Connor’s Instagram or Twitter Visit our YouTube for additional content

In this episode, I sit down with a former teammate and NHL veteran, Aaron Volpatti, high-performance coach and author-to-be. We spoke about Aaron’s story of adversity and perseverance that got him into the NHL, his relationship with high-stress environments and tolerance to pain, working through the fear of failure, and how to use the power of visualization to get to where you want to be. For more information on Aaron’s work, check out: https://www.aaronvolpatti.com/ Episode Overview: To purchase my favorite Designs For Sport supplements visit www.connorcarrick.com Follow Connor’s Instagram or Twitter Visit our YouTube for additional content

In this episode, we welcome former national taekwondo champion and founder of Pain Station, David Arsenault. We discuss how to find joy in the process of showing up every day to training, leaning into adversity, the importance of remaining consistent in your effort as an athlete, and how physical literacy can improve your life. For more information on David’s work, check out: https://www.championsforlife.ca/ Episode Overview: 0:00 Welcoming David Arsenault 5:00 David’s Origin Story 12:00 Finding Joy in the Process 22:00 The Birth of Pain Station 28:00 Being Consistent in Your Effort as an Athlete 32:00 Bringing Personal Values Into Your Game 40:00 The Importance of Physical Literacy 57:00 Conclusion To purchase my favorite Designs For Sport supplements visit www.connorcarrick.com Follow Connor’s Instagram or Twitter Visit our YouTube for additional content

In this episode, I sit down and reflect on this season so far as well as my brief experience being called up to the Seattle Kraken. We chat about my experience of how not to engage with NHL referees, the elements that make up a strong hockey team, working through minor injuries, and how my meditation practice has allowed me to lean further into my practice as an athlete. Episode Overview: To purchase my favorite Designs For Sport supplements visit www.connorcarrick.com Follow Connor’s Instagram or Twitter Visit our YouTube for additional content

How to surprise everyone to make the NHL, and then do it again, with the Ultimate edge finder and teammate, Liam O'Brien. In this episode, we discuss how adversity challenged Liam's growth and belief in himself, strategies that Liam uses to reflect let go and prepare for the next battle. We also discuss the evolution of the sport in youth, as well as, some secret stories from Hersey Bears during their time as roommates. Join our Curious Competitor Podcast Facebook Page. Follow Connor’s Instagram or Twitter Visit our YouTube for additional content Donate here to support our Podcast!

In this episode, we welcome Arizona Coyotes Performance Director Devan McConnell to the show. We discuss how to prepare for the demands of a training camp, how to approach training during a season, and the power of intention on meeting your goals. We also discuss specific considerations for the youth athlete, and why nutrition and recovery is key to performance. Devan’s Book Food What The Heck Should I Eat? Food Rules

A most skilled player amongst skilled players, offensive legend Robbie Schremp shares lessons learned as a former 1st round pick. We discuss the importance of coaching at the right time of development, how to play like a pro, and how to evolve your game to provide the most value to your team. Episode Overview: 44visionhockey.com @44vision On instagram Join our Curious Competitor Podcast Facebook Page. Follow Connor’s Instagram or Twitter Visit our YouTube for additional content Donate here to support our Podcast!