{"podcast":{"title":"Sharpening Your Edge","slug":"sharpening-your-edge-7486904","podcast_index_feed_id":7486904,"rss_url":"https://feeds.captivate.fm/sharpening-your-edge/","website_url":"https://sharpening-your-edge.captivate.fm","image_url":"https://artwork.captivate.fm/1f79870c-1a65-438e-94ce-8df9f738132e/SYE-Logo.jpg","author":"CV3","episode_count":23,"summary":"Welcome to Sharpening Your Edge — the ultimate deep dive into the world of hockey, where we go beyond the ice. Chuck Verdolino, founder and lead instructor at CV3 Hockey Development. I played Tier 1 hockey through 18 on Long Island, competed at the USA Hockey Select 15 National Camp, captained my high school team to a New York State Championship appearance, and later served as a GM in pro hockey. Now, I’m bringing that lifetime of experience to the mic. Erik Melanson, a recently retired Marine Corps officer. I spent the majority of my distinguished military career serving in special operations, where I developed and applied extensive leadership skills in high-stakes, high-performance environments. A lifelong hockey player who grew up on the rinks of Boston, I now bring that same discipline, resilience, and team-first mentality to the sport as a coach for the Philadelphia Little Flyers and as a player for the USA Warriors. My unique blend of elite military experience and deep hockey roots offers a rare perspective on performance, leadership, and the culture of the game. As co-hosts with a passion for the game, we sit down and bring you candid conversations with elite coaches, perfo…","last_synced_at":"2026-07-20T16:20:53.488780+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/sharpening-your-edge-7486904"},"episode":{"title":"Unmasking Performance: The Need for Mental Health in Hockey","slug":"unmasking-performance-the-need-for-mental-health-in-hockey","published_at":"2025-09-22T08:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/sharpening-your-edge-7486904/unmasking-performance-the-need-for-mental-health-in-hockey","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/sharpening-your-edge-7486904","url":"https://tkbpodcaststudio.com/sharpening-your-edge/sharpening-your-edge-interview-with-tessa-wilson","audio_url":"https://op3.dev/e/episodes.captivate.fm/episode/4f37be1b-6394-4529-a391-1b7522e27804.mp3","summary":"The episode delves into Tessa Wilson's personal and professional journey, illuminating her path from an aspiring athlete to a mental health advocate. As she shares her experiences of growing up in Saskatchewan and playing hockey in a predominantly male environment, listeners gain insight into the resilience and determination that shaped her career. Tessa articulates the pressures athletes face, particularly the rising incidence of mental health issues among younger players, exacerbated by societal expectations and the competitive nature of sports. Her commitment to fostering an open dialogue about mental health within the athletic community is a clarion call for change, emphasizing the importance of normalizing conversations around mental well-being and providing essential resources for athletes who may feel isolated in their struggles. Bio Tessa Wilson MACP - RCC Building a trusting connection is essential when working in vulnerable spaces. She knows how important it is to first see if we’re a good fit. Sport can deeply shape who we are, and through her own experiences, she has come to understand its powerful impact on identity, meaning, and purpose. Tessa grew up in a small Saskatchewan town, often playing on boys’ hockey teams due to limited opportunities for girls. Eventually, she joined a female AAA team and moved to Weyburn in high school to pursue elite hockey. That transition was challenging but rewarding—and in her final year, she was fortunate to win the National U18 Esso Cup. Tessa went on to play for the University of Regina Cougars, where she faced new pressures: concussions, identity struggles, and uncertainty about my role on the team. After two years, Tessa transferred to SAIT in Calgary, playing for the Trojans before another concussion led her to…","meta_description":"The episode delves into Tessa Wilson's personal and professional journey, illuminating her path from an aspiring athlete to a mental health advocate. As s…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":2065,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/sharpening-your-edge-7486904/episodes/unmasking-performance-the-need-for-mental-health-in-hockey/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/sharpening-your-edge-7486904/unmasking-performance-the-need-for-mental-health-in-hockey.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}