From the Ice to the Blockchain: Why I Pivoted from Coaching to Ethereum Business Development

I’m a 32-year-old hockey coach from the USA. For most of my life, it’s been about God, family, and hockey. Growing up in a small town during the '90s and early 2000s, my childhood was a blur of outdoor adventures. Skating on frozen lakes, sledding, snowmobiling, and spending endless hours at the local rink. In the summer, it was all about getting the neighborhood kids together to play outside: riding bikes, building forts, golfing, fishing, and exploring the woods. Being inside was never an option unless the weather demanded it.

But everything changed after COVID.

Suddenly, the world was forced to go remote. Technology leaped forward at unthinkable speed, and I found myself hearing about this thing called “AI” in 2022-2023, something that felt distant and intimidating at the time. I didn’t understand it, but I could feel a shift happening. It was clear that if the top 1% of wealthiest people were starting to promote something, it was worth paying attention to.

As self-checkouts replaced cashiers, as automated machines sharpened our skates, and as drones began delivering our groceries, I realized we were entering a new era—one where people increasingly blend into technology rather than stand apart from it. That hit me hard as a "blue collar boy." I’ve always believed in hard work, resilience, and face-to-face connection, but I couldn’t ignore the future staring me in the face.

As a coach, I teach my athletes to adapt or fall behind. And I realized I wasn’t taking that same advice in my own life.

So I made a decision: it was time to pivot. If I didn’t evolve, I’d get left behind in this game of life—and unlike hockey, life doesn’t offer a 7-game series.

I knew I had to get into to the tech world in one way or another. Where at exactly… I had no idea.

The next question I had was the same one many others probably do: How does a guy with zero tech experience jump headfirst into something tech savvy, let alone web 3 and crypto.

The answer came from a close friend, Patrick Skinner, who has been deep in the Web3 space for years. After a long conversation, he handed me a book that would change everything "Read, Write, Own." That was the moment the light bulb turned on.

I’d always known about things like big pharma and big food, but I didn’t know there was such a thing as big tech, and I certainly didn’t realize how much it controlled. This book opened my eyes to what the internet really was, how it evolved from Web2 into Web3, and how decentralized technologies are creating a new internet built for the people.

Web3 is about taking power back. It’s about building tools that give users ownership and privacy. It's about transparency, empowerment, and rewriting the rules. I was instantly hooked.

I started listening to podcasts, diving into online courses, and reading everything I could get my hands on. Every new thing I learned only confirmed what I already knew deep down: I needed to be part of this. This wasn’t just a career change, it was a calling.

So here I am, pivoting from hockey coaching to Ethereum business development. It might seem like a big leap, but the values aren’t all that different. Teamwork, discipline, constant learning, and striving for excellence, those are universal. Now I just apply them on the blockchain instead of on the ice.

The game has changed, but I’m still playing to win.