Lightning VP/Community Hockey Development JAY FEASTER’s workday is only consistent on Tuesdays, when the former Stanley Cup-winning GM focuses on meeting face-to-face with other team execs, as well as his comprehensive staff. Feaster took some time recently to speak with THE DAILY about his role overseeing the team’s involvement in various youth hockey efforts.
5:00-5:30am: One of the important things is whether I’m reporting to the office that I work out of, or if I am starting my day at Amalie Arena. The Community Hockey department used to be housed at Amalie Arena. About a year ago now, we relocated to the Lightning Made Training Center. It is quite the haul from my home in Brandon, Fla. So, if I’m coming to the Lightning Made Training Center, then I’m generally getting up to beat the traffic.
8:30-11:30am: On Tuesdays, I start downtown with a meeting with our CEO and the senior management team and directors. That meeting typically lasts until 10:00. During the hockey season, I’ll go directly from that meeting, whenever it ends, upstairs to one of the suite areas, where I will tape a podcast for The Identity. “Top Shelf” is the name of the segment. Then I leave downtown to travel to Lightning Made Training Center.
11:30am-12:30pm: I will have a one-on-one meeting with the manager of our high school hockey department. We’ll meet for an hour, talking about how many players are registered, when the try-out dates are, putting the schedule together for a new season. We have three managers that are part of the Community Hockey department that report to me. We sit down and literally talk about all the issues that are impacting or have the potential to impact their area of responsibility.
12:30pm: I’ll try and grab a bite to eat. I will oftentimes pack a lunch. I sit at my desk and go through different hockey websites at that time. Other times, I will run out somewhere not very far from the office and grab a sandwich somewhere.
2:00pm: I have a meeting with our diversity, girl’s and sled hockey manager. What I’m trying to do between meetings is respond to emails and address other things that have already come up and continue to come up through the week.
Feaster said they are in the process of building ten indoor rinks throughout the five contiguous county areaLightning
3:30pm: I have a meeting with the manager for our youth and street hockey program. In the case of our youth and street hockey, there are also two coordinators. One of the coordinators is responsible for the Lightning Made Training Center. We have two 30x60 ball hockey rinks there. And so, we run all sorts of things at those rinks -- everything from ball hockey for youth and adults to pickle ball. We’re also in the process of building ten outdoor ball hockey rinks throughout the five contiguous county area. So, we have a coordinator for that as well.
4:30pm: Right now, any spare time is spent on our sportsmanship campaign as part of the high school hockey league we operate. The campaign is called “Check Yourself.” Basically, what it’s meant to do is bring the NHL’s declaration of principles to life.
5:30-6:00pm: One way or the other, my day is typically ending at the Lightning Made Training Center. The battle to get back to Brandon is a solid hour’s drive. There are maybe phone calls coming in during that time. I don’t look at texts while I’m driving.
6:30-7:00pm: When I get home, I’ll answer texts and emails that have come in while I try to multitask while sitting there talking to my wife. I’ll sit there at the counter in the kitchen while my wife is making dinner and if the phone is buzzing, then I’m going to handle those as well.
7:00-7:30pm: We’ll sit down as a family to a nice dinner. After, we enjoy all sorts of family games. We’ll clean up the dishes, sit down and play Five Crowns or Spicy Farkel or Uno or whatever it may be. We enjoy the games.
11:00pm: During the hockey season, I’m certainly going to be up watching games. I have the NHL Center Ice package and while I’m no longer able to watch as many West Coast games as I would like to because of the early start the next day, I still watch the games.
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