interview with the Grizzlys Wolfsburg
We are sincerely honored to have been interviewed by our former hockey team, the Grizzlys Wolfsburg, about our new business & products. You can find the interview here.
translated from the Grizzly's site:
The early retirement of Grizzlys captain Tyler Haskins was probably the saddest news for the end of the 2017-2018 season. The time after that was eventful for the family, often not easy. Now, Tyler, who scouts for the Grizzlys in the US and Canada, and his wife Liz have a new, exciting project called Salt Of The Earth Kids. We talked to the Haskins family over the past weeks and months and learned more about their "new" life.
How are you and how was the last year for you, Tyler and the kids since you leave Wolfsburg/ Germany?
This past year has been a year filled with a lot of emotion. We are thankful for the moments we share together now in our new city, but the transition was a lot harder than I expected. We had always heard about the challenges that come with retiring, but for some reason I thought it wouldn’t really apply to us. My hope was to handle everything gracefully, but in the end I neglected a lot of emotions & fears. It was a challenge for me to not know what could happen next & to recognize we truly aren’t in control. Our faith really got us through some difficult moments & we are appreciative of the place we’re in now. We’re incredibly thankful for the opportunity to scout for the Grizzlys - it has brought about a new passion for Tyler & it’s exciting to see him assessing and analyzing the sport of Hockey in a new way. He has really been enjoying the process of gaining new knowledge and working along side the management & coaching staff. We’re in a stage with the kids that is really fulfilling and exciting. Both of them are learning and growing so much. Cody has learned to skate & I can see Tyler is so proud. Abby has a feisty personality, but has a huge soft spot for her “Dada” & loves trying to keep up with her big brother.
How long did it take to accept the new situation and when did you get new plans for the future?
Everything felt like such a whirlwind when we received the news of needing to retire in January of 2018. For me, Tyler’s retirement never truly sank in until July - when we typically packed up all our belongings and traveled back to Wolfsburg for a new season. The anticipation of July & knowing that everything in the upcoming months and years were going to be new and completely different was hard for me. Relocating to New York helped us feel more stable. We have really felt embraced by so many kind people in our new town & we are enjoying the new memories we’re making here. Since being home & being physically closer to our families, we’ve really recognized the importance of our loved ones & the relationships we have with people. There are still so many things we miss from Germany & the sport of hockey, but we’re recognizing the life we have now is such a gift too.
Tell me something about your new project? It’s also focused on ice hockey – you can’t get out of it?
We never truly assessed what we do after hockey. We would dream up ideas of a bed & breakfast or of ranching & outfitting, but when it came time to look for what was next for us, we really asked God for help. This time last year we were putting together lists, trying to find ideas for what we could do next. Tyler thought about becoming an agent because he really wanted to work for a player and help them find their way. He was also drawn to coaching or working with youth. When the Grizzly organization came to him with the idea of scouting, it wasn’t something he had originally dreamt up, but now we see it has been such a blessing.
Starting my company, Salt of the Earth Kids, was never on my list of professions either. Tyler really pushed me & helped me with the idea. Honestly, it started as a joke around our kitchen table in Wolfsburg. While Tyler was injured, he’d try to improve his memory issues with matching games and Cody would try to help too. We’d joke that maybe it would be a little more interesting for the both of them if the games were focused around hockey items. I drew up some pictures & Cody was immediately drawn to them (& wanted all the photos in “Grizzly orange & black”). Truthfully, I’ve been intimidated throughout each step of of developing our business - from learning graphic design to registering our business and pitching our products to various companies - but I’m leaning on faith that this important to my growth as a person & this business is meant to be apart of my story, regardless if it thrives or not.
There are many reasons as to why we started our business - we have really recognized how much our family has gained from the sport of hockey. As we began Salt of the Earth Kids, we wanted to find a way to help bring young kids into the sport and teach them about the game we all love. We also have recognized that with our two small children, we’ve wanted to give them something other than a tablet to help with their growth & knowledge (although we’re human and fully understand the convenience and need for devices at times too). Games, puzzles & workbooks have been things we’ve reached for when playing with our children and we hope our products can aid in the growth of other children too. Third, as we retired, I personally found my anxiety at an all time high. A therapist told me something simple to try... Play. Play with your children. Be actively attentive with them and present in the moment. Playing games with them and sharing new experiences together helped me (& them really, too). We hope that his can be something that can be developed in other households as well. And lastly, we wanted to give. Those who support our small business, also help give to others. Each quarter, we add up our sales, and give 10% back to a local New York area preschool. We are helping a family (or families) trying to make ends meet & doing their best for their children. As our company grows, we hope use our give back program in other locations locally & possibly around the globe as well.
Is there something you want to tell the fans from the grizzlys?
We’re still some of the Grizzlys biggest fans & have such a heightened appreciation for all that we gained through our experience with the Grizzly’s. Our old teammates, friends, and really each & everyone of you have made an impact on us & we’re truly thankful to be able to recognize & embrace that. There will always a piece of our hearts yearning for Wolfsburg & we love that you all have been apart of our story.