Cody Bass is a Pro Scout for the Colorado Avalanche and owner of Recurve Real Estate. Cody played 13 years of professional hockey, and officially retired from the sport in 2019. He continues to stay connected as a scout by evaluating talent and potential fits for the team.
Cody was drawn to residential and investment real estate and has worked hard on this next chapter in his life. He makes it his mission to get the results you need through dedication, perseverance, and creativity because you deserve to be treated like family.
Recurve is designed to build a trustworthy atmosphere that promises to deliver the gold standard of service. Listen for some great takeaways about Cody’s experience as a professional hockey player, moving to the next chapter in his career, and the impact mental health has on athletes and entrepreneurs.
You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in…
- Cody’s journey to becoming a professional hockey player [3:00]
- Things to know if you want to play professional hockey [5:12]
- The highlight of Cody’s professional hockey career [7:31]
- How the AHL and NHL are similar and different [9:00]
- What Cody misses the most about professional hockey [11:21]
- The process of transitioning out of hockey into another passion [12:54]
- What it’s like being a scout for The Avalanche [16:15]
- Does Cody want a larger role with the Avalanche? [19:31]
- How Cody has handled the transition into real estate [20:22]
- What has been the highlight of Cody’s time in real estate [22:04]
- The importance of mental health in Cody’s life [25:13]
- What’s the next big thing for Cody Bass? [31:12]
- What brought Cody joy and put him in the right mindset for success? [32:38]
Cody’s life as a professional hockey player
Cody was born in a small town in Ontario, three hours north of Toronto. He moved all over Ontario with his family while simultaneously chasing hockey. Fortunately, he was talented and was approached by agents at the age of 12. He wasn’t sure hockey would become a career path, but he took it seriously and was drafted by the Ottawa Senators in the 4th round, ultimately playing 12–13 years as a pro. Then, he accepted a pro scouting job with the Avalanche.
The role of a professional scout for the NHL
Cody notes that the hockey world is tough. Kids in Canada have to decide if they’ll play Major Junior as young as 15. Or they can go to Western Canada and wait until they’re 18 or 19 and chase a Division I scholarship. Kids that are 14–16 years old have their whole lives ahead of them. As a scout, you have to know the kid you’re signing, their family background, the adversities they’ve faced, and more. So what does the process look like?
As part of a team of five scouts, Cody builds a book on potential players based on the Avalanche’s needs, wants, and the culture they’ve built. Cody has to watch how they skate, how they move, their skillets, how they think, and where they might fit on the team. Then Cody dives into character traits. He watches hundreds of games a year and writes hundreds of reports on players. Then he breaks them down to see if they’re a good fit.
But that’s not the only thing that has to be considered. They have to look at acquisition costs, what a trade might look like, and consider salary caps. There’s a lot of moving parts. The team that wins the Stanley Cup was built for a reason and there has to be chemistry. When you’re putting together a puzzle and there’s one piece that doesn’t fit, it messes up the whole puzzle.
Mental health in the world of professional athletes
Cody and I met each other through Jen O’Brien, the Executive Director of the American Special Hockey Association (ASHA). Jen—a previous guest on Mitlin Money Mindset™—has always been involved working with kids, charities, and is a staunch mental health advocate. She helped Cody create the WINGS Foundation, a charity devoted to Darron-Ann Richardson to help children with mental illnesses.
Cody points out that people have this errant idea that the superstars of the NHL, NFL, NBA, etc. are perfect. They make millions of dollars, so their life must be perfect, right? But money can’t buy happiness. Everyone has struggles. Athletes are starting to be vulnerable and starting to talk about the issues that they face. It takes courage and Cody believes that the more conversations we have, the more open players are, the more mental health issues will be normalized.
How has Cody handled his transition into real estate? What does he believe is the key to success in whatever field that you’re in? Listen to this episode of Mitlin Money Mindset™ to learn what success looks like from the lens of a professional hockey player.
Resources & People Mentioned
Connect with Cody Bass
Bio
From Owen Sound Ontario Canada. Currently living in Nashville TN. Played 13 years professional Hockey & have been retired for 3 years now. Currently working as a part time Pro Scout for the Colorado Avalanche and part owner of Recurve Real Estate. Most of my time is occupied with Daily & investment residential Real Estate. Been Married for 6 years and have a beautiful 3 year old healthy active girl named Ava. I enjoy fishing, sports & basically anything outdoors.
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