The good old days --- a time when hard work, commitment, discipline and positive attitude were expected, not rewarded.  Failure was not final and earning meant sacrifice. These lessons have stood the test of time.  Growing up in Canada, I never played AAA hockey, I got cut from most of the teams I tried out for.  I knew at an early age that hard work, desire, determination and discipline were the keys to success.  My father never responded by formulating a new league, moving across town, getting involved in “politics” or buying me something to ease my self pitied state. By doing so, he taught me a very valuable lesson that would pay off later in life:  In the real world NOT EVERYONE GETS A TROPHY. 

The current state of youth development is at a crossroads. What we’ve done for the past decade or so has been sub par. Kids have been encouraged to specialize at an early age (year round), play too many games, and parents dream on behalf of their children with the cumulative result to this equation leading to burnout and an underdevelopment of our youth.   Hockey is a glaring example. Here are some of the issues currently plaguing youth development (exert taken from Misha Donskov/ADM presentation):