WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — It is no surprise that USA Hockey wants to develop better hockey players.

 

It may be a surprise that it is promoting a philosophy that will help develop better baseball players, lacrosse players and even basketball players.

 

The American Development Model is an initiative of USA Hockey that looks to change the paradigm in youth sports in American — moving away from specialization and programs that emphasize competition over practice.

 

On Wednesday, Nov. 18, at 6:30 p.m., USA Hockey's Roger Grillo will lead a discussion about the ADM in the Reily Room at Williams College's Weston Field Complex.

 

"Part of the messaging we're trying to get out there, especially at the younger ages, is to have kids experience as many different sports and activities as possible to make them well rounded athletes and make sure we don't kill their passion," Grillo said recently

 

"If you look at the high end athletes you watch on TV, over 90 percent of those athletes were multi-sport athletes."

 

Grillo is a longtime hockey coach who was the head coach at Brown University for 12 years before joining USA Hockey in 2009 to serve as the regional manager for the ADM program. His Nov. 17 program is titled "Developing Young Athletes — Myth and Reality," and is designed for parents and coaches.

 

Although the ADM was initiated by USA Hockey, the program is being adopted by other sports governing bodies, including the U.S. Olympic Committee, Grillo said.

 

One of its basic premises is that kids should not be specializing in sports too early in life.

 

"The interesting thing about it is what's happened in New England, particularly in Massachusetts, the development myths have kind of scared parents into thinking, 'If my kid doesn't do this or that sport year round, they're going to be left behind,' " Grillo said. "In the short term, that may be true. But long term, the negatives of that philosophy have done a lot of damage."

 

Some of those negatives have been chronicled in studies like the one found in the January 2014 edition of the Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine, where researchers said, in part: "Early sport specialization may not lead to long-term success in sports and may increase risk for overuse injury and burnout. With the possible exception of early entry sports such as gymnastics, figure skating, and swimming/diving sport diversification should be encouraged at younger ages."

 

Fun also needs to be encouraged, Grillo says.

 

"That's priority No. 1," he said. "You have to treat kids age appropriately. Fun and building passion is certainly priority No. 1.

 

"There's a philosophy out there that if you're having fun you're not getting better. It's absolutely the opposite."

 

Grillo said part of the problem with youth sports in America is the economic model that encourages year-round participation in a single sport and maximizes competitions at the expense of training time.

 

"In reality, it's the perfect storm where the unstructured pickup baseball game in the sandlot has been taken over by the structured, overcoached, adult-driven culture we put our kids into at a young age," he said.

 

"There's nothing wrong with somebody making money as a coach or an organization as long as it's done properly — with patience and fun and the individual athlete's well being as priority No. 1. Right now, too often the focus is on the team's success at the expense of the individual."

 

Grillo said the ADM is applicable from the earliest levels of youth sports through college. The program is grounded in sports science, age specific and developed in consultation with experts.

 

But at the end of the day, the American Development Model is not really all that complicated.

 

"A lot of it is common sense and similar to how a lot of today's kids' parents and grandparents grew up," Grillo said.

 

"Developing Young Athletes — Myth and Reality," will be presented at 6:30 on Wednesday, Nov. 18 in the Reily Room at Williams College's Weston Field Complex. The event is sponsored by TrueNorth.