It's just an opinion. Like a prior poster said, "we've always been able to skate." Exactly, my point the kids learned to skate up and down the ice at young age rather than skating around cones within in a 10 square foot box. The difference between US and others wasn't mini/ADM mites, it was too much overemphasis on games and very little emphasis on skills and good practices as the kids move through squirts, pee week, and bantams. If anything, there should be more 3v3 available at these ages. I'm sure there are some good town programs that offer a 3v3 component for their players. I'm talking a full session, not 10 minutes during practice.
We should know shortly who is right/wrong on this debate. My understanding is the much of the country has fully embraced the ADM model, from xice to practice/game ratio with New England being a glaring hold out, mostly thanks to club hockey & us parents. IMHO, the 02's and 03's represent the first group of kids who will have been on significantly different development path than their peers around the country since age 5+ If the anti-ADM guys are right, we should start to see an uptick in New England players on U16 worlds, U18 worlds and NTDP team. If the number of New England players numbers continue to shrink, to me that will be additional validation of the overall ADM model.
I see most of New England A, AA, AND AAA is embracing ADM philosophy at their practices AND clinics ...just not during games..not any leagues yet. Only have to follow our e9 elite and fed teams at their travel AAA squirt and pee wee tournaments against national fields outside of NE to see MOST teams can no longer qualify or belong in the top divisions. See Redmen next week at JJ Rosato tg 06 tourney next week.. this will tell just how far off we are.
Redmen AAA Team has no shot to win the Elite division of the 06 Rosato Tournament even though they are older than the teams they are playing. No clue what you think this will prove for the ADM.