Dec. 23, 2014 | The United States Olympic Committee recently surveyed 2,000 American Olympians to identify the factors and circumstances surrounding their athletic success. According to the report, the top three reasons Olympic athletes gave for pursuing elite performance levels were “intrinsic love of activity,” “love of sport” and “early success.” The survey results also showed that Olympic-level athletes played an average of three sports until age 14. Key takeaways? Make youth hockey fun, make it engaging and avoid early specialization. Read more here.