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And he continues to rail against early specialization and the win- at-all-cost attitude that is per- vasive in youth sports. He sees promise in new programs like the American Development Model, with its emphasis on teaching skills—particularly puck skills—to the youngest players. "From everything I see and hear, I like what's going on," he says while watching a cross-ice tournament at Boston's Agganis Arena. "There seems to be a better emphasis on skills now. If you know how to skate and handle the puck, that's the most important thing. That's why it's so important to give every kid a puck every practice. How else are you going to get better?" * * * As the hockey world marks the passage of time by celebrating the stunning upset in Squaw Valley from 60 years ago, Cleary seems content to keep the awards and accolades tucked away, along with the bottle of vodka given to him by legendary Russian coach Anatoli Tarasov. He's more than content to leave it to others to judge his place among the greats of the game. And as the number of fans who saw him wearing the Harvard crimson or the red, white and blue of the United States dwindles, there are still a faithful few who are more than happy to see that Bill Cleary's legacy continues to burn as bright as the Olympic flame. "To me he's Roy Hobbs," Smith says. "In the movie, "The Natural," [Robert Redford's character] wanted to be able to walk down the street and have people say 'there goes the best ball player there ever was.' "For me, Bill Cleary can still walk down any street in America and have people point at him and say, 'there is the best American hockey player that ever was.'" P MARCH 2020 USAHOCKEYMAGAZINE.COM // 21 LEARN FROM A PROVEN CHAMP! HEARTLAND HOCKEY CAMP USA HOCKEY NATIONAL CHAMPIONS 15 TIMES REWARD YOURSELF THIS SUMMER WITH OUR WONDERFUL WIDE VARIETY OF FUN-FILLED WATERFRONT ACTIVITIES. POWERED BY OLYMPIAN SPIRIT steve@heartlandhockey.com | heartlandhockey.com THIS IS YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO TRAIN WITH OUR OLYMPIC CHAMPIONSHIP COACHING STAFF Olympic Hockey Champion Five-time World Hockey Champion NCAA Hockey Champion HANNAH BRANDT Olympic Hockey Champion Two-time World Hockey Champion DANI CAMERANESI