Tuesday, June 10, 2014
"What is courage? Let me tell you what I think it is. An indefinable quality that makes a man put out that extra something, when it seems there is nothing else to give. I dare you to be better than you are. I dare you to be a thoroughbred."
Herb Brooks, 1980 US Olympic Hockey Coach
Please keep in mind Regan and Garrett. Regan is going in for surgery on Wednesday and Garrett is getting a MRI on his knee this week.
Last weekend, I happened to be flipping through the channels (Red Sox were losing) and found "Miracle". Certainly as a coach, this has to be one of the best movies ever. If you have not seen it, go watch it. This is an excerpt from an interview that Head Coach Herb Brooks did years afterward.
"The next stop for Brooks is the one that will forever be linked to his legacy, the fabled 1980 U.S. Olympic team which won the gold medal at Lake Placid, NY. The "Miracle on Ice" would later be named as the sporting event of the 21st century.
"They were really mentally tough and goal-oriented," said Brooks of his squad. "They came from all different walks of life, many having competed against one another, but they came together and grew to be a real close team. I pushed this team really hard, I mean I really pushed them! But they had the ability to answer the bell. Our style of play was probably different than anything in North America. We adopted more of a hybrid style of play — a bit of the Canadian school and a little bit of the European school. The players took to it like ducks to water, and they really had a lot of fun playing it. We were a fast, creative team that played extremely disciplined without the puck. Throughout the Olympics, they had a great resiliency about them. I mean they came from behind six or seven times to win. They just kept on moving and working and digging. I think we were as good a conditioned team as there was in the world, outside maybe the Soviet Union. We got hot and lucky at the right times, and it was just an incredible experience for all of us."
http://www.herbbrooksfoundation.com/page/show/701796-about-coach-brooks
"Success is won by those who believe in winning and then prepare for that moment. Many want to win, but how many prepare? That is the big difference. A sound value system held water then, holds water today, and will hold water in the future." Herb Brooks
One of my all-time favorite pictures is from our 2012 Night of Nets game vs. Aquinas. Senior Trevor Hunt scores the game winner in overtime. Look at the joy. Memories that last a lifetime both on and off the field. Start visualizing the 2014 version of "Miracle"!
"My recruiting key -- I looked for PEOPLE first, athletes second. I wanted people with a sound value system as you cannot buy values. You're only as good as your values. I learned early on that you do not put greatness into people...but somehow try to pull it out." Herb Brooks
Post from Reid Mitchell
"This phrase has come up a couple times this pre-season. Its exciting to think about what "new" means to our team. There is so much potential set before us, we just have to take every little set to get there. Just as much as it can be exciting I think that "new" can be overwhelming and daunting. What's old is what we are comfortable with, but I think to be a great team we have to stop being stagnant and being content with what is comfortable. Even the greatest teams had to reinvent themselves in order to be remembered. The season starts now and its up to us how we want to write our story. We've had things happen in the past, but thats just it... its the past. Being "completely new" we get a fresh start, a new beginning to prove the doubters wrong, a chance to make a lasting reputation of our program. From the freshman coming in to the seniors already here I'm really excited about where we are going."
