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‘Miracle on Ice’ Some speeches are unforgettable including one that was given by a former Olympian who participated on two U.S. Olympic teams and in five World Championships between 1962 and 1970. His name was Herb Brooks, played by Kurt Russell in the 2004 movie “Miracle,” and he was pretty accustomed to winning, especially since he took the University of Minnesota Golden Gopher hockey team to three National championships. However, this was all before one of the biggest wins of his career. Now, he was the head coach of the 1980 U.S.A Olympic hockey team, in which he handpicked every single collegiate amateur player. He specifically wanted players who understood that the name on the front of their jersey mattered more than the one of the back, because that’s the kind of team-oriented mindset he pushed for his players to develop. Just before they played the Soviet Union hockey team for the gold medal, who’s team consisted of professional amateurs’ fresh …show more content…
from the Russian army, he addressed his players in the locker room. The speech he gave was monumental in sports history and according to Sports Illustrated, one of the greatest moments in sports history. Brooks walked into the locker room to hanging heads. He could sense the fear and worry within his players. As he walked around the room, he looked at every single one of them. Considering they were dubbed the underdogs going into the match, Brooks did not exhibit angst body language or disappointment because of his players’ lack of confidence. He was calm before he spoke. The opening line and thesis of his speech was “great moments are born from great opportunity.” Throughout his speech, he expressed having the will to win, upholding the highest level of confidence, and emphasizing that each player was there for a reason. They deserved to be there because they earned it. “And that's what you have here tonight, boys. That's what you've earned here, tonight. One game.” Brooks emphasized that they belonged in the championship match. They deserved to play and this was one opportunity to which they needed to take advantage. He was very particular in his speech because he knew how much his player’s valued his opinion so he used rhetorical devices to positively convey his message.
He used amplification and anadiplosis for repetition purposes. He repeated the word ‘tonight’ seven times in his speech. He wanted to emphasize the present, the right now. He didn’t want his players to look beyond their duty on the ice, which was to compete at the highest level. He didn’t want them to think about a gold medal. He wanted them to recognize that if they wanted to be the best, they would have to beat the best. “If we played 'em ten times, they might win nine. But not this game. Not tonight.” It didn’t matter how many times the Soviets could beat them; at that moment, if they were going to win they were going to have to fight for it. The players on his team trusted him, that’s why as soon as he spoke they gave him 100 percent of their attention. If there was one person who could make them believe in themselves and each other, it was their
coach. He said “Tonight, we skate with 'em. Tonight, we stay with 'em, and we shut them down because we can! Tonight, we are the greatest hockey team in the world. You were born to be hockey players -- every one of ya. And you were meant to be here tonight.” The team-oriented mindset he sought to develop and bring to light in each of his players, he further reinforced. Together as a team they were unstoppable. He said “This is your time. Their time -- is done. It's over. I'm sick and tired of hearin' about what a great hockey team the Soviets have. Screw 'em! This is your time! Now go out there and take it.” It didn’t matter what team stepped on the ice, as long as they gave everything they had, trusted, and believed in each other abilities, they could bring home the gold. He was succinct, persuasive, concise, and real in his speech. He took the time to understand his players and at that moment he wanted to make sure they didn’t forget where they came from. He reminded them that they were prepared for this moment. His words were compelling. He did not summarize his speech at the end, he concluded with “now go out there and take it,” so they understood that the win would not be given to them. The win was not guaranteed when they stepped on the ice. If they were going to win, they were going to have to earn it by fighting hard and not giving up. His closing statement was a clear indication that his speech was finished. Overall, his speech was strong. From an athlete’s perspective, this is the type of speech that can resonate in any sport for any athlete and that is why it deserves an A.
John McPhee used similes throughout his essay “Under the Snow”. One of his similes was him describing how a researcher put the bear in a doughnut shape. It was to explain to the audience that the bear was wrapped around with room between her legs for the bear cubs to lay when they are in hibernation. He describes the movement of the bears and the bear cubs like clowns coming out of a compact car. The similes help the audience see how the moved and how they were placed after the researcher moved them.
In the book “The Boys of Winter” by Wayne Coffey, shows the struggle of picking the twenty men to go to Lake Placid to play in the 1980 Olympics and compete for the gold medal. Throughout this book Wayne Coffey talks about three many points. The draft and training, the importance of the semi-final game, and the celebration of the gold medal by the support the team got when they got home.
Hockey, U. (N.d.). THE 1980 U.S. OLYMPIC TEAM. Retrieved May 5, 2014, from USA Hockey: http://www.ushockeyhalloffame.com/page/show/831562-the-1980-u-s-olympic-team
In an article titled, "This "Miracle on Ice" is considered to be the single most incredible moment in all of U.S. sports history. When coach Herb Brooks was made the team's coach, he spent a lot of time reviewing and searching for the right people for the team. Seeing as Brooks was the last man cut from the 1960 U.S. Olympic team, He wanted to do everything he could to win gold for his country. Once try outs started Brooks knew who he wanted on his team after one day. All of the players trying out were in college. The United States and Herb Brooks had picked their Olympic team after the first day of a week of try outs. After picking the team Herb had trained and prepared the team for the Olympics for over a year and a half. He had to prepare them for to face the Soviets. Brooks knew there was no matching them in speed, so he emphasized working on speed, conditioning, and discipline. Doing this my not make them as fast of the
The most memorable moment in hockey history came thirty-four years ago with the 1980 Miracle on Ice. The Americans defeating the dominant Soviet team at the Olympics was not only an important triumph for USA Hockey, but for the entire nation. Contrary to popular belief, the underdog win was not only the result of a miracle; it was also the result of a hard-working team led by Coach Herb Brooks. With increasingly negative views on the position of the United States in the Cold War, the Miracle on Ice and the gold medal win lifted the spirits of the nation and brought hockey into the American spotlight.
“‘They score! Henderson has scored for Canada!’” Foster Hewitt wordlessly described” (Pelletier) when Paul Henderson scored the series-winning goal. This allowed Canada to win the 1972 Summit Series, a moment that no one would ever forget since it all happened during the climax of the Cold War. Prior to this, the Soviets had won the previous three Olympic gold metals since Canada could not use its NHL players. Thus, this provided Canada with the chance to play hockey against the USSR using its best players. This raised the question: if Canada were able to send its best players, would it still be enough to beat the Soviets? Everyone in Canada was certain that the Soviets would not win a single game, but little did they know they underestimated the extent of the Soviets abilities. Tied in the last few minutes of game eight, Canada had to score or they would lose the series. However, when Paul Henderson scored the game-winning goal, never before had a single sporting event meant so much to Canadians. Therefore, Paul Henderson’s goal is a defining moment for Canada in the twentieth century becauseit provided Canada with the opportunity to evolve hockey, proved that Canada and our democratic society were superior to the USSR and their communist society, and brought citizens together to unify Canada as a nation.
But, the most meaningful way I have connected myself to Russian culture is through ice hockey. I have played hockey throughout my entire life and many of my favorite players are Russian. I realized this connection when my teammates and I were watching the movie Miracle at a hockey tournament in Lake Placid, not in 1980 though. In the movie, it showed the Soviets having the best ice hockey program in the world at the time, while the young U.S. ice hockey program was developing. Throughout the entire movie, I was cheering for the Soviet Union because it was my homeland. But what I didn’t know at the time was that I was the only one in the room who had not seen the movie. During the first game that the U.S. played, the Soviets crucified the U.S. 10-3. … And then came the Olympics
When Eruzione scored winning goal, a scene of intense happiness broke out everywhere in the country. There were 10 minutes left, but the Soviets weren't able to score a goal; they had several chances to tie the game, but the USA grew stronger and more confident as time went on. A miracle had just occurred, one which will probably not happen for a very long time.
In 1990 women’s hockey had its first World Championship. Team Canada was made to wear pink jerseys as described in Hockey: A People’s History which showed a clear difference in the opinions of men playing versus women, as the women did not get to wear the red and white that the men wore to represent their country. However, this was still an important step. Men’s hockey was introduced to the Olympic Games in 1920. Women’s hockey was not included until 1998. It took 78 years for female hockey players to get to the same level on an international scale that men had been welcomed to. Olympic competition is arguably the best of the best; as countries send their most successful athletes to compete against the best from countries that they may not have the opportunity to play against in regular competition. While it may have taken many years, the introduction of women’s hockey into the Olympics was a clear display of the legitimization of the game. Thanks to the addition, many girls in Canada and around the world have had more exposure to women playing hockey. Especially for Canadian’s, seeing Team Canada dominate so frequently on the world stage has helped the growth of the game for women and has helped with the acceptance of female
When I was accepted into the University of Oklahoma, I was not aware of the tradition or prestige that the football team carried. Moreover, I had no idea about the honor it was to don the crimson and cream in the arena of athletics. And, I never envisioned rooming with them. I enjoyed sports, but I loved reading and writing more. Initially, I was focused on building a collegiate career that one day would propel me to my goal of studying law. Yet, the more time I spent interacting with the athletes, the more parallels I noticed between their personalities and mine. Their diligence, perseverance and compassion were all traits that I could identify with since they were reflective of me. For the most part, the majority of the athletes were hungry to achieve and they desired knowledge at all costs; a combination that still resonates with me today.
The defining moment of the importance of hockey in Canada was “The Goal of the Century” in 1972. It was the evening of September 28th; the site was Moscow – U.S.S.R. In the midst of the Cold War, a game-winning goal by Canadian hockey player Paul Henderson at the end of the third period with only 34 seconds left on the clock vaulted Canada to a victory at the Summit Series and put them on top of the hockey world. The heart and character of Canadian hockey internationally began. “The exact moment of that spectacular goal has become a reference point in our national collective consciousness.”- R. Eagleson (Foreword). It was the climatic goal watched by almost every Canadian, and their pride swelled to amazing heights. Hockey is more than just a game in Canada, it is a celebrated history. Hockey is Canada’s identity. “Hockey captures the essence of Canadian experience in the New World. In a land so inescapably and inho...
College sports are a major revenue producing industry. Athletic programs and their student-athletes can achieve national recognition and generate millions of dollars in revenue for their university. Colleges use this revenue to invest in players, pay for their education, and provide state of the art training facilities, which are used to improve their athletic performance. As revenue driven colleges begin to prioritize athletics, the emphasis on the quality and standards of an undergraduate education are diminishing. Compromising their academic acceptance requirements, universities have now found that the educational ability of their newly accepted student athletes are inadequate, to say the least (Gurney). The same universities must then spend millions of dollars to provide these athletes with “learning specialists”, who in turn helps them to meet academic requirements and maintain their eligibility (...
As a consequence, they have to suicides across the ice rink, Brooks orders "Red line, back. Blue line, back. Far blue line, back. Far red line, back. And you have 45 seconds to do it. Get used to this drill. You'll be doing it *a lot* (Miracle). The coach continues to discipline his team: When you pull on that jersey, you represent yourself and your teammates. And the name on the front is a hell of a lot more important than the one on the back! Get that through your head" After a few sprints Brooks then asks the team “Who do you play for?” (Miracle) numerous times. and each time the answers were different. The assistant coach and trainer insisted he stop before somebody got hurt. Brooks continues, despite the players becoming physically ill. That is until one player announced his name was Mike Eruzione and he played for the United States of America (Miracle). The constant drilling and verbal abuse and even more constant drilling together was a method to get the players to finally understand what it means to be the on team.Coach Brooks’s methods are unlike those of Coach Rake in Bleachers, which are more hardcore. He trained the Spartans to conquer their fears, never accept defeat, and pushed his boys beyond their boundaries by using torturous
“7 Strategies to Help Your Athlete Be More Confident.” Phoenix Coyotes Care. Pheonix Coyotes, n.d. Web. 27 Oct. 2013. Edger, Mike. “How Bully Coaching Affects Athletes.”
Players show their professionalism in many ways. An example of this is how professional athletes wea...