"You were born to be a player. You were meant to be here."- Herb Brooks
THE PLAYERS ON THE TEAM
There were 20 college and amateur players on the gold-winning 1980 Olympics U.S. ice-hockey team. Thirteen of these players eventully played in the National Hockey League (NHL).
"Every day was an adventure in psychology for the players on the team."
How herb brooks IMPACTed the players
Herb Brooks was a coach who made his players think and act. Coach Brooks did not make the players believe they could win gold. He demanded that the players work their hardest and do their best. And when they had done all they could, he demanded them to do more. By the time of the 1980s Olympics, the players were ready to do their best. An effective technique Brooks used was to try to unify his team against him. He used this technique on many occasions. Coach Brooks berated the team as a motivational method to get them to work hard and be successful. He was confrontational with the players. The message he wanted to send to the players using this technique was to teach them that they were going to overcome all obstacles as a team.
The players had a notebook called "Brookisms" which was filled with Coach Brooks' notes of advice. One of them was: "This team isn't talented enough to win on talent alone."
The disagreement between Coach Brooks and Rob McClanahan illustrates Brooks' philosophy. McClanahan, a left-winger, was severely injured during the game against Sweden which ended in a 2-2 draw. The reason that Coach Brooks attacked McClanahan was probably because the Americans had not played well in their first Olympic test. Brooks questioned McClanahan's manhood and insulted him by calling him a "cake-eater". This made McClanahan so mad but he went onto the ice and played as if he had no injury. This is how Coach Brooks motivated him to do well and excel. It was an example of how the team could overcome any obstacle. Another player, Janaszak commented a decade later, "That locker room scene is still vivid in my mind."
Another Brookism: "If we don't win tomorrow," Craig told the media gathering after the Russian game, "people will forget us."
The reason that the U.S. team so special was that every player was a hero in their own way. Many players, played despite major injury, gave it their all and made a difference. An example of that is defenseman Jack O'Callahan. His knee was so badly injured in the last exhibition game against the Soviet Union. He should have been in the hospital headed for surgery but instead he went to Lake Placid and played through his injury.
The players had a notebook called "Brookisms" which was filled with Coach Brooks' notes of advice. One of them was: "This team isn't talented enough to win on talent alone."
The disagreement between Coach Brooks and Rob McClanahan illustrates Brooks' philosophy. McClanahan, a left-winger, was severely injured during the game against Sweden which ended in a 2-2 draw. The reason that Coach Brooks attacked McClanahan was probably because the Americans had not played well in their first Olympic test. Brooks questioned McClanahan's manhood and insulted him by calling him a "cake-eater". This made McClanahan so mad but he went onto the ice and played as if he had no injury. This is how Coach Brooks motivated him to do well and excel. It was an example of how the team could overcome any obstacle. Another player, Janaszak commented a decade later, "That locker room scene is still vivid in my mind."
Another Brookism: "If we don't win tomorrow," Craig told the media gathering after the Russian game, "people will forget us."
The reason that the U.S. team so special was that every player was a hero in their own way. Many players, played despite major injury, gave it their all and made a difference. An example of that is defenseman Jack O'Callahan. His knee was so badly injured in the last exhibition game against the Soviet Union. He should have been in the hospital headed for surgery but instead he went to Lake Placid and played through his injury.