|
Learning about Life from a Miracle Maker
In life we can not succeed if we do not know who we are. But we cannot fully know who we are until we push ourselves again, again, again, and again. There is a lot to be learned from a man who represented so many good values. Coach Herb Brooks kept sending his players from one blue line to the other blue line again and again after their loss in an exhibition game against Norway for a reason. He challenged his players to discover who they were and why they were there. This project is helping all who are involved to find out who they are. I will write an essay that will summarize the values of Coach Herb Brooks and indicate how this project helped me.
Before the start of the 1980 Olympic game between the Americans and the Soviets, Herb Brooks entered the locker room and told his team, “You were meant to be here.” What exactly did the coach mean by that comment and so many other inspiring words? I want to look closely at some of the things Coach Brooks said to his team. I want to determine if this style of coaching can help change a person’s attitude and life. Herb Brooks wanted everybody’s best and that’s why this project is so great. Learning about Brooks has helped me do my best.
“Gentlemen, be prepared to grow through pain,” Brooks once told his team. This saying rang true for me throughout this project. Many nights I sat at a computer with my fingers on the keyboard, staring blankly at the screen thinking about what I wanted to accomplish. I realized I needed to concentrate harder and not give up.
|
|
|
|
It’s easy for someone to just give up when things are hard. There were times when I walked home from campus at 11 o’clock at night and wanted to go to bed. I walked back to campus though, and sat down until 1:30 in the morning. I realized that I could not give up. I pushed myself harder. I didn’t allow failure to conquer me. I sacrificed an extra hour or two of sleep in order to feel better about myself because I made sure I accomplished something. This is the type of man Herb Brooks was. He exhausted himself to reach the goals he set for himself and his hockey players. He didn’t give up and neither did his team. They kept moving forward. My hope is to continue to do better each day. And for the times when I feel like I should call it a night, I will make myself go just a little bit further in the right direction.
Herb Brooks wanted to make people better. He was a selfless individual. His single-mindedness included a plan for constantly moving forward toward a goal. While working on this project, I learned that I must have the conviction and the confidence to move forward in everything I take on. Coach Brooks described one of his objectives with these words: “In 25 years, I want these 20 boys to know that they didn’t leave anything on the table.” I intend to keep in my mind for the rest of my life. Many students would wish they could be part of a project of this magnitude. I will be forever grateful for my small part.
|
|
