Miracle at Lake Placid https://www.miracleatplacid.com/making-the-miracle-project/students/articles/ Wed, 28 Oct 2026 07:21:20 +0000 en-gb Steven Alfano https://www.miracleatplacid.com/making-the-miracle-project/steven-alfano/ https://www.miracleatplacid.com/making-the-miracle-project/steven-alfano/

Coaching Greatness: Philosophies on Winning

For my section of the project, I chose to do a philosophical study of Coach Herb Brooks, the man and the coach. I will look at the philosophy of Coach Brooks, focusing on his values and how they contributed to his team’s successes. By outlining the coach’s philosophy, I hope to give everyone a sense of what values were important and why his style of coaching not only benefited his players in athletics but equipped them for success in life.

I am a fairly analytical person. I am interested in why people are the way they are, the things that make them tick, and how and why their actions affect others. Therefore, I thought a philosophical analysis of Herb Brooks would be an appropriate and important piece of our project.

In studying Coach Brooks, his team, and their historic success at Lake Placid, I’ve learned most importantly that optimism and faith triumph over all. Miracles really do happen. You just have to be open to them and believe in them.

There is no substitute for hard work in order to be successful. I’m sure the feeling that swept over the 1980 Olympic Hockey Team after beating the Soviets was one that can never be duplicated or replaced. If Coach Brooks had not pushed them as hard as he did, they would have never gotten to experience it.
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The values of honesty, faith, hard work, commitment, and sacrifice are ones that I will take with me long after this project is over. In order to reach a goal, you must push yourself. Often, the goal will seem unreachable, but being able to stay faithful, committed, and give it your absolute best, makes the goal attainable.

A positive attitude results in positive results. The Miracle on Ice occurred because the American team knew they could win that game. They had the dedication, put in the hard work, and made the sacrifices. They knew, and Herb Brooks knew, that the moment was going to be theirs. In my life after King’s College, I will always remember what it takes to be successful and how a true winner is a person with core values.

This project hasn’t been just a project, it’s been an experience. Reading about Coach Herb Brooks and the team, seeing pictures and hearing stories from some of my classmates who made the trip to Lake Placid, I’ve come to realize that this is much more than a project honoring the 25th anniversary of the Miracle on Ice. It’s a project highlighting the years of hard work by everyone in our class, including our teacher. It is fitting that my years at King’s capped off by a project that has an impact on not only my class, but on others as well. The people who know about and are involved in this commemoration are many. They are people I never dreamed I get the opportunity to meet and interview people. It truly has been an experience that I will never forget.

 
]]> mabailey@gmail.com (Tony Mussari) Students Mon, 21 Jul 2008 15:03:47 +0000 Christopher Boos https://www.miracleatplacid.com/making-the-miracle-project/christopher-boos/ https://www.miracleatplacid.com/making-the-miracle-project/christopher-boos/

A Bibliography of the Miracle

I found and reviewed sources about “The Miracle on Ice.” The information will then go into an extensive annotated bibliography. I participated in conference calls with Ross Bernstein, author of Remembering Herbie and Wayne Coffey who wrote The Boys of Winter.

I chose to do print research because I like to know about all aspects of a project. Moreover, research will be a large part of my job as a newspaper reporter. The interviewing experience will also be invaluable in my line of work.

While working on this project, I learned that achievements are not the result of miracles. They are the product of hard work and luck.

During this project, I learned that individuality and blatant honesty can be harsh and lonely. However, they are the cornerstones to progress. If one doesn’t understand where weaknesses lie, one cannot make the changes to move towards a higher level of performance. I also learned the value of pressing forward instead of spending too much time on self-praise or self-pity.

The project has made me become more self-motivated.

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]]> mabailey@gmail.com (Tony Mussari) Students Mon, 21 Jul 2008 15:03:47 +0000 Lauren Barrett https://www.miracleatplacid.com/making-the-miracle-project/lauren-barrett/ https://www.miracleatplacid.com/making-the-miracle-project/lauren-barrett/

A Quilt of Miracles: Herb Brooks’s Values on Fabric

As the rain poured down at 6:37 pm on March 11, 2005, I sat staring out the window of my house in Connecticut thinking about the course I was taking at King’s College 200 miles away. Quite honestly, I didn’t have a concept. Picking up the phone I dialed long distance to Pennsylvania looking for an answer which I knew would be hidden within a thought exercise. A man’s voice came on the line and asked me to define specific words: collage, creativity, value. I knew I had to think of how to creatively make a collage of Coach Herb Brooks’s values, but how? Trying my hardest to think as far out of the box as possible, and beginning to get frustrated, I put my left hand on my forehead. Then it hit me, a quilt. That voice came over the line telling me I had it and to take it to a level I didn’t think possible. I love a challenge.

The Project

This quilt is made in honor of the 1980 Olympic Hockey Team and their coach, Herb Brooks. It illustrates through words and images many of the values Coach Brooks taught this team of young men, the values he lived by. The quilt is 52 inches long and 46 inches wide. I chose to create a quilt because I feel it is an eye-catching way of highlighting what Coach Brooks did and who he was. I think it is important for future generations to know about Coach Brooks, to learn his value system and try to model their lives after it.

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Lessons Learned

From studying Coach Brooks and the 1980 Hockey Team, I learned that impossibilities don’t exist. I’ve learned to believe in my dreams, work hard and to demand excellence from others, but more importantly, from myself.

Values Learned

I’ve learned the values of passion, courage and leadership. Taking a chance isn’t an option; it’s what pushes you forward in life. Without passion, nothing is worth doing and if you aren’t a leader then you aren’t contributing to much at all. From this I know how to take charge in my life, to find meaning in everything that occurs around me and not to be afraid of decisions I make, but to handle them with class and grace, no matter what.

Impact

This project has pushed me to realize all the ways I need to grow as a person. It made me realize that living an easy life isn’t ideal, but living a fulfilled life with challenges, sacrifice and service is. I’ve been able to strengthen my value system and truly understand what dedication and individuality are. Because of Coach Brooks and the 1980 Olympic Hockey Team, I understand that every decision comes with options and consequences. I now understand that it is up to me to make the wisest choices possible and to accept and learn from my mistakes.
]]> mabailey@gmail.com (Tony Mussari) Students Mon, 21 Jul 2008 15:03:47 +0000 Robert Anderson https://www.miracleatplacid.com/making-the-miracle-project/robert-anderson/ https://www.miracleatplacid.com/making-the-miracle-project/robert-anderson/

The Miracle Behind the Miracle

In my project I will create a collage of photos to give testimony to the memory of Herb Brooks and the 1980 Miracle on Ice. I will design logos to commemorate the 25th Anniversary of the Miracle at Placid.

I am a creative and visual person, so right away these ideas just started rushing through my mind. I knew that I wanted to create posters and logos for the project.

While working on this project, I learned that Coach Herb Brooks was a teacher, he knew what it took to be a winner, and he made it happen in life and in the arena. I learned about teamwork and how the team worked under pressure.

I have learned about trust and loyalty. The team had to have trust in Coach Brooks. The players had to trust him when he said that the drills and practice time would pay off. In the end, trust between coach and player made the difference.

The project has taught me much about the importance of communication between one person and another.

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]]> mabailey@gmail.com (Tony Mussari) Students Mon, 21 Jul 2008 15:03:47 +0000 Katie Chandler https://www.miracleatplacid.com/making-the-miracle-project/katie-chandler/ https://www.miracleatplacid.com/making-the-miracle-project/katie-chandler/

The Miracle in Bits and Bytes

Twenty students, each with a very different idea as to how they wanted to immortalize Herb Brooks and the 1980 US Olympic Hockey Team’s accomplishments...

A number of consultants with their own projects and valuable insight to add to this project…

How do you bring it all together? How can you take such different aspects of a person, a place, and an event and have them make sense?

My project began as the organization of each person and project into a unified web site, with particular emphasis on the navigation structure. This put me in the unique position of needing a broader understanding of the project as a whole, and all the people, places, and events that were involved. It seemed crucial to explore the special events that took place during this project, the role they played in molding the project, and the major impact they had on the lives of the participants.

I chose my original project because of my skills in computers and web design. I wanted to see the projects that everyone has worked so hard on presented in a manner true to form, but also optimized for internet viewing. However as time passed, it seemed only natural to use my broader knowledge of the overall project to help create a collective understanding of the project’s events.

Working on this project has taught me the importance of hard work and teamwork. A person can only be so great alone, but much greater when working with other outstanding individuals. It is through the collaborative efforts of everyone involved in this project that it has attained such stratospheric heights, and I am certain it will continue to soar as time goes on.

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During this project, I have gained a better appreciation for several values that I will try to refine and incorporate into my everyday life:

Honesty – Herb Brooks never held anything back; he had no reason to. It wasn’t done in a way to offend the other person, but rather to help them grow. Sugarcoating and false praise are not productive steps for growth and improvement;

Work Ethic – There is no amount of talent that can substitute for hard work. Brooks and the 1980 Olympic Hockey Team demonstrated throughout their endeavors that hard work is essential for any success, and this project has also taught me that hard work is a critical factor in all accomplishments;

Dedication – Along with hard work, it takes dedication to achieve your dreams. You must eat, sleep, and breathe what you want to accomplish. It is in this total immersion in an idea or event that creates the atmosphere for success.

In conclusion, this project has shown me that any dream, no matter how large or improbable, is very much possible with the right combination of teamwork and dedication. I have learned that it is important to always reach for the stars and never settle for less than your best. Most importantly, I have learned that miracles are not as much miracles as they are time, patience, preparation, desire, and hard work.
]]> mabailey@gmail.com (Tony Mussari) Students Mon, 21 Jul 2008 15:03:47 +0000 Cara DiEnno https://www.miracleatplacid.com/making-the-miracle-project/cara-dienno/ https://www.miracleatplacid.com/making-the-miracle-project/cara-dienno/

Miracle in a Box - A Trivia Board Game

The dice hit the board with a bang. The player to my right picked up the card and read “What team did the US defeat to win the gold medal in 1980?” I thought for a moment, then answered “Sweden.” With a grin of satisfaction, he bellowed “wrong, try again.” My “Miracle in a Box” was working. My project is a board game, modeled on trivia and includes the events of the famous hockey game between the US and the USSR.

My “Miracle in a Box” board game is designed to enable players to relive the excitement created by the United States Olympic Hockey Team’s victory in 1980. It provided me with a creative opportunity to portray the significant events of the ‘Miracle on Ice.’ It gave me a chance to utilize my research and design skills to create a unique piece that was both information and entertaining.

During the five months that I worked on this game, I learned several important lessons. They are:

- Sports can have a positive impact on life;
- The significance of the Olympic Movement;
- The genius of Coach Herb Brooks and his respect for the game;
- The importance of character development in Coach Brooks’s strategy;
- The importance of creativity in designing the miracle that brought America together.

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When I began this project I never dreamed that I would learn as much as I did about creativity, leadership, perspective, and goal setting. All of these were central to what is commonly referred to as the “Miracle on Ice.”

Perspective - I will try to incorporate this into my life by gaining a perspective and insight into any project I begin.

Creativity - This is important because I don’t think that we can grow as individuals if we don’t have the freedom to experiment and find out how creative we can be.

Leadership - I think that this is an important lesson to learn on both sides; how to be a good leader and how to recognize a good leader. At this stage in our lives we will be behind leaders before we grow to be leaders. Leading a group to the unknown and pushing for the same goal, is what makes a leader.

Goal Setting - Setting the bar high forces you to push harder and reach beyond those goals to achieve the unattainable. “If you don’t have goals you are going to be used by people who have them,” said Herb Brooks.


]]> mabailey@gmail.com (Tony Mussari) Students Mon, 21 Jul 2008 15:03:47 +0000 Ryan Doyle https://www.miracleatplacid.com/making-the-miracle-project/ryan-doyle/ https://www.miracleatplacid.com/making-the-miracle-project/ryan-doyle/

The History of a Miracle

The green van with gold trim pulled around the circle at King’s College twice for me during The Miracle at Placid Project. The first time it was Doc in the driver’s seat, and I quickly found out that he was a no nonsense guy when he was on location. His first words when he greeted us “Let’s go fellows… No time to waste. We’ve got to make Cheshire, Connecticut by noon.” My first shoot, what a marvelous experience!

The second time the green van trimmed with gold rounded the circle, Kitch was in the driver’s seat and the atmosphere was the same. Off to Lake Placid we rode, equipment piled high to record the relighting of the Olympic flame.

I’m the story-teller, the painter of pictures for the people who couldn’t come along on our trips. As the scribe for both the Connecticut and the second Lake Placid shoot, I tell the story from my point of view, detailing the moments that a camera can’t capture. In addition, my art adds another dimension to the entire project.

The goal of this project is to make college seniors look beyond the scope of their academic work to find within themselves a spark that will drive them to set the bar higher. During this project I learned that hard work, persistence and a great deal of stretching can help a student reach that bar. It also results in building character along the way.

The values that I’m going to walk away from this project with are service, creativity and persistence. Much of this I learned as an occupant of the green van with a gold stripe.

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]]> mabailey@gmail.com (Tony Mussari) Students Mon, 21 Jul 2008 15:03:47 +0000 Matt Farrell https://www.miracleatplacid.com/making-the-miracle-project/matt-farrell/ https://www.miracleatplacid.com/making-the-miracle-project/matt-farrell/

Miracle or Myth: An Analysis of the Movies about Team USA.

From the roar of the thousands in the crowd to the shouts of a tense coach, cinema has taken the success of the 1980 Olympic Hockey Team and given it new life, especially for new generations. Whether it is on the big screen of the theater or on your television at home, producers have attempted to recreate this tale of epic proportions. The three films I analyzed were successful in bringing that historic moment to life. Each offers a unique view of the 1980 Olympic Hockey Team. My project will analyze each movie and include the difference in story lines, the historical accuracy and movie critics’ opinions.

Films have always been something I could immerse myself in. What better way to contribute to this project than to watch films based on this amazing event? Film may be the closest I can come to comprehending what emotions took place with each member of the team.

I learned that hard work is the bottom line when trying to achieve one’s goals and that the impossible is possible. I have also learned that a miracle is not always a miracle but rather a matter of determination and perseverance.

The values that I will try and refine are determination and preparation. These are, in my opinion, the quintessential values to live a successful life.

This project has taken the magic in the Miracle on Ice and removed any illusions I had of the event. It has shown me that the underdog can achieve the unthinkable. The path to success is difficult and painful, but the end result makes all that comes before it worthwhile.

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]]> mabailey@gmail.com (Tony Mussari) Students Mon, 21 Jul 2008 15:03:47 +0000 Katie Gross https://www.miracleatplacid.com/making-the-miracle-project/katie-gross/ https://www.miracleatplacid.com/making-the-miracle-project/katie-gross/

Between Smoke and Fire: Learning about Herb Brooks on Mirror Lake

The night was cold and damp and the huge snow flakes were like white doilies floating down. You could hear the crunching of the snow beneath our tired feet as we made our way down the path and onto Mirror Lake. When we arrived it was stepping back in time, 1980. The roar of the crowd was the same as it was on the night of Feb 22, 1980, and between the smoke and the fire, I saw a swarm of people around a man who resembled a businessman. As I approached the crowd I learned that the businessman was Olympic hockey player, #4, Mike Ramsey. Standing next to a makeshift bonfire talking to Ramsey the smoke from the fire floated between us, and between smoke and the fire I learned about Herb Brooks and the team he coached to victory.

At a time when technology dominates every aspect of life, teaching values can be a difficult and risky business. Most of the college seniors I know are pretty fixed in what they believe. They want to graduate and land a good job with benefits and a salary that will make them feel good about themselves. They rarely talk about values. You can imagine what a surprise it was for me when I learned that my teacher was determined to help his students understand that the way you succeed in life is to have strong values. That’s what Coach Herb Brooks did with the 1980 US Olympic Hockey Team, and that’s exactly what Dr. Anthony Mussari is trying to accomplish by having us participate in the Miracle at Lake Placid Project.

Before I became involved in this project I knew nothing about Coach Herb Brooks. Now I know that he wanted to teach his players the importance of being men of character, integrity and to work hard on and off the ice.

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The most important lesson I learned from studying the life of Herb Brooks is a simple one: miracles don’t happen. It’s how much you put into something that gives you results. Brooks knew how far to push his players, and in the end it was hard work, dedication and determination that gave them the gold. It’s amazing how one man can transform the sport of ice hockey by making the game his own.

While doing this project it occurred to me is that we have our own Herb Brooks right in front of our eyes. He’s older than Herb Brooks was when he coached his team to the gold in 1980, but he is just as determined and focused as was Coach Brooks. Like the coach, he never lets you settle for less, and he knows how to take you to a different level in your life. He is not afraid to tell you the truth no matter what the consequences. In 1979, Herb Brooks took a group of young men, and he transformed their lives. During this project, I experienced a transformation. The setting was a classroom. The coach was my teacher. The result was an eye opening experience that made me realize that if you want something badly enough you must work hard, and never lower your standards. That’s the recipe for a gold medal performance in everything you do.

Thank you Coach Brooks. Thank you Doc.
]]> mabailey@gmail.com (Tony Mussari) Students Mon, 21 Jul 2008 15:03:47 +0000 Matt Harm https://www.miracleatplacid.com/making-the-miracle-project/matt-harm/ https://www.miracleatplacid.com/making-the-miracle-project/matt-harm/

Mike Lewis: Six Strings and a Bridge

One foot taps lightly on the floor as Mike Lewis’s fingers move up and down the fret board, dancing from string to string, note to note, chord to chord. His eyes are closed and the only thing that exists outside of his guitar is the music resonating from it. There is no house, no world, not even a universe it seems. There is just the music.

Like many musicians, Lewis talks while he plays his guitar. Often when there is break in the conversation, even a small one, his right hand begins to pluck at the strings while his left hand does the talking. For Lewis, there are two ways of speaking.

The legendary coach Herb Brooks knew this. His instrument was a pair of skates and a hockey stick, and he played the ice the way Lewis plays the fret board. With carefully chosen words and phrases called “Brooksisms,” he bellowed instructions to his team. After six and a half months of this they got the message that took them to the gold.

“I’m a big picture guy,” Lewis says, “not a details one. I like to look at the whole picture through my songs. I like to leave things open to interpretation. For me the art of music is showing an audience, not telling them.” I think Coach Brooks would have liked Mike Lewis, because Brooks was very adept at showing the world what hard work, discipline and dreams can produce.

Again and again Herb Brooks told his players “the name on the back of the jersey means nothing, it’s what’s on the front that counts.” In this same light, there is no ego at Windsor Park. No one ever tries to upstage one another. Lewis had nothing but words of praise after we viewed Doc’s Windsor Park story on Steve Gibson. He never once indicated that he should have had a bigger part in the show, if anything, whenever there was footage of him, he would respond with self-deprecating humor.

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When the opportunity presented itself, Doc returned the favor. He told us about the very talented people who worked with Mike at a recording session in Nashville. Bobby Ogden who played for Elvis, Dave Pomeroy who frequently appears on the David Letterman Show, Kerry Marx who’s a regular on the Grand Old Opry stage, and Steve Gibson who is legendary as a guitarist and a producer.

And when Doc left the room to get a tape for the video camera, it was Lewis who said, “You really need to listen to what Doc has to tell you, he has a lot to teach you, and there are very few men like him around.” Never once did he say “Look at all the wonderful things I have done, aren’t you glad you had the opportunity to work with me?”

Our Miracle at Lake Placid Project gave me an opportunity to demonstrate how music can effectively communicate the nature, tone, and spirit of the meaning of the Olympics. The original music that Mike Lewis is creating will capture the inspirational tone of Herb Brooks’s leadership. It will also illustrate the way 20 seniors embraced the miracle project which took them to places they never dreamed possible.

Lewis’s fingers come to an abrupt stop, the room is quiet, and everyone assembled who hears the music knows that it is perfect for the project. The goal of this part of the project is to show the way music can effectively communicate the philosophy and inspirational force of Herb Brooks. It also illustrates the way 20 seniors at King’s College can learn from two great teachers, one who we have in the classroom once a week, and the other who unfortunately is no longer with us, but whose family and friends are keeping his legacy alive.


]]> mabailey@gmail.com (Tony Mussari) Students Mon, 21 Jul 2008 15:03:47 +0000