Great moments are born from great opportunity.
And that’s what you have here tonight, boys.
That’s what you’ve earned here tonight.
One game.
If we played them ten times, they might win nine.
But not this game.
Not tonight.
Tonight, we skate with them.
Tonight, we stay with them.
And we shut them down because we can!
– Herb Brooks, 1980 USA Olympic Hockey Coach
The quote above from Herb Brooks reminds us of the importance of a winning mindset, and how success in sports (and life) often happens as a result of healthy, positive, successful thinking. For youth sport coaches, and really coaches at all levels, a big challenge is getting the team to buy-in that they can win today — especially on days where they are clear underdogs. When I work with athletes I see the same thing — some go into competition always thinking they have a chance, while others have lost the game even before it has started because of their own negative, pessimistic thinking. The Herb Brooks speech is special for many reasons, but there is a specific part of his message that is especially useful for coaches trying to maximize team abilities, and win games that others think are unwinnable.
Just win one…
“If we played them ten times, they might win nine. But not this game. Not tonight.” While some might read that part of the Brooks speech as simple coach rah-rah pump up stuff, there is a much stronger and important point he is making that can be leveraged for increased focus, motivation, and resiliency:
We only have to win ONE.
So often in life we become overwhelmed at the prospect of achieving success at what looks like a massive, daunting task (like how the 1980 USA hockey team felt about the Russians). In these moments, energy deflates, attitude goes negative, and a survival mindset takes the place of healthy physical play. Athletes play to not lose, rather than to win. This all makes logical sense when you believe that there is no way to win today — and this is exactly the place where great coaches know to intervene and challenge their team. Why not us today? Sure, they may have a better team on paper, but what if we give it everything we have, and then keep coming back for more? What if the first time they hit us, we hit them back three-fold? What if we weren’t in awe of them, but instead saw this game as the biggest challenge of our life? And that we only have to win it once!
You don’t have to be an Olympic coach to motivate your team in the same way that Herb Brooks did, but as a coach you do have the same task Brooks had when he coached, and that is the task of getting your team fully ready to play. Especially with social media today, everybody knows who is good, but it is the job of a great coach to help players see past the noise, believe in themselves, and do the job today better than ever before. You only have to win today. How do you create a positive attitude, focus on every play, and get back up faster than the opponent anytime we hit the ground? How do we win the “game within the game” today?
The mental game in sports often comes down to who wants it more, you or the opponent? If you are at a clear disadvantage on paper, how do you outwork them? How do you play together as a team today, like a fine-tuned engine? How do you keep going, especially when you get beat on a play, or a referee makes a terrible call? How hungry are you for success?? By focusing on these questions and dedicating efforts to improve where shortcomings exist, you will give yourself a great chance at success today — and many times in sports that is all that is needed!
Final thoughts
In life, we often lose any chance for future success the very moment we size up the competition as “impossible,” and this mindset is one that we create entirely on our own. If we instead break down what at first looks intimidating into more realistic framing, we begin to see we may very well have a chance today. How does this change in thinking happen? One way, as Herb Brooks pointed out, is to simply win today, and not be consumed by anything else — including how talented the opponent is on paper. Yes, they might beat you just about every time out, but if you bring your A-game today you might be shocked at the results. Don’t believe me? Go ask the 1980 USA Hockey team how they feel about putting it all together for one big game.
drstankovich.com
