Champions are Built, Not Born
45 Years After the Miracle on Ice
“Great moments are born from great opportunity.”
– Herb Brooks
Champions are Built, Not Born
Chasing Influence: Transformational Coaching to Build Champions for Life
Forty-five years ago, on February 22, 1980, a team of underdog college players shocked the world by defeating the seemingly invincible Soviet Union hockey team. The moment, immortalized by Al Michaels' legendary call—"Do you believe in miracles? Yes!"—became the greatest sports moment of the 20th century. But beyond the scoreboard, the Miracle on Ice was a lesson in resilience, growth, and the power of learning from both victory and defeat.
In the weeks leading up to the Olympics, Team USA faced the Soviets in an exhibition match at Madison Square Garden. The result? A humiliating 10-3 loss. The young American squad was outplayed, outskated, and overwhelmed.
It would have been easy to accept defeat—to see the Soviets as unbeatable and resign themselves to fate. Instead, Coach Herb Brooks used that loss as fuel, drilling his team with relentless conditioning and mental toughness. He demanded focus, discipline, and, most importantly, the ability to learn from their previous setback.
"Win, lose, or tie, you are going to play like champions," Brooks told his team. The lesson from the fiery coach was clear: losing isn’t failure—failure is refusing to grow from the loss.
When the two teams met again in Lake Placid, it was different. Team USA came prepared—not just physically, but mentally. They understood that winning isn’t about never losing; it’s about what you do after a loss. They played with pride, with grit, and with the trust that hard work and preparation would carry them.
After stunning the Soviets 4-3, they defeated Finland two days later to win Olympic gold. Forty-five years later, the Miracle on Ice isn’t just a sports story—it’s a leadership lesson that still resonates today. The 1980 U.S. hockey team proved that setbacks are not failures, but opportunities to improve. Every loss offers a lesson, and true growth comes from reflection and adjustment. Instead of worrying about what they couldn't control—like the Soviet team’s size, strength, and experience—Team USA focused on what they could control: preparation, teamwork, and relentless effort.
They knew success isn’t about individual talent but about believing in each other, committing to a shared goal, and lifting one another up. They embraced the mindset that champions are defined by how they respond to adversity—every shift, every period, every game—no matter the situation or what had happened in the past.
Do you use every challenge, every loss, and every win as an opportunity to learn? Because in the end, true champions are the ones who never stop growing.
“It's not whether you get knocked down, it's whether you get up.”
– Vince Lombardi
Connecting this quote to the story. After being knocked down by a crushing loss to the Soviets, Team USA didn’t give up; they learned from it, adapted, and rose to the challenge, proving that true champions are defined not by setbacks, but by their response to them.
Chasing Influence tip: Winning starts long before the challenge begins, in the daily habits of preparation and discipline.
If you enjoyed this story, a series of three Chasing Influence workbooks is available. Stories are accompanied by discussion questions and answers. Each workbook contains 33 lessons to use with any team.
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©Troy Urdahl, 2025