20 Quotes by Herb Brooks
Herb Brooks, a legendary ice hockey coach, achieved iconic status for his leadership in guiding the United States men's hockey team to victory in the 1980 Winter Olympics, famously known as the "Miracle on Ice." Brooks' coaching style was characterized by his unrelenting dedication to discipline, rigorous training, and team unity. His emphasis on a collaborative and team-oriented approach allowed a group of young and relatively inexperienced players to overcome immense odds and defeat the heavily favored Soviet team. Beyond the historic victory, Brooks' coaching philosophy continues to influence sports leadership, highlighting the importance of strategy, preparation, and fostering a sense of purpose within a team. His legacy extends beyond the realm of sports, serving as a testament to the transformative power of effective coaching and leadership in achieving extraordinary outcomes.
Herb Brooks Quotes
You can't be common, the common man goes nowhere; you have to be uncommon
Let me start with issuing you a challenge: Be better than you are. Set a goal that seems unattainable, and when you reach that goal, set another one even higher.
Success is won by those who believe in winning & then prepare for that moment. Many want to win, but how many prepare? That is the big difference. A sound value system held water then, holds water today, and will hold water in the future.
You were born to be a player. You were meant to be here. This moment is yours.
When you pull on that jersey, you represent yourself and your teammates, and the name on the front is a hell of a lot more important than the one on the back. Get that through your head!
Great moments are born from great opportunities.
Write your own book instead of reading someone else's book about success
The name on the front is a hell of a lot more important than the one on the back.
You win with people, not with talent. So the quality of the people is very important in building your team. I always looked for people with a solid value system. Then I recruited kids from a cross-section of different personalities, talents and styles of play.
What is courage? Let me tell you what I think it is. An indefinable quality that makes a man put out that extra something, when it seems there is nothing else to give. I dare you to be better than you are. I dare you to be a thoroughbred.
You must have goals in your life, or otherwise be prepared to be used by those who do have them.
Win, lose, or tie, you're gonna play like champions!
Risk something or forever sit with your dreams.
You don't have enough talent to win on talent alone.
You're only as good as your values. I learned early on that you do not put greatness into people but somehow try to pull it out.
Success is won by those who believe in winning and then prepare for that moment.
We should be dreaming. We grew up as kids having dreams, but now we're too sophisticated as adults, as a nation. We stopped dreaming. We should always have dreams.
You're looking for players whose name on the front of the sweater is more important than the one on the back. I look for these players to play hard, to play smart and to represent their country.
You're playing worse and worse every day and right now you're playing like it's next month.
You know, Willie Wonka said it best: we are the makers of dreams, the dreamers of dreams.
If you give 99 percent, you will make my job very easy.
This is your moment. You're meant to be here.
The legs feed the wolf, gentlemen.
― Herb Brooks Quotes
Chief Editor
Tal Gur is an author, founder, and impact-driven entrepreneur at heart. After trading his daily grind for a life of his own daring design, he spent a decade pursuing 100 major life goals around the globe. His journey and most recent book, The Art of Fully Living, has led him to found Elevate Society.
