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Beating the Odds

Pre-Game Speeches

Our team got a kick out of this post of a little boy reciting Herb Brooks’ speech to the U.S. Olympic hockey team before its game against the Soviet Union. Maybe you can use it, too.

Some rhetorical points worth noting:

Brooks created sense of history by using the phrase “great moments.” He then mentioned “great opportunities.” Not great opponents, but great opportunities. And he told his players that they had “earned” the opportunity.

By saying, “You were born to be hockey players,” he made it a mission more than a game, and brought up a sense of destiny.

And since we’re in football season, here’s a real barn-burner of a speech given to the Georgia Tech team before a game at Notre Dame.

Remember, the most important thing that coaches do is inspire and motivate.

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