Herbert Paul Brooks Jr. (August 5, 1937 – August 11, 2003) was an American ice hockey player and coach. His most notable achievement came in 1980 as head coach of the gold medal-winning U.S. Olympic hockey team at Lake Placid. At the Games, Brooks’ American team upset the heavily-favored Soviet team in a match that came to be known as the “Miracle on Ice.” These Herb Brooks quotes will inspire you to try hockey.
Best Herb Brooks Quotes
- “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.” – Herb Brooks
- “If I’d have went on the ice when this thing happened, someone would have speared me or something. It’s a great feeling of accomplishment and pride. They had to do it; it was their moment.” – Herb Brooks
- “You can’t be common, the common man goes nowhere; you have to be uncommon.” – Herb Brooks
- “Success is won by those who believe in winning and 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.” – Herb Brooks
- “Everything goes in cycles, to a degree.” – Herb Brooks
- “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. Tonight, we are the greatest hockey team in the world. You were born to be hockey players—every one of you, and you were meant to be here tonight. This is your time. Their time is done. It’s over. I’m sick and tired of hearing about what a great hockey team the Soviets have. Screw ’em. This is your time. Now go out there and take it.” – Herb Brooks
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“Prepare to grow through pain.” – Herb Brooks
- “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.” – Herb Brooks
- “My recruiting key – I looked for people first, athletes second. I wanted people with a sound value system as you cannot buy values. 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.” – Herb Brooks
- “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.” – Herb Brooks
- “You were born to be a player, you were meant to be here, this moment is yours!”
- “Play your game.” – Herb Brooks
- “Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.” – Herb Brooks
- “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.” – Herb Brooks
- “Tonight, we are the greatest hockey team in the world!” – Herb Brooks
- “And maybe I’m a little smarter now than I was before for all the stupid things I’ve done.” – Herb Brooks
- “Everything goes in cycles, to a degree.” – Herb Brooks
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“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.” – Herb Brooks
- “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.” – Herb Brooks
- “You’re only as good as your values.” – Herb Brooks
- “You know, Willie Wonka said it best: we are the makers of dreams, the dreamers of dreams.” – Herb Brooks
- “You must have goals in your life, or otherwise be prepared to be used by those who do have them.” – Herb Brooks
- “Risk something or forever sit with your dreams.” – Herb Brooks
- “It was a lot more than a hockey game, not only for those who watched it but for those who played in it.” – Herb Brooks
- “Write your own book instead of reading someone else’s book about success.” – Herb Brooks
