Building Greatness-Leadership & Softball

Analysis of Miracle from a Leadership

 and Coaching Perspective

Elisa Van Kirk

Smith College

It would be safe to say that most sports fanatics have seen the Disney movie Miracle.  However, viewing it from a coaching and leadership perspective is a very different experience.  The movie is very instructive and helpful for coaches to understand how a man took a team that was not supposed to win to victory.  Using many different models of leadership to analyze the actions of coach Herb Brooks is no easy task.  Yet, by analyzing the film using Tuckman’s 4-Stage Model of Group Development, I was able to clearly delineate the four stages (forming, storming, norming, performing) that Coach Brook’s team goes through.  

The forming stage of Tuckerman’s model occurs immediately in the film. From the beginning, Coach Brooks wants to form a hybrid team, a model that had not been used until then with a team in the United States.  Coach brooks wants to take the Canadian style of play and mesh it with the Soviet team style of play.  He was looking for a higher level of player, both mentally and physically.  Because he knew his team would not have the same talent to compete with the powerhouse nations in hockey, he believed he needed players that were going to be tougher and more physically fit than the others.  When Coach Brooks reflects on why the U.S. All-star team gets blown out against competition, he states that he wants to create a system that would work for everyone. (5:53-Miracle).  When the tryouts are conducted, Coach Brooks forms his team after only one day of the trials, even though he has the whole week to do so.  According to the Vroom-Yetton-Jago decision-making model, Coach Brook uses an autocratic style.  He made the decision about who would make up the team and informed his assistant coach and the Olympic committee after only one day of tryouts. (13:12-Miracle).  His decisions making process was consistent with an A1.   Coach Brooks picked each member of his team from information that he already had.  He handpicked each member of the team for a specific reason which was consistent with his goal of forming a new culture for the program.  He did not consult anyone about his decision, not even the selection committee.  The only people he consulted were the coaches of the players with whom he was not already familiar.  While he did not tell them his purpose, his actions were not enough to totally move him into the A2 category.  He did not have anyone help him select his team because he wanted his pre-existing notion to be consistent with the vision he had for the team.

Forming also solidifies (9:09-Miracle) when he asks each player who he is.  They immediately identify themselves by giving their names and schools they attended.  The players are clearly fixated on where they are from.  Although most of the players are excited, some are still unsure about what will be expected of them and their potential teammates.  Brooks plays a dominate role in this stage because after a few members get into a fight (21:30-Miracle) on the ice, he lets them fight and then gives him a vision of what he wants out of the team.  In order to stay in control and reprimand his team, he punishes them by making them do hockey sprints.

This example of the fight also lends itself nicely to the second stage of Tuckerman’s model, the storming stage. (26:00-Miracle).  At this point, Coach Brooks takes the opportunity to solidify the team concept he is trying to ingrain in his players.  After asking each player where they are from, it is clear to him from their answers that he is working with highly competitive egos that could be destructive to his vision for the team.  His players challenge his concept and vision of what the team stands for.  Initially, a majority of players follow two problem players and respond to them rather than Coach Brooks.  The roles of the two players initially are that of the “ring leaders” who question Coach Brook’s authority.  Even the assistant coach did not want the players fighting, but let them go because Brooks said so.  Additionally, in this stage, the other members of the team, such as the goalie, who just watched the fight probably felt over whelmed because the tasks being asked of them where extremely strenuous.  The last incident that occurs in the storming stage is the “again” (39:12-Miracle) part of the movie.  After a poor performance, Brooks makes his team do sprints until they cannot physically perform them anymore.  But, he cancels the punishment when Rizzo says, “he plays for team USA.”  At this point, the storming stage moves to the norming stage. 

Norming occurs when the team shows they respect Coach Brooks.  They accept the culture of conditioning and Brooks as an authority figure. (51:38-Miracle). They get accustomed to workouts and Brooks does not punish them as much when trying to motivate them.  Brooks has them tell him the next move when he is drawing plays on the arena glass.  (52:32-Miracle).  It is clear that at this point we can see the team progressing toward team goals.  The players are friendlier, consider each other’s feelings and really start to bond with each other.  Additionally, they start to really buy into doing squats and get into practice.  (52.47-Miracle).  They are no longer complaining about doing hard work and are truly embracing it.  The team is clearly functioning as a unit during this stage and Coach Brook’s vision and is now becoming a reality.  Norming also occurs when the players are able to recite back to Coach Brooks where they should be as he does “chalk talk” on the glass boards at practice.  At this point, they begin to function as a team on and off the ice.

The end of norming starts to mesh into the beginning of performing.  During this stage, two players take their concerns about a new player Coach Brooks has brought back to the team from his initial cut.  Coach Brooks tells them he is a good player and asks them why he should not be given a shot.  The current members of the team reply because they are a family. (1:02:39-Miracle).  This example directly relates to the performing stage because it is really the first time that Coach Brook’s direct vision of unity and teamwork is shared by his players.   His players have now bought into the fact that they must work as a unit and no one should be added that had not made the team and was not part of growing with them.  This exchange reflects that Coach Brooks achieved his goal.  Coach Brooks also exhibits signs of moving to the team leader leadership style when he gives his (1:38) pep talk about great moments coming from great opportunity.  He states that you might play an opponent ten times and they might win nine times but they will not win this game, not tonight.  This speech exhibits signs of being motivational and demonstrates his commitment to his team.  He is acknowledging their hard work and dedication to this point.  He establishes a relationship with his players during this speech (whether he realizes it or not) because he is telling them that he truly believes in them.  His vision and the team’s dream are against Finland. 

Coach Brooks took great care when making his team and coming up with his philosophy on how to make his unit function cohesively and win.  He initially started being a more authoritarian leader according to the managerial grid.  He states right from the beginning after the team is picked that he is not there to be their friend, but that he is there to coach them. (15:40-Miracle).  However, as we progress through the movie, Coach Brooks takes on more of a team leader role.  He increases his relationship with these players and still gets them to perform at a high on task level.   He starts to form subtle relationships with his players.

References

Ciardi, M; Gray, G. (Producer), & O’Conner, G.(Director). (2004). Miracle[Motion picture]. USA: Walt Disney Studio.

Forming, Storming, Norming and Performing - Leadership skills from MindTools.com.” Mind Tools - Management Training, Leadership Training and Career Training. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Feb. 2011. <http://www.mindtools.com/pag

“The Blake and Mouton Managerial Grid Leadership Self Assessment Questionnaire.” Sports Leadership for Coaches. Tim Bacon, n.d. Web. 7 Feb. 2011. <coachleadership.files.wordpress.com/2011/02/managerial-grid-q-w-scoring.pdf>.

The Vroom-Yetton-Jago Decision Model - Decision-Making Skills Training from MindTools.com.” Mind Tools - Management Training, Leadership Training and Career Training. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Feb. 2011. <http://www.mindtools.com/page