Link to Brind'Amour Video from Coaching Inspiration

How to maximize individual development and team performance

Oct 03, 2024

Hi there,

Thank you to everyone who told me the link to Brind’Amour video wasn’t working. The link below is correct now.

Cheers,

“I would tell fighters under pressure the truth, even though they didn’t want to hear it because I knew they needed it and would know the difference. The ones who were going to make it would actually want to hear it and would know they could trust it; both the criticism and the praise”

-Teddy Atlas, from the Streets to the Ring: a Son’s Struggle to Become a Man

I find it useful to search for inspiration during the season. Whether it be creating a theme, preparing a team talk, or for my personal motivation, using fresh ideas is energizing and engages the players. Finding a nugget that you can extract into a novel idea is valuable and fun.

Here are three that will provide you with material to consider.

Roger Federer, Dartmouth Commencement Speech

Federer is masterful at explaining how to handle set backs and builds a theme of “it’s only a point”.

Federer won nearly 80% of all matches in his career yet his point percentage was only 54%. It’s a remarkable statistic that shows how small the difference is between winning and losing.

Regardless of how spectacular the play or awful the mistake, it’s only a point.

“While playing the point, it has to be the most important thing in the world. And when it’s behind you, it’s behind you. This mindset frees you to fully commit to the next point with intensity, clarity, and focus. Negative energy is wasted energy. You want to become a master at overcoming hard moments.”

Click Here to watch.

Rod Brind’Amour, Opening Meeting, Carolina Hurricanes

Brind’Amour clearly establishes the team vision which is “to be the best at everything we do”. This is an aspirational goal - one that sets the standard high.

He connects the players to the organization through evoking the power and imagery of a Category 5 Hurricane, “it’s just the biggest, baddest weather phenomenon on the planet”. By doing so, he is establishing the mentality of the team.

Next, he introduces a challenge mindset, priming the players for the inevitable ups and downs of the season by using a race analogy. He stresses the importance of taking a step each day and the magic isn’t getting to the finish line it is in the trying to get their first.

Finally, he connects the player’s to each other, “everyday you just come to work with your buddies and you push them and you be the best you can be”. It’s especially effective given Brind’Amour’s experience as a player.

Click Here to watch.

Mike Tomlin on the Responsibility of Coaching

“If everybody could learn than we would need less coaches. If the team didn’t need managing we wouldn’t be paid as much”.

Coaching is our responsibility. You have to believe that you can help the athlete and the team perform.

Click here to watch.

Brock Badgers High Performance Hockey Seminar

2025 date to be announced.

Learn, share, and connect with coaches, scouts, managers and industry professionals from all ages, genders, and levels on the campus of Brock University in the beautiful Niagara region.

Speakers include coaches from Professional, CHL, USPORTS, NCAA and industry experts.

Click here for the 2023 and 2024 agenda including speakers and topics.

Purchase the video of all presentations from the 2023 and/or 2024 seminar for just $74 (CDN). Email me directly at tmanastersky@brocku.ca for details.

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