A miracle made by divine intervention

One Sunday morning, the church where my children and I worshipped showed excerpts from the Miracle. A few days earlier, the Philippine contingent had returned from the Olympic Games in Athens empty-handed. The film showing was intended to underscore the meaning of the pastor’s message entitled Living Above and Beyond.

I am not a sports aficionado. I am a mother who goes more for watching Disney’s The Lion King, romantic films like Sleepless in Seattle" and musicals like Baby " than cheering a basketball team. But after listening to the message and viewing Miracle," I have gained a higher respect for athletes and a keener appreciation of what the games of sportsmanship can do to build a person’s character and lift the spirit of a nation wallowing in despair. At that time, the United States needed a breather from serious political and economic concerns including the hostage crisis in Iran, threat of a nuclear war, and gas shortage.

" Competition is more inward than outward, " says decathlon champion Bruce Jenner. The Miracle confirms this by showing that the key to winning a competition is having what it takes to transcend competition; that the real gold medal is what happens to one’s character after winning — or losing – a game.

The movie tells the true story of coach Herb Brooks (Kurt Russell) – how he trained and disciplined a bunch of collegiate players and amateurs to transform them into the formidable US Olympic hockey team that beat the heavily-favored Russians in the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York.

Until that time, the Soviet team, empowered by excellent training and a high degree of professionalism, had been the world’s undisputed hockey champion. Having romped away with the gold in 1964, 1968, 1972 and 1976, the Russians were expected even by the Americans to do the same in 1980. Seeded seventh in Lake Placid’s final round, the US team certainly needed a miracle to dethrone its Cold War contender.

In the movie, the US Men’s Olympics committee hires Brooks as head coach, with Craig Patrick ( Noah Emmerich ) as his assistant. Some members of the committee disagree with his choice of players. The issue is, they may be the best university players, but they are relatively unknown. Brooks prevails. What he wants are not just the best individual superstars but the best players with a gift for team play and a sharp eye for detecting the Russian strategy.

Herb Brooks is a plucky, tough-talking coach who squeezes the best out of his men through "hard practices." Underneath his ruthless veneer, however, lies a brand of kindness that shows through when he asks Craig to cushion the impact of his severity by being more friendly and attentive to the team’s needs. As head coach, Brooks plays the severe disciplinarian to his ragtag squad of college kids who, at times, fall prey to distractions – beer, locker room banter, and pretty blondes in the gallery.

When he tells his players " Win, lose or tie, you’re gonna play like champions, " the gruff coach in effect re-echoes the Olympic creed: " The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well. "

One time, after a lackluster performance, Brooks tells the boys to stay behind for "hard practices " not once, not twice, not thrice but " Again!"… and "Again! "… and "Again!" He challenges each player, " How about you, are you ready to go down? " and everybody, " This cannot be the team of common men! " Seeing that the players are beginning to look stunned with fatigue, the assistant coach begins to worry, " Somebody’s gonna hurt! " But the coach is unrelenting. " C’mon, Craig, blow the whistle! " he tells him. And they skate "Again!"… and " Again! "… and " Again! " … until the lights go off and you could almost see their collective spirit beginning to glow in the dark. The dramatic scene ends with the coach asking an equally dauntless player, " Who do you play for? The young man, with fervor in his eyes, answers, " I play for the United States of America ! " Then Coach Brooks finally calls it a day. " That’s all, gentlemen!" he says, now confident his men have practiced long and hard enough to become passionate about winning.

This reminds us of what the apostle Paul says about running the race in the spiritual realm:

" Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training… Therefore I do not run like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize. " ( 1 Corinthians 9: 25,-27 )

The movie enthralls with lots of winning action including hard hits and last-minute goals. And you know these physical aspects are just a manifestation of the transformation of the spirit the characters go through.

The title Miracle was inspired by sportscaster Al Michaels’ breathless spiel as the US skaters glided their way to victory. He caps his spiel with " Do you believe in miracles? Yes!" "

Indeed, it was a miracle made possible not by divine intervention alone, for God honors man’s equity in every successful human endeavor. Talent, discipline, rigid training, endurance, team spirit, the all-out support of the US Olympics committee, and Coach Herb Brooks’ legendary passion and commitment brought forth the gold and made the 1980 US hockey team’s triumphant moment the greatest moment in American sports history.