Great moments are born of great opportunities.
-Herb Brooks

Some days are better than others. The first day of spring 2007 was one of the best days of the year.

It began early in the morning in one of our favorite haunts, the dining room of the Nittany Lion Inn at Penn State University. The ambiance was welcoming. The atmosphere was pleasant. The food was delicious, and although we were rushed, it was another in a string of pleasant memories we shared in a place we enjoy so much.

Some scrambled eggs, bacon and two delicious pancakes covered with soft butter and maple syrup, a tall glass of orange juice and two cups of coffee fueled our systems, and Kitch and I were off to Chambers Hall and Dr. John Lucas Olympics History class.

John is a gentleman, a scholar and a friend. We met on a bitter cold evening in Lake Placid, New York. Dr. Lucas is one of the six certified Olympic historians in the world and he was there to share his thoughts about the future of the Olympic games.

Soft spoken, but oh, so knowledgeable, he is impressive in every sense of the word. I like his take on things, and the depth of his knowledge impresses me.

His presentation was part of a series of events designed to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the 1980 Winter Olympics and the Miracle on Ice. Appropriately called Miracles, Memories and Magic , we did not know it then, but that became an accurate description of our friendship.

John Lucas is pure class. He is the kind of person who lifts you up. He took the time to talk with the students who were part of our group, and he invited us to make contact with him at Penn State University. The rest, as they say, is history.

On this day, March 21, 2007, I would have the honor of presenting my second guest lecture on The Miracle Project, the miracle team, the miracle coach, and the values that made the miracle happen. What an opportunity. What a privilege to share a classroom with this great man. What a responsibility to give him and his students our very best.

Once inside his classroom, it was all business. An exchange of pleasantries…a visit with the IT people who got our computer and the projector up and running and before we knew it the classroom was filled with students.

Then it happened. Class began.

For the next 50 minutes the US Olympic Hockey Team and its coach, Herb Brooks, took center stage along with the 20 students from my last senior seminar class.

We were there to share the 5w’s of the project and the “So What” of the experience and there wasn’t a minute to waste.

My job was to humanize the story and convey the message of hard work, preparation, delayed gratification and values that were central to the Miracle On Ice and The Miracle Project.

Throughout my presentation, I looked at the students, and I saw American’s future. America learning…America hoping…America questioning…America dreaming…A diverse America…A youthful and energetic America and, of course, a distracted America.

It was a beautiful day and at least one or two students could not resist the temptation to look out the huge windows that overlook the courtyard adjacent to Chambers Hall.

Everything was as one would expect it to be in a college classroom in 2007.

As I spoke, I wondered what Coach Brooks would have said to these students. I wondered if they could relate to a story that happened more than a quarter of a century ago. A story that was literally a dream come true. A story that centered on blue-collar, lunch pail college kids not media celebrities. A story that was born of 17 months of hard work, two decades of planning, and many bumps along the road.

I wondered what would become of these students. I wondered if any of the information I was sharing would be helpful to these students.

Then it happened, a young man raised his hand and asked, “Where were you when the miracle happened? Did you watch the game?”

Those 12 words made the day. It demonstrated an appreciation for the magnitude of the event and its consequences. It enabled an old, retired teacher to personalize the story and expand a bit.

After the class the young man continued the discussion, and he closed the deal with these words: “I love stories like these. I wish that I could have been there to experience that moment.”

As I packed up my laptop and Kitch took a few pictures, I thought to myself, Coach Brooks would have liked this young man …his enthusiasm…his honesty…his dreaming.

As we left Chambers 109, the words of Robert Fulghum resonated in my mind:

I believe that imagination is stronger than knowledge. That myth is more potent than history. That dreams are more powerful than facts. That hope always triumphs over experience. That laughter is the only cure for grief. And I believe that love is stronger than death.