Model Coaching
Running Head: MODEL COACHING
Model Coaching in Disney’s Miracle
Crystal Fryer
ESS 110
February 25, 2009
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Disney’s Miracle tells the true story of the 1980 United States Olympic hockey team and head coach Herb
Brooks who leads an internationally inexperienced group of college kids to Olympic victory in one of the greatest
moments in sports history. The film Miracle presents a notable analysis for both the “Group Development” and
“Situational Leadership” models. This analysis explores both the group development level of the 1980 U.S. Olympic
hockey as well as the efficacy of the corresponding leadership style displayed by Coach Brooks.
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The forming stage, the first stage of Tuckman’s group development model, appears in the controversial
roster that Coach Brooks selects when forming his team. The U.S. players have literally played with each other for a
day after coming from different parts of the country and have no team identity. The team displays a D1 (low
developing talent and maturity) level as a team that has never played together or at the competitive Olympic level
and whose players perform as individuals that cannot succeed on a world stage against successful teams. Within the
forming stage, Coach Brooks uses a S1 high directive and low supportive coaching behavior in response to his
team’s developing stage. The coach’s statement to the team that he is their coach and not their friend exemplifies the
current relationship that he has with them as a director, not supporter. Coach Brooks directs the formation of the
team without input from the assistant coaches or the Olympic committee, asserting that he does not need the best
players, but rather the right ones. Coach Brooks explains to the Olympic committee that he desires change, changing
the way his team trains, prepares in a longer, and adopting a more competitive schedule. Coach Brooks desires to
change the way his team plays the game, adopting a new style that requires the highest level of speed conditioning,
creativity, and team chemistry from his players. Coach Brooks’ high directive low supportive coaching style works
best within the forming stage of his team (and in Tuckman’s model) because his players are developing athletes on
the international scale that have never played together and will now learn a completely new style of play until the
individual players adopt new team goals and culture.
Following the team’s formation, Coach Brooks instructs his players to complete a psychological and the
team’s resistant completion of this survey in the bar scene mark the storming phase of the team’s development. The
bar scene highlights the players rebellion against the coach in complaining about the psychology test amidst forming
clicks and rivalries within the team, notably a previous NCAA rivalry between Jack O'Callahan and Rob
McClanahan. This particular rivalry comes to a head in practice with a physical fight between these two teammates
still considering themselves enemies. The overall developmental level of the team has risen somewhat to a D2
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moderate developmental level with the debut of some promising talented players including the “cone heads” line
that both respect each other and perform well together. Coach Brooks responds to the storming phase with high
directive and high supportive behavior, the S2 coaching leadership style. Coach Brooks maintains his directive
control of the team by establishing team goals and sport philosophy with skills of skating, passing, flow, and
creativity. Signs of supportive behavior include Brooks imploring his players to start becoming a team in the
Minnesota practice season and not to settle old rivalries and by pushing them to skate harder than they ever have
skated. Coach also validates his players by allowing input from the cone head line and meeting with goalie, Craig,
about his family, personal life, and commitment to the team off of the ice. Assistant Doc Nagobads himself observes
that if Coach Brooks’ effective high directive behavior makes the team hate him, he may actually be supporting the
team by preventing them from hating each other.
A crucial transition in the group development level of the Miracle team comes in an exhibition game
against the Norwegian Olympic team in Oslo, Norway five months before the opening ceremony. Not only does the
competition end in a tie against a weak international opponent but Coach Brooks overhears his benched players
focusing on female fans in the arena instead of the game. Brooks becomes irate that his players did not work during
the game and is determined to make them work after the game by running innumerable suicide drills. By reverting
back to a D1 level of play, the U.S. team did not play at its current potential in a show of poor skill and behavior,
Coach Brooks must enforce a high directive low supportive coaching style to direct his team to work and play like
champions. A critical shift in the team culture appears as Mike Ramsey announces that he plays for the United
States of America identifying with his current team and teammates as opposed to his college or hometown. This
change in player and team identity marks the transition to Tuckman’s norming stage of group development.
The norming phase of the U.S. Olympic hockey team as presented in Miracle follows the suicide marathon
of the Norwegian exhibition game with instances of individual player improvement and contribution as well as
greater team awareness and chemistry. In the three months leading up to the Olympic opening ceremony greater
team cohesion and identification occurs as previous rivals O’Callahan and McClanahan bond over brutal spurts of
conditioning and the cone head line contribute to the direction of the team by calling their own play for the team
(previously only called by Coach Brooks). Coach Brooks responds to the increased developmental level of his
followers (now a high moderate D3 level) and continues with a S2 leadership style in a team meeting specifically
focused on the Soviet team, the strongest competition in world hockey at the time. Coach Brooks supports his
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players by directing them to work hard enough to skate with the Soviets for the entire game; recognizing their
developmental level as capable of competing with the best teams in world. According to the situational leadership
model, a team displaying a D3 high moderate developmental level corresponds to a supporting S3 leadership style of
high supportive and low directive behavior. The coaching style of the assistant coaches must now be taken into
account to understand the necessary balance of the coaching staff at this developmental level. The assistant coaches,
Craig Patrick and Doc Nogabands, have shown the same consistent supporting leadership style of high supportive
and low directive behavior, constantly reinforcing and encouraging players with little visible direction. At this point
in the developmental process of the team, the players have faced little international competition and still require the
high directive behavior of an experienced coach and until their international experience and developmental level
increases the balance between the coaching staff should remain.
One of the most definitive scenes and leadership decisions that Coach Brooks makes in Miracle comes
between Tuckman’s norming and performing stages when Brooks reintroduces a formerly cut player, Timmy, who
could potentially earn a position on the team over a player who has been with the team in training. This direct
decision by Brooks shows low support for his current players fighting to stay on the team. The new player Timmy
seems poised to take the position of Eruzione and he and his teammates storm Coach Brooks and Assistant Coach
Patrick about the disruption of the team dynamic. The argument that the team has become a family proves to Coach
Brooks that his directive decision did not meet the high moderate development level of his team. The U.S. team has
developed its roles and unity through the norming phase and Coach Brooks modifies his leadership style to greater
support his players by cutting Timmy and finalizing his team. Even the notable loss to the Russians in the days
leading up to the opening ceremony does not detract from the team’s readiness to enter the performance stage.
The U.S. Olympic Hockey has finally arrived in the performing stage as it faces and defeats international
competition on the world stage. This final performance stage of Tuckman’s group development model starts with the
first round tie against Sweden and ends with the historic victory over the Soviets. The U.S. now performs at a high
developed level through known individual roles, encouragement from the bench in games, delegation to team
captain Eruzione to lead on the ice, and superior skills performance in competition. Coach Brooks gives a
compelling pre-game speech before the Soviet game in which he commends his players for earning this opportunity,
encouraging them to seize the opportunity, and reminding the team of the behaviors of poise and control that it has
already exhibited. The final games of the U.S. hockey team’s 1980 season show Coach Brooks with a delegating
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leadership style as his team has finally reached a high developed level that requires low support and direction.
Throughout the film Miracle we follow Tuckman’s group development model of a developing and the subsequent
leadership style of Coach Brooks that while consistent in his commitment to excellence adapts his leadership style to
the development level of his team.
Appendix
Stage of
Group
Developmen
t
Indicators (Scenes)
Developmental Level
(D1, D2, etc)
(justification)
Leadership Style (S1,
S2, etc.) Demonstrated
Appropriate
Leadership Style
(justify)
Model Coaching
Forming
This started when
the team roster was
selected
This ended when
the players
received the
psychological
surveys and went
to the bar
This started in the
bar and ended after
the Norway
exhibition game
We know the team is in
the Forming stage
because the players
have just been
announced and show a
D1 level as a team that
has never played
together or at the
Olympic level
We know the team is in
the Storming stage
because of clicks, old
rivalries, fighting on the
ice, and rebelling
against the coach and
shows a D2 level for
some promising
talented players
When the coach
selected the team
without any input from
the United States board
and asserted his role as
coach not friend he was
using a S1 style
Norming
This started when
Coach Brooks
makes the team run
endless suicides
after the Norway
tie and ended with
the first round tie
against Sweden at
the Olympics.
We know the team is in
the Norming stage
because at the D3 level
individual players
improve and contribute,
show stronger work
ethic, and team
awareness over division
When the coach fosters
team identity, explains
their competition and
how to compete with
them, and finalizing the
team roster and captains
he was using a S2 style.
Performing
This started with
the first round tie
against Sweden
and ended with the
victory over the
Soviets
We know the team is in
the Performing stage at
a D4 level because of
team unity and optimal
level of competition
and success
When the coach
encourages skills and
behaviors the players
have already exhibited
and offers less direction
and support he was
using a S3 style.
Storming
When the coach
establishes team rules,
expectations, goals, and
supporting players off
the ice while directing
specific plays and
practices he was using a
S2 style.
According to the
model the correct
style to use would be
S1. Introducing new
style and game of
play to group that has
never played together
before and needs his
leadership
According to the
model the correct
style to use would be
S2 because the
players still require
direction in learning
tasks but also support
in transitioning to the
new style of play and
establishing team
culture
According to the
model the correct
style to use would be
S3 but because the
assistant coach
maintains a low
directive high
supportive behavior
the entire season,
Coach Brooks’ high
directive behavior
continues to
challenge the team.
According to the
model the correct
style to use would be
S4 because the
players have fully
developed as
individual athletes
and as a team and can
be encouraged and
entrusted to be
successful
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