With this past weekend’s stunning, 5-3 host nation defeat of the Canadian Olympic Hockey Team by the underdog Team USA, instant comparisons were drawn to the 1980 Olympics in Lake Placid.  It was there three decades ago this week that an undermanned, undergunned and underexperienced USA Mens hockey team comprised of amateur college athletes shocked the country world — and themselves — with an odds-defying defeat of the mighty Soviet Union hockey team — a team that at the time, was arguably history’s greatest and at worst, above and beyond the current world’s best. It was famously dubbed “Miracle on Ice” and inspired the team to the eventual gold medal.  Testament to the unique power of sport to unify, rally and focus anew a nation, it inspired an America out of its new decade doldrums. It was perhaps the gold medal-winning event of a gold medal-winning events.

That 1980 team was led by its legendary coach, Herb Brooks, a quiet firebrand with a visual gaze that could intimidate as much as inspire.  The video above is a modern interpretation of Brooks’ now classic pre-game speech delivered by Joshua Sacco. Master Sacco is 4 years old and, should he desire, could well be on his way to becoming the world’s leading motivational speaker — sans having to live in a van down by the river. He is amazing.

Just for comparison, here’s the “grown-up” version as rendered by Kurt Russell from the film, “MIRACLE.”