The best-selling author of 40 sports books, Ross Bernstein is a sought after motivational speaker who regularly speaks to businesses, organizations, professional associations and trade groups across the country. Ross grew up loving sports and went on to attend the University of Minnesota. It was there where he first got into writing through some rather unique circumstances. You see, after a failed attempt to make it as a walk-on to the University's top-ranked Golden Gopher hockey team, Ross opted for the next best thing - to become the team's mascot, "Goldy the Gopher." His humorous accounts as a mischievous rodent then inspired the 1992 regional best-seller: "Gopher Hockey by the Hockey Gopher." The rest, they say... is history! After spending the next five years in Chicago and New York working as vice president of marketing for a start-up children's entertainment company, Ross decided to take a leap of faith and come home to pursue his dream of becoming a full-time sports author. Since then, he has been cranking out about four books a year and is truly having a ball - doing what he loves on his own terms. From critically acclaimed national biographies, to regional coffee-table history books, to inspirational children's memoirs - Ross has appeared on more than a thousand local and national television and radio programs over his career, including CNN and ESPN, among others, and was even recently featured on the covers of the Wall Street Journal and USA Today. As a sought after motivational speaker, Ross speaks to corporations and groups around the country about the inspirational legacy of the late hall of fame hockey coach Herb Brooks. To honor his friend and mentor, Ross speaks about the influence Brooks had on the world of sports, his unorthodox leadership style, and about the impact of the now legendary "Miracle on Ice," which will forever live on as one of the greatest moments in the history of sports. If you got goose bumps watching the recent Disney movie "Miracle," which starred Kurt Russell as Herb Brooks, then Ross' entertaining hour-long program is truly a must-see. Ross and his wife have a five year-old daughter and presently reside in Minneapolis.

WHEN IT COMES TO TEAM-BUILDING, LEADERSHIP & MOTIVATION, "DO YOU BELIEVE IN MIRACLES?"

Ross Bernstein specializes in the teachings of legendary coach Herb Brooks and the fabled 1980 gold medal-winning U.S. Olympic hockey "Miracle on Ice" - which will forever live on as one of the most inspirational moments in American sports history. Ross, who had actually been working with Brooks on writing a series of motivational/self-help books at the time of his tragic passing in the Summer of 2003, decided to honor his friend and mentor by turning their project into a living memorial. The result was the nationally critically acclaimed biography entitled "Remembering Herbie," which features insightful stories and anecdotes from over 100 of Brooks' former players, teammates, family members and media personalities. Bernstein further honored the Hall of Fame coach in 2006 when he wrote the motivational-biography entitled "America's Coach: Life Lessons & Wisdom for Gold Medal Success; A Biographical Journey of the Late Hockey Icon Herb Brooks."

Herb Brooks was an innovator who wasn't afraid to try things that were completely revolutionary and even controversial. He demanded excellence from everybody around him and earned their respect through leading by example. In fact, looking back at famed TV announcer Al Michaels' notorious last-second call from the 1980 Olympic semifinal game against the vaunted Soviets, "Do You Believe in Miracles?...YES!" - one can only assume that Brooks probably didn't. Sure, he was a dreamer, but there were no short-cuts or divine interventions in his vocabulary, he was all about hard work, commitment and passion. Brooks was a winner in every sense of the word and the culture he created with his teams consistently delivered winning results, that was the bottom line. He was the ultimate team player who lived by the adage that the name on the front of the jersey was always more important than the name on the back - a message any company or organization, big or small, could be proud of.

Today, Ross is extremely proud and honored to be able to share his story with others who, like Brooks, aspire to achieve success in whatever they do in life. Wanting to keep his legacy burning brightly, Ross now speaks about the influence Brooks had on the world of sports; his unorthodox leadership style; how he was able to adapt to change in different environments; how he fostered team chemistry and cultivated winning attitudes; how he dealt with pressure; how he got the most out of his players; and about his unparalleled motivational tactics. Putting many of the life-lessons and ideologies he learned from the fiery coach into a practical business application, Ross' dynamic, interactive and thought-provoking presentation will connect with your audience and challenge them to achieve heights they never dreamed possible. And maybe, just maybe, even inspire them to create their own miracles.