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.
