Mike Eruzione and the Miracle On Ice mindset

Mike Eruzione, captain of the 1980 United States Olympic hockey team, says the miracle on ice came down to enjoying the moment and staying inside a small, focused circle of teammates — a mindset he believes anyone can tap into.

Miracle On Ice, Lake Placid cocoon

Eruzione, who scored the winning goal against the Soviet Union in the semifinals and then led his team to a gold medal with a win over Finland, said the team’s living situation in Lake Placid, N. Y., kept them insulated. He described the village as having three TV stations and no social media and called it "a little cocoon. "

How he handled the pressure

He said he wasn’t thinking too hard about what the games meant, and that helped him thrive under pressure: "I was just enjoying it, " he said, laughing. Eruzione described himself as not a very "deep" person, even though his résumé is stacked with experiences people dream about.

What changed after the wins

It wasn’t until the "Miracle on Ice" team went to the White House that Eruzione had what he called his "holy s— this thing is huge" moment. That larger recognition came after the semifinal winning goal over the Soviet Union and the subsequent gold-medal game victory over Finland.

Blocking out negativity

Eruzione said the Lake Placid routine — the team not going downtown to bars or restaurants and instead sharing time in the village with teammates — was crucial. "They weren’t aware of what was being said or written about them, " he said, and the group "fed off each other’s positive energy without having to spend any more energy on blocking out negative comments. "

Advice from the captain

He urged current athletes and anyone else to avoid negative energy. "There’s always going to be somebody that doesn’t like something that you do or are doing, " he said. "You’re always going to find somebody that’s critical of you. So ignore it. People can be cruel. And jealous. But we can’t control any of that anyway. Laugh it off or smile and just move on with your life. "

Where his sense of self came from

For Eruzione, Olympic success did not define him: "I was very happy with who I was before the Olympics and very happy with who I am today, " he said, underscoring that the semifinal goal against the Soviet Union and the gold over Finland did not create his sense of self.

Illustrations by Dan Goldfarb and George Tiedemann accompany his reflections.

It is unclear in the provided context what public appearances or events are scheduled next.