The 2026 U.S. hockey gold teams show how enthusiasm is the single trait for success.
The U.S. men’s and women’s hockey teams sparked contagious enthusiasm on Olympic ice when it mattered most.
Captains Auston Matthews and Hilary Knight, along with veterans, young guns, and role players alike, captured something more than gold.
Together, the 2026 U.S. Hockey Gold Teams captured the same three great laws of enthusiasm.
Law #1: Enthusiasm follows direction
I don’t know how many hours, days, weeks, months, and years these folks practiced.
But they were clear on the dream: one goal, one team, one gold medal.
Shift after shift. Period after period. Overtime if necessary.
Clearly, these fellas spent years competing against themselves.
“Practicing an art, no matter how well or badly, is a way to make your soul grow, for heaven’s sake.”
Kurt Vonnegut
We compete every day against our potential.
Sometimes, we don’t because we blame others.
As John Paul Sartre said, “Hell is other people.”
But enthusiasm ignores distractions and skates to the dream.
Law #2: Enthusiasm is power
No matter the circumstance, enthusiasm lifts.
Olympic hockey players are super competitors.
They love what they do, and they live what they love.
How? The power inside.
The ancient Greeks called an inspired person en, meaning ‘in,’ and theos, meaning ‘god’. They saw enthusiasm as a mark of an indwelling god.
I’m convinced they made the right choice because no other trait contributes more to happiness and success.
“Live your truth. Express your love. Share your enthusiasm. Take action toward your dreams. Walk your talk. Dance and sing to your music. Embrace your blessings. Make today worth remembering.”
Steve Maraboli
Christians stake their identity on an indwelling deity.
“Christ in you, the hope of glory.”
Colossians 1:27
How does this work in tough times?
Law 3: Practice is the play
Never quit. Never lose faith. Never drop the practice.
It’s not about performing perfectly.
It’s about playing every day. Play is the work.
I see this with kids at Highland Park Presbyterian Church on Wednesday nights.
They delight in creative work. They care more about coloring the Valentine than the results.
“Perfectionism is a refusal to let yourself move ahead.”
Julia Cameron
Another example of practicing the play was my grandmother, the happiest person I knew, who was making and giving away jewelry at 96.
And my mother-in-law, Trudy, painted this at 93.
“The secret of genius is to carry the spirit of the child into old age, which means never losing your enthusiasm.”
Julua Cameron
Enthusiasm sparks practice. Practice sustains enthusiasm.
“The secret of genius is to carry the spirit of the child into old age, which means never losing your enthusiasm.” Aldous Huxley
- Gold medals fade.
- Paintings age.
- Jewelry is given away.
But the spirit that keeps showing up is the real victory.
Congratulations to the 2026 U.S. Hockey Gold Teams.
What are you still practicing, not for applause, but for joy?