Follow up: The Final Verdict

This past weekend I posted The Great Debate to share the conflicting arguments regarding whether or not pump up videos should be shown to players before a big game. Specifically, I was referring to a situation between the coaching staff of the Boston University Terriers and the players on the men's ice hockey team. Coaches were concerned that the video may have a negative effect on the mental mindset of players heading into such a crucial game. On the other side of the fence was the players, who insisted that a pump up video is exactly what the team needs to gain a mental edge on their arch-rivals, the BC Eagles.

The Final Verdict: THE PLAYERS WIN!

The Associate Head Coach, Mike Bavis, called me around 12:30 and told me to set the movie up in the theater for a 1:50 showing. The bus was leaving at 2:00 sharp which meant the boys would be all sorts of fired up on the bus ride into battle.

I was as excited to hear this news as the team was when I told them. However, I had more on the line. What if all of the coaches' assumptions came true and BC wiped the floor with us in the opening minutes of the period? While I was a little concerned, I was very optimistic about the outcome of showing the video.

Turned out, I was right and the game proved it. BU came out flying like bats out of hell. Anytime a BC player touched the puck, he was hit. Each and every player brought a level of intensity that BC was unable to compete with. When the final buzzer sounded, the score read BU 5 BC 0. Sweet, sweet victory!

I was proud of the team and they were proud of me. Although none of the coaches directly mentioned the video's positive affects on the game, certain comments regarding the way the team performed during the opening minutes and how that influenced the victory was all the recognition I needed.

So for anyone out there who is considering showing a pump up tape to their team, my advice is to go for it. A little extra boost to get the blood flowing before a game is a good thing. To ensure that there is no negative side effects from it, do as Jack Parker did and simply re-enforce the game plan before showing the video.

I hope you all enjoy it.

Watch it here... Boston University Hockey Pump-Up video