February 24, 2014
Period 0
The Accomplishment and Impact of the 1980 Olympic Hockey Team
The thrilling victory of the US hockey team at the 1980 Lake Placid Olympics electrified a downtrodden nation plagued by years of inflation and international failure. At this time, Russia and the US were in a ideological and power struggle. This struggle extended to sporting events, such as the 1980 Lake Placid Olympics as a time when both countries looked upon any opportunity to compete against each other. In the present day, while the US and Russia have cooled their chances of nuclear war, things between the two countries are as frosty as ever.
Historically, the United States had not been successful at Olympic hockey competitions, despite having the best professional hockey league in the world because of the Olympic regulations that limited participation to, "amateurs." By contrast, the Soviet team had enjoyed many years of consecutive Olympic hockey success, no doubt enabled by the country's use of players who were "amateurs" in name only. For example, many of the Soviet team members had "jobs" in the military. The difference between the American amateurs and the Soviet professionals meant that America was the underdog, the team expected to lose, soundly. However, when the tables turned and irreversibly changed the dark history of America's losses against the Russians, people in America felt as if hope had begun to shine down upon them.
The grit and determination of the true amateurs who comprised the American team captured our nation's imagination and reaffirmed our belief in ourselves and what we could achieve if we worked together, as a nation. By the 1980 Lake Placid team working together, that is how America achieved that feeling. In many parts of the movie, and undoubtedly in real life too, the players were worked to the bone without a second to catch their breath, making them, as the coach says in the movie, "out-condition", the Russians. Also, when the teammates bonded until they knew each other inside and out, they could play together better. It is through the hard work, belief in themselves, and drive that the American hockey team won the 1980 Lake Placid Winter Olympics.
Reflection:
I am worked hard on researching the history between the Soviets and the United States at the time of these Olympics. I found that there was great tension between the two countries during this time, and later read a book about this tension.
I am proud of my use of appropriate and interesting vocabulary in this writing. For example, instead of saying that the US was a sad, tired nation, I said that it was a downtrodden nation.
I'd like to work on increasing the volume of my paragraphs. I could have made my sentences more descriptive.
Period 0
The Accomplishment and Impact of the 1980 Olympic Hockey Team
The thrilling victory of the US hockey team at the 1980 Lake Placid Olympics electrified a downtrodden nation plagued by years of inflation and international failure. At this time, Russia and the US were in a ideological and power struggle. This struggle extended to sporting events, such as the 1980 Lake Placid Olympics as a time when both countries looked upon any opportunity to compete against each other. In the present day, while the US and Russia have cooled their chances of nuclear war, things between the two countries are as frosty as ever.
Historically, the United States had not been successful at Olympic hockey competitions, despite having the best professional hockey league in the world because of the Olympic regulations that limited participation to, "amateurs." By contrast, the Soviet team had enjoyed many years of consecutive Olympic hockey success, no doubt enabled by the country's use of players who were "amateurs" in name only. For example, many of the Soviet team members had "jobs" in the military. The difference between the American amateurs and the Soviet professionals meant that America was the underdog, the team expected to lose, soundly. However, when the tables turned and irreversibly changed the dark history of America's losses against the Russians, people in America felt as if hope had begun to shine down upon them.
The grit and determination of the true amateurs who comprised the American team captured our nation's imagination and reaffirmed our belief in ourselves and what we could achieve if we worked together, as a nation. By the 1980 Lake Placid team working together, that is how America achieved that feeling. In many parts of the movie, and undoubtedly in real life too, the players were worked to the bone without a second to catch their breath, making them, as the coach says in the movie, "out-condition", the Russians. Also, when the teammates bonded until they knew each other inside and out, they could play together better. It is through the hard work, belief in themselves, and drive that the American hockey team won the 1980 Lake Placid Winter Olympics.
Reflection:
I am worked hard on researching the history between the Soviets and the United States at the time of these Olympics. I found that there was great tension between the two countries during this time, and later read a book about this tension.
I am proud of my use of appropriate and interesting vocabulary in this writing. For example, instead of saying that the US was a sad, tired nation, I said that it was a downtrodden nation.
I'd like to work on increasing the volume of my paragraphs. I could have made my sentences more descriptive.