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Brotherhood cornerstone of Miami program

AP photos/Miami of Ohio defenseman Will Weber takes a shot during a practice at the NCAA Frozen Four college hockey tournament at the Verizon Center in Washington, Friday, April 10, 2009. Miami of Ohio plays Boston University in the national championship on Saturday.

AP photos/Miami of Ohio goalie Connor Knapp eyes they puck during practice at the NCAA Frozen Four college hockey tournament at the Verizon Center in Washington, Friday, April 10, 2009. Miami of Ohio plays Boston University in the national championship on Saturday.

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By Pete Conrad, Staff Writer Updated 3:28 AM Saturday, April 11, 2009

WASHINGTON, D.C. — It is called The Brotherhood and it is a big reason, say some of the Miami University hockey players who have been around the longest, why the RedHawks are making history this week.

The Brotherhood is a vision of what the hockey program is and what it can be, what the players are expected to do and what they can expect from the program. There is an oath that puts that vision into words.

And the players take it seriously.

Very seriously.

“It’s embedded in everything we do every day,” said Miami senior forward Justin Mercier, a native of Erie, Pa. and the MVP of the NCAA West Regionals. “We really live by the word of The Brotherhood.”

“Every single day you need to do something to make yourself better,” said Michael Findorff, a senior defenseman from Colorado Springs, Colo. “We live by The Brotherhood. It’s just like breathing. And that mentality is what has gotten us to this point.”

The Brotherhood, Findorff said, began to take shape prior to the start of the 2006-07 season, the year the RedHawks moved into Steve Cady Arena as their new home.

“The day we took that identity and put it put it into words, we were sitting in the locker room, talking about what our (Miami hockey) family meant to us and what it would take to get us to where we are right now,” Findorff remembered. “And the coaches formed it into that document.”

The oath starts with the words, “As a brother, I build unity within the program.” That is the common thread which runs throughout the oath, the common theme which each RedHawk seems to have burned into his consciousness.

When Mercier was asked whether The Brotherhood was something the players keep in the back of their minds, he said no.

“It’s at the front of everybody’s mind,” he said.

“Supporting each other, holding each other accountable — these are things we use in our daily lives that not only make us better players, but also help make us better persons,” Mercier said.

The Brotherhood really is an extension of the “culture of champions” that head coach Enrico Blasi has been developing in his 10 years with the program year by year, day by day, minute by minute.

“Since Rico’s been here, he’s been developing that culture,” Findorff said, adding that over the last 3-4 years the team has embraced that culture through The Brotherhood. “It’s our identity.

“That’s why we’re here,” he emphasized, “and it’s something I think will be with the program a long time.”

Contact this reporter at (513) 820-2197 or pconrad@coxohio.com.

The Brotherhood Oath

As a brother, I build unity within the program. I make it clear in word and in action that I can be trusted. I am unselfish and make sacrifices for the good of the team.

I prepare my body for competition and engage in social habits that optimize my performance. I know that I have the power to support and strengthen every member of our family.

I embody the high standards of the program in everything I do and in how I present myself. I look in the mirror before pointing out the faults of someone else. I respect how we are different and how we are the same. I take great pride in the accomplishments of every member of the program.

I am accountable to you ... and to myself. I will not allow your reputation to be tainted. I will have the courage to have the tough conversations. I will take the time to know your dreams and passions. I will do what I can to help them come true.

I care about my performance in the classroom. I know that my actions in the community reflect on our entire program. I will stand up for what is right. I go to you rather than around you. I build bridges ... not walls. I know how to forgive.

I take responsibility for being better tomorrow than I am today. I know when to lead and when to follow. I will do the hard things daily that translate into a championship culture. I will leave this program better than I found it.

As brothers, we share a lifetime bond that I will cherish forever. And as your brother, I know that I am a champion.

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