Touch the Line

It’s a phrase I picked up a while back on a leadership podcast. Simple. Clear. But powerful—Touch the line.

In sports, it’s literal. Sprint drills. Line drills. You’re expected to run to the line—not close to it, not near enough—but to the line. Full effort. No shortcuts.

In life and leadership, it’s the same. The difference between average and excellent often comes down to the smallest things—whether you “touch the line” or turn just before it.

One of the greatest examples? The 1980 U.S. Olympic Hockey Team. A team of college kids and amateurs, facing off against the world’s best professionals. Before their miracle run, they lost badly—10–1 to the Soviets in an exhibition game. Coach Herb Brooks was furious.

After the game, no big speech. Just line drills. Over and over. Exhausted players skating until the coach barked “Again!” one more time. And then—something clicked. Captain Mike Eruzione finally stepped forward and declared, “Mike Eruzione, Winthrop, Massachusetts.” Coach asked, “Who do you play for?” Eruzione replied, “I play for the United States of America.”

Coach paused. “That’s all, gentlemen.”

That moment shaped a team that went on to do the impossible. That’s what touching the line does.

A friend shared a similar story—this time, on the basketball court. He was running drills with his daughter’s team. “Touch the line,” he said. But as he watched, he noticed the girls turning a few feet short each time. He blew the whistle.

And then he did something bold: he called out his own daughter. “You didn’t touch the line.” Message delivered. Every girl ran the next drill with purpose. No shortcuts. No excuses.

After practice, his daughter came up and thanked him.

Touching the line isn’t about conditioning. It’s about character. It’s about finishing strong. Doing what’s right—even when nobody’s watching.

So, here’s your timeout question:

Where in your life are you pulling up short? And where do you need to start touching the line?