The Olympics – Amazement and Lessons Learned
I have been amazed by the competition and athletes in the Olympic Games.
I admit cringing with fear watching Simone Biles flip on the balance beam and falling in love with her story of bravery. The track races had me holding my breath. I cheered for competitors from small countries without big-budget programs sending them to the Olympics.
The pool divers from China were remarkable in their discipline and precision. Got me thinking about competing in a sport where your performance is for three seconds, and then it is over. What would that be like?
In high school, I competed in different sports fall, winter, and spring, with hours of competition. My sports were football (American), wrestling, and lacrosse – sailing came later. I was not a star athlete but learning my position and becoming a team player were lifechanging experiences.
Competing in sports, particularly team sports, builds skills required for success in any field. As I watched men and woman compete at the highest level, I thought how fortunate we are that the barriers came down to women competing in sports. We are a stronger and healthier society today because young women compete in high school and college sports and learn skills of discipline, personal excellence, hard work, and team play.
Champions
The Olympics Games are entertaining and inspirational. The Games also make us think about our own lives as parents, mentors, coaches, citizens, and leaders.
Olympic competitors are gifted athletes in their sport. Special skills are required but they are only the first step to becoming a champion. Legendary American basketball coach Rick Pitino wrote a book entitled Success Is a Choice. Pitino wrote that the transformational moment in a young athlete’s life is when they choose to stop being a “talented basketball player” and decide to become a “champion.”
Every champion’s life story is different, but there are common themes. A parent, coach, or someone important in their life recognized a special talent and encouraged the young man or woman to develop their skills and told them they could succeed regardless of their circumstances. They decided that working hard and living a disciplined life was OK whatever others thought or were doing.
Yes, I enjoyed witnessing the Olympic Games competition. The personal stories also spoke to me about what it takes to be great at something. The lessons of hard work, discipline, and belief in yourself are important take aways for everything we do.
Beach Time
I like hanging out at the beach, getting in the water, and riding the waves. In high school, I was a lifeguard on the beach at Ocean City, Maryland. I hope you enjoy my vision of the world through my photography. Here is my picture of the beach scene in Miami, Florida.
