The Summer Olympics are finally here! Along with the 8,000 other ways that COVID impacted our world, one of the most momentous was the fact that it stopped the 2020 Summer Games in its tracks. To understand the significance of that, it’s important to know that previous to 2020, it was only the two World Wars that caused a cancellation or postponement of any Olympic Games!
But, no matter the reason, the Olympics are back! Will your family be watching them? There are so many great reasons to partake in the Olympic excitement, not the least of which is just to witness some unity amongst our fellow Americans {which, we seem to really need right now!}
However, the Olympics are not only a great opportunity to help instill national pride, the Olympics also provide natural openings to teach some very important universal lifelong lessons to our kids.
ONE: TEAMWORK IS ESSENTIAL
“The things you learn from sports — setting goals, being part of a team, confidence — that’s invaluable.” – Summer Sanders, two-time gold medalist, swimming
“I wouldn’t be the best offensive player if I didn’t have a great setter. She serves me up nectar.” Misty May-Treanor, three-time gold medalist, beach volleyball
“I’ve never scored a goal in my life without getting a pass from someone else.” Abby Wambach, two-time gold medalist, soccer
Okay, so maybe your kids will never be a part of an Olympic soccer team or beach volleyball partnership, but there are loads of places in life where understanding the value of AND knowing how to be on a team is essential.
- Having siblings
- Playing tee-ball on a city rec team
- Collaborating on a history project in co-op class
- Being paired up with a stranger in College Chemistry
- Working on a special team project at work
- Serving on a church committee
- Being married
- Organizing a co-op with a bunch of independent-minded homeschool moms 😂
TWO: CONFIDENCE IS KEY
“Other people may not have had high expectations of me… but I had high expectations for myself.” -Shannon Miller, seven-time medalist, gymnastics
“I also realize that winning doesn’t always mean getting first place; it means getting the best out of yourself.” – Meb Keflezighi, silver-medalist, track and field
“You have to believe in yourself when no one else does — that makes you a winner right there.” – Venus Williams, four-time gold medalist, tennis
Though our kids need to understand the value of being a part of a team, having confidence in their own individual abilities is also key. Even when working as part of a team or partnership, you need to have faith in your own self-worth and skill sets. Plus, much of life is either spent alone or doing things on your own, whether it be at
- school
- work
- church
- home
- sitting at the computer trying to write a clever post about the Olympics 😁
THREE: PERSEVERANCE IS IMPERATIVE
“We all have dreams. But in order to make dreams come into reality, it takes an awful lot of determination, dedication, self-discipline and effort.” – Jesse Owens, four-time gold medalist, track and field
“I was 12 when I started and 34 before I achieved my dream. That should give people hope.” -Kelly Holmes, two-time gold medalist, track and field
“Never quit. Never give up.” -Gabby Douglas, three-time gold medalist, gymnastics
“The only way to overcome is to hang in.” -Dan O’Brien, gold medalist, track and field
Perseverance can be a tough skill to learn but it’s even more difficult to live life without it. Whether your kid is trying to make the Olympic swim team, pass his driver’s test or master the sounds of the alphabet, he needs to know how to persevere when it gets tough. This is a lifelong skill that will be needed as a
- friend
- student
- employee
- spouse
- parent
- adult child
- blogger who is trying to beat a deadline 😜
FOUR: PARTICIPATION MEDALS ARE POINTLESS
“I’m not satisfied. The silver medalist is the first loser.” -Koen Verweijh, two-time medal winner, speedskating
“I know we won silver, but it really just feels like we lost gold.” —Margaretha Sigfridsson, silver-medalist, curling
“I’m hearing in youth sports where you’re not allowed to post scores of games online; everybody’s gotta get a trophy. I mean, that’s ridiculous. If you’re a winner, you’re a winner and you get a trophy. If you got second place, you don’t get anything.” Carli Lloyd, two-time gold medalist, soccer
“There is no better motivation than losing. It adds more fuel to the fire.” Abby Wambach, two-time gold medalist, soccer
So, while winning should not be the only thing by a long shot, rewarding our kids with trophies and awards for simply trying may be a bit of an overcorrection on society’s part. Though there are times where one might score some figurative points for just trying, there are way too many instances in life where getting a medal is reserved for just the top players. Whether that is right or not, is a debate for another blog, but the fact remains: participation trophies are pretty pointless. Our kids need to understand that if you want a trophy, you need to be the winner
- in school
- at the university
- when applying for jobs
- while trying to earn a promotion
- when trying to woo somebody into marriage 😍
FIVE: BUT PARTICIPATION IS IMPORTANT
“Winning doesn’t always mean being first. Winning means you’re doing better than you’ve ever done before. – Bonnie Blair, six-time medalist, speed skating
“It’s not about winning at the Olympic Games. It’s about trying to win. The motto is faster, higher, stronger, not fastest, highest, strongest. Sometimes it’s the trying that matters.” -Bronte Barratt, gold medalist, swimming
“I think there is a very big chance I will finish last. But the placing is not important if I can teach young people in Nepal about the Olympic spirit. This spirit is in my heart.” – Dachhiri Sherpa, placed 86/87, cross country skiing
“The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not winning, but taking part; the essential thing in life is not conquering but fighting well.” -Pierre de Coubertin, father of the modern Olympic Games
Participation is not about trophies, medals or prizes. It’s about the experience. Participating in a variety of opportunities teaches our kids
- what they like
- what they don’t like
- which learning style works best
- what they are naturally good at and should pursue
- what they are not good at and might want to reconsider before they end up in the ER 😆
So, if your family decides to spend some time watching the Olympic Games this month, be sure to sneak in a convo or two about the life lessons they can take away from the Summer Games!
And if you want to capitalize on the educational opportunities the Olympics provide, check out the 2024 Summer Olympics Handbook.
It’s a Quality Collaboration between The WOLFe Pack and Peanut Butter Fish Lessons and includes:
- an 85-page Summer Olympics Fact Pack!
- three biographical Mini Unit Studies!
- three resources to learn about Paris and France!
Everything produced by both The WOLFe Pack and Peanut Butter Fish Lessons is high-quality and (more than) reasonably priced! Check it out here!
This is awesome insights!! thank you!