If you’re like me, for the past week you’ve been glued to the TV watching non-stop Olympics.  I love the Games – all the drama, all the amazing performances, all “the thrill of victory & the agony of defeat”.  But, in addition to the opportunity to watch awe-inspiring athletics, there’s another gift there – the Olympic gift – the gift of exposure!

Sport Exposure

The cool thing about the Olympics is that you can watch sports that you know nothing about.  I’m an endurance athlete so what do I know of Breaking or Archery?  But here’s the deal.  These sports are included in the Olympics for multiple reasons – reasons like popularity of the sport & how long the sport has existed.  So why not try to better understand what makes each sport Olympics-worthy?!

Sports like Artistic (known prior to 2016 as “synchronized”) Swimming, Race Walking & Trampoline Gymnastics are often discounted as not being “real sports”…but have you watched them?  And have you watched them long enough to get past the distractions of the outward appearance?

• Click here to see Artistic Swimming Team USA’s qualifying routine
• Click here to learn Race Walking technique basics
• Click here for preview of Trampoline Gymnastics’ Top 10 in Paris

What Makes Each Sport Great?

The longer you watch, the more you’ll notice each sport’s inherent challenges.  You’ll see the incredible precision needed to catch a ball behind your neck in Rhythmic Gymnastics.  You’ll see the fearlessness & creativity needed to put a great Skateboarding run together.  You’ll see (or rather you won’t see) the subtle communication taking place between horse & rider in the Equestrian competitions.

In the end, it’s a circular conundrum.  The more we know about a sport, the more interesting it is to watch.  And the more we watch, the more we learn about a sport.  I guess it all boils down to this thought – just turn on your TV, sit back & take it all in!  The Olympics only come around every 2yrs.  For me the Olympic gift is definitely a gift worth receiving!

Happy Training,

Coach Michelle

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