Something the Olympics captures so well every four years is the passion, joy, and purpose that comes with participating and competing in all of the various sports. People from all over the world, from all different walks of life, competing at the highest level. Watching the raw emotions and reactions for the athletes as they chase their dreams is always a very cool experience - one that always gets our family invested.
All of this got me thinking over the weekend...there are immeasurable benefits to being involved with sports and activities. Specifically, I thought about students in school, and how much co-curricular involvement benefits and enriches students' lives and experiences in school.
Joy - there's been so much joy and fulfillment for these Olympic athletes. More often than not, people at the absolute peak of their powers are smiling before, during, and after their game/match/event. Some have even talked about using joy as their focus and fuel for these games. If they're competing solo, they're always smiling and showing their pride in performance; knowing that four-plus years of hard work and dedication have led to that particular moment. When they're competing as part of a team, the joy is always infections when good things happen, and are always quick to pick each other up and offer support when things go wrong.
Passion - the energy is simply unmatched! To borrow a phrase from the SEC: it just means more. A lifetime of work, sacrifice, and investment have been put into pursuing a dream and in general becoming better and better as an athlete and person. There's always a sense of urgency - contrary to a regular season game from the NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL, there's no "next game" or "next week" or even "next year." For many of these people, the option of "four years from now" isn't a viable reality.
Purpose - it gets a little bit overused, but the notion of competing for your country and your collective Team (Team USA, Team Canada, etc.) is really a galvanizing element. So many athletes talk about that being such a driving force to propel them to greatness. The number one ranked golfer in the world - Scottie Scheffler - was visibly emotional after winning the gold medal. For someone who is typically quite stoic it gave a pretty good indication of how much it meant to compete and win for his country.
For students in schools, being involved in different co-curricular activities can bring all of these things to their experience. I'm intentionally not just saying 'sports,' knowing for some students that might not be their interest or passion...but there are a lot of ways for kids to be involved beyond the world of sports. The arts, music, theater, academic clubs, engineering/robotics teams, debate, and many more. When students are able to explore their passions, develop skills, build confidence, and work towards a goal, they end up experiencing some of what these athletes in Paris are experiencing: Joy, Passion, and Purpose...plus another thing far too many kids lack: a sense of belonging! Thus, my push and plea for any school and/or district out there - Create spaces and opportunities for students. Officially, unofficially, within the school day, etc. Learning how to win, lose, set goals, make friends, resolve conflict, and persevere will enrich the student experience and create learners who feel a strong sense of belonging and community.
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