Three Ways to Bring the Olympic Spirit Home to Your Kids

Posted on August 16, 2016

Have you been tuned into the Olympics over the past week? I have been watching and cheering on our USA team, as well as rooting for all the athletes in the games, hoping they will all do their very best. This is a great opportunity to sit with your kids and share some of the valuable lessons the Olympics can teach us.

From all corners of our world, the best of the best come together to compete for gold, silver and bronze medals. And while there are always first-, second- and third-place winners, there are no losers at the games… because just being able to participate is a huge win. Athletes have trained for years, some for their entire lives, to earn their place in history. What an incredible accomplishment!

In the International Olympic Committee official Code of Ethics, the first item reminds us of:

1.1 Respect for the Olympic spirit, which requires mutual understanding with a spirit of friendship, solidarity and fair play

Regardless of political affiliation, nationality, or gender, the underlying philosophy is that we’re all in this together. Shouldn’t this be the exact same concept behind every sporting event, not just the Olympics? Unfortunately, we’ve all been at games where parents were yelling at coaches, yelling at kids, shaming other players, and spreading the blame.

Instead of condoning that behavior, here are three things we can all learn from the Olympic Code of Ethics:

1. Be a good role model for your kids:

Parents, don’t pout or heckle each other during your child’s game or event. Too often, parents become negative—about their own child, teammates, or competitors. Stop the grousing and focus on the positive. Be a true “team” parent, and support all the kids participating. That means rooting for your child, the team, and the sport itself, including the opponents.

2. Build character, camaraderie, and motivation:

When your child or the team loses, encourage all participants to keep their dignity. Remind them to shake hands and say, “Good game.” This builds character and camaraderie and encourages kids to be motivated to work harder next time.

3. Teach your kids to be good sports:

Talk to your kids about losing, and explain that just because they lost a game, match, or meet, it doesn’t mean that they failed. They should be proud of the fact they had the chance to compete and learn from the other players and teams how they can do better next time. This is what good sportsmanship is all about.

We put so much pressure on our kids to be the best that we sometimes forget the most valuable lessons: how to be good sports, that character counts, and that they should be respectful to others.

While we love to see our own team win, we can certainly always respect and be awed by the accomplishments of others. Bring the Olympic spirit home to your kids!

 

 

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