Watching the Winter Olympics with Your Children…Don’t Miss These Valuable Teachable Moments

     The Winter Olympics are upon us and the coverage from Cortina, Italy presents many teachable moments and time spent together as a family.  As a kid, I recall many memorable TV moments. Back in those years before cable TV, TiVo, VCRs, 24 hour new were many times my family spent watching sports and history together. There were the evenings with outstanding lineups like Friday nights on ABC with the Brady Bunch, the Partridge Family and Love American Style, Tuesday evenings on ABC with Happy Days, Laverne and Shirley, Mork and Mindy or the CBS Saturday nights with My Three Sons, Petty Coat Junction, Green Acres, Bob Newhart and Carol Burnett, if I remember correctly.

      And then there were the sports moments that, to this day, I still remember. These were mostly Olympic moments from the tragedies in the Munich Olympics when terrorists appeared on the scene. There were also in the 1972 in Munich Olympics the outstanding East German swimmers, like Cornelia Ender, Russian gymnast,  who I remember doing the back flip off the top parallel bar, Olga Korbut, the petite gal with the little pig tails. Then in 1976 when the summer Olympics were held in Montreal there were the stories of Nadia Comaneci from Romania, scoring perfect 10s in gymnastics, Bruce Jenner, Shirley Babershoff & Mark Spitz. the big names I remember.

     You too may remember your favorite moments from the Miracle on Ice during the 1980 Winter Olympics, held in Lake Placid, New York when the US Men’s Hockey Team, all amateurs at that time,  beat the favorites-mostly paid professional athletes. Most people my age can remember where they watch the final two games. 

     This Winter Olympics has already had it’s own memorable moments.  These moments can be incredible human interest stories, good entertainment, great television moments your kids will remember when they are my age  and there are some very valuable teachable lessons. Look at the U.S. skater, who lost his parents in the plane crash about a year ago in Washington D.C,, Maxim Naumov.  Consider Lindsey Vonn, who had retired from professional skiing, then came back from surgeries, training, have a fall in the last event leading up to the Olympics, go on to compete and then have an accident as she hit a gate-fall was not connected to the previous injury then was whisked away on a papoose,balanced on a gurney, airlifted to a hospital. Lindsey gets credit for her determination. How stunning to see Ilia Malinin include a back flip in his high energy routine, and these are just a few of the amazing stories from these very disciplined athletes. 

     As a parent or grandparent, utilize these stories to have discussion with your children and grandchildren. In addition to the stories and backgrounds of the athletes, there is the history of the Winter Olympics the traditions, the geography, the attire, the entertainment in the opening ceremonies was Goode viewing too. With the technology available today, you can record or go back and see all of these events on either TiVo or You Tube. 

     Even if your children are not athletes,  for them to see the hard work and focus it takes on the part of the athletes, parents and coaches this can inspire them in their interests or activities. For a child to see the dedication it takes from an entire family and community to get to the Olympics is a good thing. 

     The networks that cover the Olympics usually do a fine job telling the human interest stories that show the journey these athletes and their families take to arrive at this moment. 

     Other good teachable moments are the athletes who choose to “not stay in their lane.” From skier Hunter Hess saying that he is embarrassed of his country and Amber Glenn telling the press how difficult it is to be a gay American. Wishing the reporter she told that to would have asked her to explain what she meant. As far as I am concerned, gay people in America today have all the rights as everyone else. A teachable moment if my kids or grandchildren were watching with me would, “stay in your lane, talk about your sport, how grateful you are to be at the Olympics and for all the support your country has given you.” There are so many perks you get as an athlete. Of course early on the parents pay for the training but there is so much support Olympic athletes get, the travel, the equipment and attire, not. to mention the eventual endorsements, and opportunities that could come your way, should you play your cards right. I would also add that if these who speak so poorly of their country are that disappointed with the country they represent, why are they there? Go somewhere else or give your spot to another very deserving young man or woman who would LOVE to be where you are and were most likely just a hair always from being there.  

     As a parent or grandparent watching with your child/grandchild, engage  during your viewing. Ask questions, interject information you may have read on the events and athletes.  You may want to do a little reading up yourself. Look at these two weeks or so as good family entertainment. Pop some popcorn, have the kids get their homework done early and jammies on. Getting something out of these television opportunities requires you making a little effort but I think your efforts will pay off. Even if you don’t have kids you can make this a good two weeks of entertainment for yourself.  What else do you have going on in the middle of winter? It could make for a couple of weeks of Great Days😄