I never watched very many sports, except for baseball when my Dad was alive.  I enjoyed going to Dodger games with him.  My husband and I have gone to three Diamondbacks games in the 17 years we have lived in Arizona.  We live more than 200 miles from where they play.

My husband isn’t a huge sports fan either, although he will occasionally watch football, golf or tennis.  He doesn’t follow any teams.

I am, however, an avid Olympics fan.  I don’t enjoy watching every sport – wrestling and skeet shooting, for instance, I find totally boring.  However, unless I am working, during every waking hour, I am glued to the television watching the Olympics.  My husband finds me amusing to watch, because I jump up and down, cheering and yelling at the TV.  It is so exciting to me.

So, I was thinking about why – non-sports fan that I am – I love watching and following the Olympics.  After really giving it some thought, I came up with two reasons.

One.  When watching the Olympics, we are watching young men and women who have spent many years of their lives training, dedicating their lives to their sport.  We are watching some of the best athletes in the world, and some who are not so great, but even they have worked for years to qualify for the Olympics.  Some are incredible athletes who have excelled at their sport, and at the Olympics, their performance doesn’t live up to the abilities.  I feel so sorry for them to have come all this way only to disappoint themselves.

All this they have done as amateurs.  They will not be paid money for all the work they have done.  (I realize, of course, that most are supported by sponsors, their families, etc.) They have done it for their country and the glory of the sport.  Some of the top stars will be paid for endorsing products, television appearances and such, but they did not get involved or practice for years on end for that reason.  Instead, it is the result of their achieving greatness and performance at the Olympics.

The second thing that I believe attracts me to the Olympics is my patriotism for my country, the United States of America.  I am so proud of the U.S. Olympic Teams.  I watch them perform, what often seems to me, impossible feats and I scream and yell and cheer MY team on!  When one of our team members wins a race by 100^th of a second, I am thrilled!  When they lose by 100^th of a second, I am saddened.

Once I realized this, it made perfect sense to me.  For those of you who are sports fans, this is my perspective, my opinion, the way I see it…

Many professional athletes earn multi-millions of dollars.  Professional athletes also worked very hard to get to the professional ranks.  However, their goal was to make their sport a career.  I am certain they love their sports too.  However, their goals and reasons for performing well are different.

So, I will continue watching the Olympics this year and every four years thereafter as these young Olympians continue to demonstrate to the children and adults watching them the meaning of dedication, determination and patriotism.

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