I have been an Olympic fan for as long as I can remember. I love watching the best athletes from many different countries competing to be the best in the world. I love cheering on Team USA in any sport. I have some specific Olympic memories:
- Being an 8 year old and hearing about the Munich Massacre in 1972
- I was a gymnastics student when Nadia Comăneci scored the first perfect 10s in 1976
- I watched the Miracle on Ice while I was at work…and got in trouble for doing so
- We watched Dan Jansen win his speed skating gold medal on a portable television we brought with us while we camped out before the Daytona 500!
- and many many more
There is nothing like the Olympic games to bring a country together cheering for one goal. As a homeschooler, the Olympics offer unlimited educational potential in math, history, geography, science, PE and more. As a sports fan I love learning the intricacies of sports that are lesser known.
Four years ago we watched a few curling matches and honestly, I didn’t get it. We have since been Curling on our Wii as part of the game DecaSports-so we understood the game a little better. This year, we are addicted to USA Curling! We have watched every men’s matches and about half of the women’s. This year’s announcers have been amazing teachers and we have learned a lot. We are hooked. Unfortunately, it looks like Team USA Curling isn’t going to be moving forward in the tournament, but they have inspired many to look into this sport. There is no curling club in Florida so we will have to remain spectators. I have contacted our local ice rink, home to both US pairs figure skating teams, about the possibility of adding curling-but I haven’t received a response yet.
While I also know the Olympics mean two weeks of staying up late to watch every minute of coverage I can, I wouldn’t do it any differently. Good luck Team USA! I’ll catch up on my sleep once the Olympics are over.
