I have Olympic Fever!

Of course auto racing and drag racing in particular is my favorite sport, but I actually like almost any sport. In the fall I love watching the World Series, in the winter I love watching the Super Bowl, and during the entire year there is always some interesting college or professional sport to watch. Psychologists say that a lot of us love sport because we can "bask in the reflected glory" of these outstanding athletes. In other words, we can feel good about ourselves by identifying with outstanding people. It is funny when you hear a fan talking about a Cardinals baseball game and they say, "Yeah, we won last night, we beat the Cubs." As if that person were playing shortstop for the Cardinals. But I certainly do this as well--I feel good when my favorite teams or athletes win and there is no better time to feel good then when it comes to the Olympics! Of course those of us living in the USA will be cheering for our USA athletes! Because I have completed the course work and necessary supervised hours working with athletes, I am an Association for Applied Sport Psychology Certified Consultant (AASP CC). And because of my status as an AASP CC, I was able to apply to be on the United States Olympic Committee Sport Psychology Registry. My name is now on the list that any Olympic or Paralympic athlete could contact me for mental performance enhancement consultation. So I am definitely rooting for the USA Olympic athletes as they perform in China! And since I now have Olympic fever, I think it is a good chance for all of us to watch the games and see what we can learn in our own sport or exercise endeavors. First lesson, determination and perseverance--every Olympic story is a story of self-sacrifice and sticking with their sport through the good and the bad. Second, practice, practice, practice--the amount of time and energy that Olympic athletes dedicate to their sport is inspiring. And finally passion--never forget the love of the sport and the intense desire to be the best that we can learn from these Olympic athletes. It is exciting to watch all of these great athletes from around the world come together and compete. They keep adding new sports every year and I am just waiting for the year they add Top Fuel Funny Car to the list of Olympic events!