Standing at the front of Power Hall, dripping sweat like I
just completed my own gymnastics routine (apparently A/C wasn’t available), I
watched groups of kids, many wearing their homemade Aly Raisman and Team USA
t-shirts, with ear-to-ear grins waiting impatiently for NBC’s live stream to get
a glimpse of the Needham’s
“Golden Girl.”
Gabby Douglas would steal the show and, in the process,
begin her short reign as the new “America’s Sweetheart,” but this crowd and
this community belongs to Aly Raisman. A 4th place finish (on a
complicated tiebreaker after a tie for 3rd, why can’t they give out
2 bronze medals like they have in other sports?) did not deter the 500-plus
fans packed into Needham’s Town Hall from standing as one to applaud
“their” athlete.
I have to admit that I have never been a fan of the
Olympics. I don’t appreciate the phony Olympic idealism or the
creative editing that NBC imposes in an attempt to fulfill Americans’ need
for buzzer beaters. I don’t like the tape
delay, the outright terrible announcing, and the mythology of the Olympics
as the pinnacle of pure sporting competition (I could just as easily be talking
about D1 NCAA sports too).
Still, my
cynicism died a little on Thursday morning (it’s never going to disappear
altogether). I got to see what the story of the Olympics should be about. The
real story is a community rallying together to cheer on one of their own. The
story isn’t about wins or losses, medal counts, or even ridiculous
badminton scandals. This was a bunch of kids looking up to someone from
their town and realizing the potential that they hold within.
Needham Selectman Jerry Wasserman spoke of Aly being a “role
model” for the kids and her former coach Tatiana Kamaskaya called her a
“leader” for aspiring gymnasts. These are terms that get tossed around all the
time, but being in that room and seeing the faces of those kids, especially
when they talked about Aly attending Newman Elementary or being a Needham High
Rocket, brought home the impact of these Olympics.
Everyone wants to succeed in life, no matter what the goals
that we set for ourselves. No one ever wants to be a failure, but there are
many cases when the opportunities seem finite and we start to believe that
there is only so much that we can achieve. Sometimes, we need the impetus to
look forward and see endless possibility. Sometimes we need someone to show us
what hard work and determination can create.
Again, from Kamarskaya, “This is inspiring for the kids. It
gives them a dream and that’s how we achieve things, by dreaming of great
things and setting goals.”
My cynicism hasn’t completely faded. There are plenty
of things wrong with the Olympics (and
those who televise it) and I’m not a total convert. But there is something
magical about watching a group of kids cheer on their hometown hero and beginning
to think that in a few years it could be them.
