Thursday, August 2, 2012

"Rally for Aly"





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.