MONDAYS WITH MATT – A HADLEY PARK & REC COLUMN – JULY 28, 2024

Greetings Everyone,

After a very long hiatus, I am happy to finally post a new writing for all of you to read. Over the course of this Summer, I have partnered again with the Hadley Park and Recreation Department to produce my Mondays with Matt column.

In this week’s column, I talk about the significance of The Olympics and how they illustrate that sports are a universal language. I also write about the lessons that we all can learn from sports and the Olympic Games – both in athletics and in life – along with what athletes and student-athletes should watch for when watching Olympic athletes in action. I hope that you all enjoy!

So, for this week’s talk with Coach Matt, I want to talk about a subject that holds a lot of importance and is one that is occurring across the world for all right now – the Olympics. Namely, I want to talk about how the Olympics show that sports are a universal language.

Pride, unity and connection. These three words encapsulate three values. All three of these are familiar to many of us. The three of them put together form a triangular bond that can lead to success. We see these three values in our everyday lives – in school, at work, in life. We also see them in athletics. For every athlete and student-athlete, these three words are often the foundations that help build a team – a team that accomplish goals. We also see these three words and values in what sports can offer to both ourselves and to society as a whole.

When we talk about connections and the idea of “universal languages”, there are a few topics that tend to come to mind. One that I hear a lot is the concept of food being a universal language and a gateway to experiencing various cultures, customs and traditions. This holds true due to food being something that all experience and can connect with in their own way. There are many experiences where this can hold true. As we watch the Summer Olympics over the next couple of weeks, think of another one. Sports.

Just like food, the world of sports is also a universal language. No matter who we are or what our culture is defined by, we all are touched by the world of sports – so long as we allow ourselves to be impacted by what this world has to offer. We see how athletes take care of their body and their health – just as we must take care of our bodies and our health. We watch athletes cultivate and develop their skills just as an artist who sharpens their pencil or tends to their brush. We watch as an athlete, or a group of athletes, suddenly assume new identities that we identify with. They take on the personification of what they represent to both themselves and to us. We, too, take on that identity as we cheer for them and live vicariously through their actions.

These impacts know no boundaries. They know no identity nor region. The impacts and feelings of what we identify with in athletics lives in us all. We all have the capacity to feel. We all have the capacity to learn. We all have the capacity to be inspired. We all have the ability to achieve and dream. We all the ability to unite and connect. We can do that over many different experiences, including food. Including sports, athletics and recreation.

Which brings me back to the Olympics. For those who choose to learn through the vessel that is sports and athletics, we are exposed to our individual experiences – usually defined by region, sport or access. The Olympics allows us the chance to see the difference maker that sports can be in our society. Individuals and athletes from all over the world compete on one stage. That one stage can encapsulate those three values of pride, unity and connection as well. We get to learn about a country’s culture and story through them hosting an athletic event. As we are immersed in the waters of culture, we are connected by the values that unite us rather than divide us – including that of athletic competitive action. We get to connect with others from around the world and experience pride and unity through the vessel of sports and the athletes that take those values to try and bring pride to themselves and their country.

And the beautiful thing is that this can all be accomplished through the lens of sports and recreation. And there is a lot that can be learned by all from paying attention to the Olympic games that are going on right now. On a larger scale, you can learn about culture and customs. As you watch the games and competitions, you can learn about values such as pride, unity, teamwork and work ethic. You can learn about athlete training and development.

The latter point should be one that athletes and student-athletes pay attention to. You have the opportunity to learn from exposure at a global level. Watch the competitions and learn about various sports. Take note of the differing skills that an athlete must develop to succeed at that sport – do they need to have good balance? Good stamina? Good hand-eye coordination? Good athletic position and posture as they mechanically prepare to perform a given task? Watch how an athlete takes care of themselves and prepare themselves for an athletic task. Do they get treatment like massages? Do they stretch? How do they stretch? How are they mentally preparing to compete? What are they studying? As you start to watch, you may notice the answers if you look enough. That, in turn, can help you. That’s the thing – many of the skills that you see and much of the preparation that you see in the Olympics are things that can benefit all of us – recreationally and in every day life. They cross translate and are not defined by a boundary. They are a universal language, just like sports are.

As you watch the Olympic Games over the next few weeks, look beyond the event. Look at the story of the event and the how and why of what is going on. Dare to learn. Dare to be inspired. That can lead to you achieving and bringing that pride, unity and connection to your life and your community. That is a key to success.