Olympics Had Something For Everyone, But For Me Of Course, It Was Soccer

By Randy Gardner

How was the Olympic experience for you? It seemed like everyone I talked to was glued to the TV for two weeks watching the Olympic games. No matter if you like sports or not, there was something for everyone.

Most people watched the big sports attractions which included the swimming events and the gymnastics. Of course I was glued to the soccer games both for the men’s and women’s teams.

For Brazil to win over Germany in penalty kicks with Neymar, Jr. scoring the deciding goals was awesome.

Germany beat Brazil 7-0 in the last Olympic games and was like a black eye for the soccer fans of that country.

That was also the year that Neymar broke his back. What a story it all turned out to be, you could have not written a better script.

In the women’s side of things, who would have ever thought that the U.S. team would get bounced out so early. It was almost embarrassing for them. Everyone expected them to win and I think they got a bit over confident.

The team’s goalie, Hope Solo said some discouraging things after the game about how the other team beat them, but honestly they did what they had to do to win. Isn’t that a lesson in life.

I calculate this realm of thought to boxing. You can go 10 rounds landing no punches and get beaten to a pulp but as long as you hang on and land that one calculated punch to knock your opponent out, that’s all that matters.

That’s what happened in the women’s soccer game. The other team played in a defensive shell the whole game and took advantage of their opportunity. They had a game plan and stuck to it.

Don’t be a sore loser; you lost. Be an adult about it and own up to it. Everyone loves the person who is willing to stand up and take responsibility for a mistake.

Talking about mistakes, what was Ryan Loche and the swimming guys thinking with their extravagant made up story? I don’t know all the facts so I don’t want to assume much but the fact that Speedo dropped him as a sponsor says it all. Sponsorship money is the easiest money in the world and it just goes to show you that something can be taken away from you for a mistake in judgment on your part. This can happen to him and it can happen to you.

Think twice before doing something stupid, it will always come back to bite you. There are cameras and audio recorders everywhere. If it feels wrong, it probably is wrong. Don’t lose something that is important to you over a lack of better judgment. It can destroy lives and families.

Playing with the Big Boys

I have never been nervous coaching my teams but this past weekend my teams jumped up to a much higher division. We had been winning in lower divisions and the kids weren’t being pushed. So our first game is on the Pro field with stadium seating at the Soccer Park.

My kids’ eyes were the size of saucers. After the initial shock wore off they were fine. Myself, that was another story, I was never so worried about going out and getting pounded more than on Saturday. Luckily, the boys played well and we won 5-0.

I know we are going to get pounded sooner than later but at least we stepped off on the right foot. My reason in telling you this story is that sometimes those butterflies and nervousness are good for you. It helps you achieve and move on. If we don’t set the bar high we will never grow.

Our kids learn from us. Teach them lessons that will help them grow. We all have something special to share in this world whether it is as a coach, a mentor, or a parent. Get out there and share it.

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