After Michael Phelps and Gabby Douglas won their gold medals, they looked into the stands to find their mothers.
Gabby's mother made the great sacrifice of allowing her daughter to live halfway across the country to train with an outstanding coach. Michael talked of his 20-year relationship with his coach.Our local multiple gold medal swimmer, Dana Vollmer, recalled her days on the Fort Worth Area Swim Team.When Phelps and Jordyn Wieber didn't fare as well as expected, they didn't look into the stands to find someone to blame. How many Olympic athletes attributed success to the contributions their parents/coaches made, to the strength they received in order to carry on when they felt like giving up? How many blamed others when they lost?As members of society, we are each a member of many teams, although our levels of participation may vary. Some choose a more "prime time" event, while some of us contribute during the off hours.Some of us seem to find sport in merely criticizing others' efforts or explaining how other commitments get in the way of our participation.The expectations, the effort and the commitment are the same for each of us. Some days it takes a lot of effort to inspire ourselves to contribute, other days it's a joy.It's keeping the joys on the forefront of our minds that keeps us in the game.Like many people this summer, I was asked to help paint/clean up part of my child's school. It involved one of the school's gyms and locker room areas. I worked alongside many parents who were inspiring in their efforts and true to the vows of an athlete: "for the glory of our sport and the honor of our teams."This team scrubbed floors and potties and scraped gum off of bleachers. There was heavy lifting and cheering. People worked tirelessly, without complaint about the school district or about who wasn't there. They worked for the honor of the team.Some of these parents were truly gold medalists in that they outdid many, but again it was the opportunity to participate and contribute that seemed to inspire us.Fort Worth has many arenas where athletes/mentors/coaches are needed. One of the biggest events is just around the corner; the start of school.During the "school Olympics," many can be heard blaming the system, the teachers, the parents and the students. There is also talk of why we can't help, why it's not our job or we are too busy earning a living to help elsewhere.Not everyone wins a gold medal, but everyone needs a positive attitude to get to the games. Each of us plays a role in the success of our children.Whether your role is limited and all you can do is encourage your students' participation from home, everyone has a role. Perhaps you can support a teacher by keeping expectations met.There are many organizations that only ask for an hour of service once a week to help inspire and contribute to someone else's success. One of these groups I am familiar with is Kids Hope USA, a local church/school partnership.There are others. You need only call your neighborhood school and ask how to get involved.When one of the big questions facing us about the future has its answer wrapped up in our youth, we should all be competing for a participation medal.It doesn't matter if you are the athlete, the coach or just carrying the torch, what matters is that you are there to contribute in a positive manner.Don't let this year's Olympics go by without letting yourself be caught up and held in the spirit. Take the feeling and support someone on the team to win the gold.Pam Young of Fort Worth is a member of the 2012 Star-Telegram Community Columnist Panel. pamfwst12@gmail.comHave more to add? News tip? Tell us
