The end of winter is approaching, and while most are focused on the possibility of warmer weather, it is the end of the winter sports season. Olympics aside, all of the high school and college winter sports teams are entering into their final weeks. For high school, the conference and state competitions; and for college the conference and nationals qualifying competitions are staging or taking place.
I encourage business people, even those without children in the system, to go and watch some of these competitions. There are perfect examples of planning, execution, and result to watch and appreciate. There are major triumphs and celebrations to observe, as there are some disappointments and unexpected results to take in.
Me, I officiate swimming and diving for both high school and college competition. Watching the Olympic drama on TV is entertaining, but seeing and experiencing the competition unfold in person is both reinvigorating as well as moving.
Last weekend I was on deck for the NSIC (College) Women’s Swim & Dive Conference championships. I saw a woman, seeded 3rd to last in the 1650 Freestyle ( 1 mile swim) finish dead last in her heat and she was sobbing to the point of delaying the next heat. The girl that had been counting laps for her at the other end of the pool came running up to the finish and hugged her as she crawled from the pool, and they were both crying. However, I soon realized they were crying from happiness. This college senior, in very likely her last swim meet ever, had just swam a personal best and broken past a time barrier that she had been working toward for 4 years. Goals and triumphs are all relative to the individual as well as company.
A little later, I witnessed a woman, who had just won the conference championship in 200 Backstroke from an outside lane, meet up with her mother near the podium before the awards ceremony. If you have seen the Proctor & Gamble Thank you Mom’s commercial during the Olympics coverage, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57e4t-fhXDs what I saw was 1,000 times better; and right in front of me. The swimmer’s sense of accomplishment and the mother’s feeling of pride, were on display for all of us to see and appreciate.
So if you need your batteries recharged, or need a little inspirational lift, go take in one of the sporting contests in your area. Don’t just focus on the ball or puck or winners, but take in as much as you can from around the contest area. What you see will likely amaze and inspire you; and who doesn’t need that from time to time?