Many people are tuning into the Rio Olympics. Some to see the great athletes compete, and some to watch them fail. Now, I've never been much of a sports person and I don't know much about them, but I tune in every 4 years to the summer Olympics to watch the USA gymnastics team take to the floor. Why you my ask? Well I simply happen to know most of the team.
Chris Brooks, Jacob Dalton, Alex Naddour, and Head Coach Mark Williams are family friends and fantastic people. My mother is a school teacher at Cleveland Elementary and she has created a partnership with the team. The relationship between the school and the OU Gymnastics program is very strong. Many members come weekly to Cleveland to engage with the kids and help out around the school. The team has grown so close to my mom that she considers them her "adopted sons." We have even had the NCAA Men's Gymnastics Championship trophy in our house when they win it, and they win often. They are the most winning team on the OU Campus and currently hold the NCAA title. OU has become knows as #GYMU around the country because of such a strong program in both men's and and woman's gymnastics. They are the first school to ever win both titles in the same year.
My relationship with gymnastics has lead me to have a deep respect for them, and I often wonder why they aren't well known. I see football players get multi-million dollar contracts or full rides through college, and yet the gymnastics team's has won 10 national championships, seven since 2000, and has dominated the USA team for the Olympics with Coach Mark Williams being named the Head Coach for Team USA and yet most of the time the headlines are dominated by other money revenue making sports. Every week at school these college students take time out of their busy life to come visit elementary school children and help mentor them. They really are student athletes!
I understand men's gymnastics is not as popular as football or basketball. I'm not asking it to be. I just want these wonderful men to get the recognition they deserve. These men made an impact on my life back when I was in elementary school and Coach Williams has become a friend of our family. I just hope we take a moment in the coming weeks to look at these athletes who work so hard and don't get the media or money they deserve. While I may not enjoy sports often, I do know it is important to our society and my own family. So this week I will wear my Red, White, and Blue, cheer for the underdogs, listen to the stories and watch some guys who helped out at my elementary school when I was just a kid.
