My Kids Don’t Care About the Olympics and Why I’m Coming to Terms With It
Do the Olympics have a future fanbase?
“We must’ve watched Olympic diving together. It’s on now, and it’s reminding me of you,” I texted my twin brother and Olympic-watching partner of my youth. “Lol. Greg Louganis — I definitely remember that,” he responds. Louganis hit his head on the diving board in his 1988 gold medal-winning performance. It was hard to forget.
Maybe the pandemic has me longing for a simpler time, but I’ve spent many of the past nights watching the 2020 Olympics thinking about how much I loved the games as a kid. As Suni Lee tumbled her way to gold, I remembered the gymnasts of my youth. How I sat glued to the television, captivated by every twist and turn.
When the winter Olympics aired, I could tell you the difference between a double axle and a double salchow. I remember gathering with a group of young friends huddled around the television watching Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan vie for a medal.
Now, my nine-year-old daughter runs past the screen on her way to who-knows-where. I stop her. “Watch this, I say, as an athlete starts her balance beam routine.” She glances, not impressed. Her response is unfathomable to me. She’s been in gymnastics and dance since she was three.
