Lessons Learned from the 2020 Olympics

Delayed a year, the “2020” Olympics in 2021 were different than past Olympics, with no visitors in the stands, COVID testing regularly for the athletes and the chance to see family members of the athletes watching from home.  They were also very different for me on a personal level.  This was the first year that I watched alone without Murray, my husband who died in October 2020 and who dearly loved the swimming.  And it was the first time I ever had a family member competing (a distant cousin on my father’s side).  I also was very proud that Simone Biles chose to take care of her own mental health rather than risk injury. That’s an important lesson for all of us to learn.

Let me begin by sharing a few of my reactions to Simone Biles’s decision to withdraw from the team competition. Surprised, of course, but once that reaction passed I thought how wise she was and also how wise it was that she was not pressured into changing her mind.  Gymnastics has come a long way in respecting her decision. Too often with dancers and athletes the emphasis is on having to stay the course without taking into account both the physical and mental damage done. And her teammates stepped up to the plate.  They competed well that evening, not dwelling on anything other than the job they needed to do, as she cheered them on!!  The result was that they won the silver medal.  As the week continued and Biles cheered from the stands for the individual events, some of her teammates went on to win gold medals. And then she came back to compete on the balance beam winning a bronze medal.  She simplified her routine dismount and yet it still earned her the bronze!  There is no question about her talent as a gymnast, and now she is showing us a courage and talent way beyond that, by causing us to stop and think about the importance of mental health in athletics and beyond. Certainly there is a strong lesson for the world of dance in this too, and teachers of dancers at all levels should please take this to heart!

An excellent piece of journalism by Dan Rather and his team at Steady, published by the website SUBSTACK.com, provides insight and commentary on this, and I strongly urge readers to check it out. I end this section of the blog with the following quote from the article:

Simone Biles forced us to pause to think about sports and life, at least for a moment, through a different lens. And for that we should all be thankful. If she has courage to stand up, we should have the courage to stand with her.  https://steady.substack.com/p/a-profile-in-courage?fbclid=IwAR341pTQVPnPvvtutJlDeRLY8vJwzi1sZUzPpoAv_OfDMaxDoSfOA9VWjcM

Up until this year I enjoyed watching the Olympics with Murray.  Since he passed I wondered how it would be watching without him.  His main interest was always the swimming and I went along watching it with him.  This year I didn’t have to watch it but found that I wanted to.  For one thing I just found it fun and interesting to watch.  The other reason was that it just plain felt good to do something that I knew was important to Murray and that we had shared together. I felt his energy present and it brought back so many good memories.  Murray loved to swim and he swam three times a week for as long as I knew him.  During the time we lived in Tallahassee, Florida he was a part of a Masters Swim Team and Program and even traveled to different parts of the state to compete.  I loved watching his body move rhythmically and powerfully through the water, even toward the end, when due to heart problems he didn’t have his usual energy. I am so glad to have this video of him enjoying our pool here in Costa Rica and that he got to enjoy a little bit of swimming here.

Murray swimming in our pool in Costa Rica, April 2020. Video by JoAnne

What also kept me glued to the Olympics was watching Alix Klineman compete in beach volleyball.  My Dad and her father, Michael, were cousins.  Michael and I have kept in contact and I was aware of Alix’s talent. When she was on the Stanford indoor volleyball team and they came to play the University of New Mexico, Michael came to see her play and invited Murray and me to the game.  It was great fun to watch and afterwards Michael introduced us.

Since then Michael has kept me up to date on her career, specifically playing for a professional team in Italy and then later in Brazil.  I was also aware when she transitioned to beach volleyball and I knew that she and April Ross were doing well as a team.  So it was with much enthusiasm that I started watching the first match they played in the Olympics and then of course continued watching all the matches through to the last one where they won the Gold medal.

As I watched interviews of the two women there were several things that resonated with me and which I want to keep in mind for myself.  First of all Alix shared that when she was younger she was uncomfortable or self conscious about her height.  Now of course it is a major asset.  So important for all of us to keep in mind that some of our natural physical nature that we are uncomfortable with may prove to be an asset.

For me personally, I have loved to watch and to work with tall dancers.  When they are wonderfully coordinated and know how to use their body there is nothing more beautiful.  I am reminded right now of Judith Jamison and in particular the beautiful solo that Alvin Ailey choreographed for her called Cry.  There was a point when Rick Jacobs was a part of the Avodah Dance Ensemble which I directed for over 30 years, and he is about 6’4”. Sometimes when he was in the company all of the women were 5’10” and over.  It was a challenge to keep up with them when we walked down the street.

Another important thing that Alix shared was that when she wasn’t selected for the 2016 indoor volleyball team she was able to realize her goal of going to the Olympics by moving into beach volleyball.  A recent New York Times article pointed out:

In 2017, Klineman envisioned a future in beach volleyball and dreamed of the Olympics. She began to study the craft.

Ross, a two-time Olympic medalist, was watching. She saw potential with Klineman, 31, citing a list of attributes: her physicality, work ethic, intelligence and intensity, to start.

“Alix did study the game more than anyone else I’ve ever known,” said Ross, 39. “She’d go home and watch a ton of video, and I’d be like, ‘Well, I’ve got to go home and watch video, too.’”  https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/05/sports/olympics/olympics-beach-volleyball-alix-klineman-april-ross.html

A good reminder for all of us is that if one way isn’t working out figure out another. Once you have a new plan it is important to learn as much as you can to accomplish what you want.

Ross is quoted in the same New York Times article as saying, “Our communication and respect for each other is off the charts.”

One of the most important things I learned directing a dance company and also in working in film is that putting together the right team is all important.  When there is mutual respect and the chemistry is right between colleagues so much more can happen.  “The A-Team,” as April and Alix like to be called, provides us with an excellent example of how this works at the highest level!! Congratulations to April and Alix.  Thank you, Michael, for keeping me up to date on your daughter’s  career and for introducing me to volleyball on your trip to New Mexico.

If you watched this year’s Olympics did you have a favorite moment or something that resonated with you?  Please feel free to share it in the comments!

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