The Olympics was a refreshing period for me. I could not miss these rare live moments happening every four years. Wasn't Usain Bolt such a delight to watch? I watched and quietly rooted for our Nigerian athletes but was subdued by our apparent poor performance. I saw an interview of a female British gold medalist who was asked whom she would credit her success to. She mentioned a few names but picked the ONE person she would pin it to.......her P.E teacher. She said she was below average at core subject areas but excelled at Physical Education (P.E) and her P.E teacher believed and told her she would be successful. It got me thinking about these three things: dedicated teachers, a healthy P.E department and hard work.
Is it possible we prepare for about three to six months and expect to beat athletes who have exercised a lot of hard work and preparation for 4-8 years? I believe that not all children will be great at Math, Languages, Fine Art or core Sciences because success is diverse. Nigeria may have been able to churn out young successful athletes if the P.E departments in Primary and Post-primary schools were solid. What about a system that could groom children to be successful athletes from early years? There can be continuity in the school system to nurture them into maturity. I enjoyed watching 'prepared' athletes do their best during the games. Great job USA, China and my adopted team....Team GB!
