I don't understand Olympic athletes

[Anonymous]

I was a gymnast as a child. To say I loved it, would be like the Jersey Shore guys saying drinking and sex are okay. Biggest understatement ever. My gymnastics coaches were also coaches at a nearby college, and when they started talking to my parents about the '92 Olympics they asked my father how hard it would be to get a job in Texas in his field. They were prepared to move there for me.

The way my parents talked I understood that you are a gymnast as a child, so I could do this up to or maybe through college but then I'd be an adult and move on to the adult stage of life. My parents were fully-prepared to move to Texas (to train with the Karolyi's). They would have simply found a way. Just like when my brother was applying to colleges and he asked how my parents would afford Harvard they said "If you get in, we'll find a way to make it happen." They just would have made it work.

[Anonymous]

For the 1996 US Olympic women's gymnastics team, most of their fathers were doctors. Tara Lipinski of ice skating fame had a father who was an oil company executive.

Nowadays, I think there are more corporate sponsorships, but only for high visibility sports.

In general. I think you really have to love these sports, because there won't be a big payday. Even in this area, parents consistently overestimate how much scholarship money is available at the college level, spending thousands of dollars a year on travel teams only to discover that most colleges offer a few partial scholarships for any sport that isn't football or basketball.

CNN had a piece looking at 100 gold medal winners years later. A few were coaching, but most weren't doing that well financially, with even the most famous trying one mediocre business venture after another. One guy was driving a bus.

[Anonymous]

Athletes at olympic level are not poor.
At amatuor level it is different. The sport will not pay if you are mediocre, and even then, while not rich, they are hardly poor

[Anonymous]

Dominique Moceanu's parents were NOT well off at all. They lived quite simply.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some of the events are sports for the wealthy anyway.

This. You won't see any minority competitors for some events.

There are "minorities" who can afford to have their kids do any sport.

Afford it not, gymnast Gabby Douglass's struggling, single mom made sure she was able to follow her dream.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For the 1996 US Olympic women's gymnastics team, most of their fathers were doctors. Tara Lipinski of ice skating fame had a father who was an oil company executive.

Nowadays, I think there are more corporate sponsorships, but only for high visibility sports.

In general. I think you really have to love these sports, because there won't be a big payday. Even in this area, parents consistently overestimate how much scholarship money is available at the college level, spending thousands of dollars a year on travel teams only to discover that most colleges offer a few partial scholarships for any sport that isn't football or basketball.

CNN had a piece looking at 100 gold medal winners years later. A few were coaching, but most weren't doing that well financially, with even the most famous trying one mediocre business venture after another. One guy was driving a bus.

Dominique Dawes' father owned a refuse hauling company. Dominique Moceanu's father was a car salesman? Or maybe something else at the time.

[Anonymous]

Most are college students. I have a family member who was in the Winter Olympics, she was in college. Her parents paid for lessons etc.

I was watching women's cycling, which has a pro circuit. One of the USA team members had been an investiment banker at Lehman Brothers before she quit to go pro. Her story was interesting because she started cycling late in life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some of the events are sports for the wealthy anyway.

This. You won't see any minority competitors for some events.

Esp the Equestrian events!

[Anonymous]

Becasue there is more to life than money.

[Anonymous]

I wonder how many of these athletes come from families with a lot of children. There were 6 of us growing up. There was simply no way my parents were going to say, "Ok, the 7 other people in this family will revolve their lives around 1 child's dream to pursue xyz sport. We will happily pinch all pennies to make it possible. We will be prepared to move to another region if need be." No, there was just no way. Decisions had to be made for the best of the AGGREGATE, not one individual person.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wonder how many of these athletes come from families with a lot of children. There were 6 of us growing up. There was simply no way my parents were going to say, "Ok, the 7 other people in this family will revolve their lives around 1 child's dream to pursue xyz sport. We will happily pinch all pennies to make it possible. We will be prepared to move to another region if need be." No, there was just no way. Decisions had to be made for the best of the AGGREGATE, not one individual person.

to play a game.
sports = play.
I don't get it either but I do enjoy watching.

[Anonymous]

I have a hard enough time with the monthly fee at the gym for my 6 year old to take classes. Some people just have to quit when their parents can no longer pay the bills. It would be a very hard decision, obviously.

Don't even get me started on Tara Lipinski....stories about her and her mom are legendary where I grew up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a hard enough time with the monthly fee at the gym for my 6 year old to take classes. Some people just have to quit when their parents can no longer pay the bills. It would be a very hard decision, obviously.

Don't even get me started on Tara Lipinski....stories about her and her mom are legendary where I grew up.

Do tell!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a hard enough time with the monthly fee at the gym for my 6 year old to take classes. Some people just have to quit when their parents can no longer pay the bills. It would be a very hard decision, obviously.

Don't even get me started on Tara Lipinski....stories about her and her mom are legendary where I grew up.

Do tell!

I think there are stories in those books written by christine brennan, but when she was training in delaware, both of them would throw screaming mimi fits in front of everyone. Apparently, the coaches there didn't think it was wise to push a little body as hard as they wanted her pushed and they (tara and her mom) felt it was holding her back. So, before the age of 20, the kid needed major hip surgery due to the beating her hips took as a young girl. Turns out, the coaches were right, but hell, she got an Olympic medal at 15, so I guess destroying your body in the process isn't important, right?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a hard enough time with the monthly fee at the gym for my 6 year old to take classes. Some people just have to quit when their parents can no longer pay the bills. It would be a very hard decision, obviously.

Don't even get me started on Tara Lipinski....stories about her and her mom are legendary where I grew up.

Do tell!

I think there are stories in those books written by christine brennan, but when she was training in delaware, both of them would throw screaming mimi fits in front of everyone. Apparently, the coaches there didn't think it was wise to push a little body as hard as they wanted her pushed and they (tara and her mom) felt it was holding her back. So, before the age of 20, the kid needed major hip surgery due to the beating her hips took as a young girl. Turns out, the coaches were right, but hell, she got an Olympic medal at 15, so I guess destroying your body in the process isn't important, right?

Wow...I wondered why she didn't return in 2002 considering she was so young