Opinion

The Olympics: Character, Courage, Competition

The Olympics: Character, Courage, Competition
The Olympic logo in the building of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, on May 8, 2012. Sebastien Bozon/AFP/Getty Images
|Updated:

The Olympic games is the stage for the world’s greatest athletes to courageously perform at the most intense level of competition.

Currently, thousands of athletes from across the globe are competing in the Games of the XXXI Olympiad in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

This year, the Olympics will also allow athletes to compete as Independent Athletes under the Olympic Flag due to various reasons, including the European migrant crisis.

Previously, these athletes were ineligible for competition due to their inability to represent their countries.

There is an ethical code required for all Olympic athletes and those involved with them, demanding that all participate with character, sportsmanship, and honesty.

Sports: A Call for Character

From the time that I was a young boy in the Bronx, sports have always been a part of my life. I played Little League baseball, stickball, basketball in the public school yards, ran cross country track for Mount Saint Michael High School, golfed at Van Cortland and Moshulu golf courses, and wrestled for John Jay College of Criminal Justice.

During my years as an educator, I was privileged to coach a state championship soccer team and also served as a lifeguard, swimming coach, and lifeguard instructor.

Hackensack Little League 1998 team coached by author Vincent J. Bove (top row on right). Bove's son Austin is on the bottom right. (Courtesy of Vincent J. Bove Publishing)
Hackensack Little League 1998 team coached by author Vincent J. Bove (top row on right). Bove's son Austin is on the bottom right. Courtesy of Vincent J. Bove Publishing
Vincent J. Bove
Vincent J. Bove
Author
Vincent J. Bove, CPP, is a national speaker and author on issues critical to America. Bove is a recipient of the FBI Director’s Community Leadership Award for combating crime and violence and is a former confidant of the New York Yankees. His newest book is “Listen to Their Cries.” For more information, see www.vincentbove.com
Related Topics