COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KOAA) — It is exciting, sometimes emotional seeing members of Team USA making it to the medal podium. It is also tough witnessing a favorite unexpectedly making a mistake or being outperformed by another athlete.
There are takeaways from the wins and losses of elite competition, and part of that is the psychology of sports.
One young hockey player said he's "just going to try and go as far as I can."
A young soccer player is kicking around the possibility of World Cup soccer, saying "I imagine myself playing in that USA kit on that stage."
Young people are passionate about sports and motivated by events like the Olympics.
"The higher levels you go, the mental game becomes the game," said Dr. Jess Kirby, a sports psychologist with the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs.
She is among fans of the Olympics who appreciates the physical ability of athletes and, due to her profession, thinks about their mindset.
"The mental and emotional pressure at the Olympics is extraordinary," said Kirby.
Some win, some lose, and when someone who is expected to win makes a mistake, there is the spotlight and speculation from commentators and social media.
"Hopefully having a strong support system and strong processing tools in place to be able to process the height of those emotions after the performance, good or bad, because it's a lot to process," said Kirby.
Winning is the goal, but Kirby points out to athletes that a loss does not define them.
"Sport is something they do and something they get to enjoy and push themselves and challenge themselves to grow, but it's not who they are," said Kirby.
She refers to the gold medal win by Alyssa Liu. The skater stepped away after years of training and feeling overly managed. She regrouped, worked on her mental focus, returned and shined at this Olympics.
"Alyssa Liu came back with the primary focus of having as much joy and fun in her sport as she could," said Kirby.
And it is not just about wins and losses in sport.
"When we carry these mental and emotional skills under pressure, managing adversity, managing failure and disappointment, and managing complex relationships under pressure, those really help us later in life," said Kirby.
Kirby is among sports psychologists pushing for more of an emphasis on mental and emotional training in recreational and youth sports.
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