If you’re like me, you consume a lot of Olympics coverage. No matter what event is on, at what time, it’s usually on television, or more accurately a phone or laptop. The Olympics have a way of snatching up all the momentum in the sports world. Then, just like the snap of a finger, the Olympic momentum is over. No more endless stream. No more tragic backstories turned into golden moments. It’s gone as quickly as it started.
What if I told you it doesn’t have to end? Well, keep reading, because there are things you can do to keep the Olympics going.
Here are some tips to make your four-yearly fandom a permanent part of your sports personality.
Watch the Paralympics
If you’re a sucker for athletes that defy the odds, get ready for the Paralympics. Between Aug. 24 and Sept. 5, 540 events across 22 sports take place in Tokyo. In total, athletes from 133 nations arrive in Tokyo to compete in all the sports you love. Track and field events (called Athletics), swimming, basketball, and more.
These amazing athletes have different disabilities like vision impairment, limb deficiency, and limited range of motion, and compete for their countries.
The same channels you used for the Olympics, like NBC here in the United States, also air the Paralympics. Take these two weeks before the games to learn about your country’s athletes and keep the Olympic momentum on high.
Follow Athletes and Organizations
The beautiful thing about writing at Beyond Women’s Sports is that it’s full of people who are empowered to write about whatever interests them in sport. Each author cares about the topic that they publish.
During these past few weeks, I found and wrote about Tokyo 3×3 basketball and rugby sevens events. Both are fast-paced, physical, and feature amazing athletes. As quick as the competitions take, it’s even faster to find out more about them.
If you found a new sport, like 3×3, or have tried and true favorites from each Olympics like gymnastics, follow all the athletes and their athletic organizations on social media. Also, when those athletes post an ad to their social media, Like and comment on it. For some, that revenue from getting an ad partnership goes a long way in growing the sport and investing in the athletes themselves. Athletes work tirelessly for years, and your small actions invest into their lives directly.
When you follow the athletic organizations, like USA Swimming or USA Rugby, they’ll share when their teams are competing again and how you can watch or get involved. For example, athletes from the U.S. Women’s Rugby team play a tournament in October in Memphis, Tennessee. A real event where you can buy real tickets and watch in person. You can also find out how you can watch it on streaming, which is the next Olympic momentum builder.
Stream Stream Stream
Remember all the million streaming platforms available? They have the same sports from the Olympics available to watch collegiately or domestically. ESPN+, Big Ten Network, Peacock, and more play full NCAA seasons of track and field events, volleyball, or soccer; to keep the Olympic momentum moving. Your favorite college has more than a basketball and football team, and they likely want you to watch and get involved in the sport.
If you don’t want to pay a million dollars for those streams, check out if the college you support allows spectators. It’s more than likely free, or close to free, to attend those events. Here in Columbus, Ohio, the local university, Ohio State University if you haven’t heard of it, lets fans attend and park for free to many of their sports that aren’t football and basketball.
If none of those options work for you, there’s always the Winter Olympics, taking place in 178 days.
Follow Beyond Women’s Sports for coverage from women’s sports around the world. Thomas Costello is on Twitter too, follow him @1ThomasCostello.
