Every four years the Summer Olympics are a big deal around our house. We watch all the main Summer Olympic sports, and of course basketball. But next year we may be watching the 2014 Winter Olympics for the first time. I had the opportunity to chat with professional snowboarder and Winter Olympic hopeful Jamie Anderson. Jamie has spent the past 6 years collecting medal after medal in the X Games. Her event is Snowboarding SlopeStyle, which will be a new event at the Winter Olympics in 2014.
The benefits of a big family
We chatted about several things. Jamie shared how her and her 7 siblings enjoyed some healthy competition in their house, and what it was like growing up in a homeschooling family who loved being outdoors. Jamie was inspired by her older siblings as they passed snowboarding equipment down to her. Eventually she fell in love with the sport and her passion for snowboarding grew. Which, as you now know led to a professional career, X Games gold medals, soon the Olympics, and even a sponsorship deal with Nintendo.
How to reach the top of your sport
I grew up playing video games, most of them sports games, so I enjoyed learning about Jamie’s gaming and discussing where tech has taken games over the last 20 years. One of the things I was most interested in learning was Jamie’s perspective about what kids today can do to go from learning to play a sport to where she is today. Below is a video of our chat. Check it out, and when 2014 rolls around make sure you look for Jamie at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. http://youtu.be/7XPxhYcr_hQ How do you encourage your kids to find their passions and pursue them? Jackie Bledsoe, Jr. is a sports parent of three, and writes on sports parenting. He has played sports for over 30 years, including the collegiate level, and coached youth sports for the past eight years. 
Photo credits: isJamieAnderson.com Video credit: Jackie Bledsoe, Jr. Disclaimer: Although no payment was received for promotion, this is a promotional post for Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Winter Games for Nintendo’s Wii U. All thoughts and reflections are totally the author’s.
