Contact: Dann Hayes, director of media relations, 641-269-4834 and hayesmd@grinnell.edu, or Andy Holmes, sports information director, 641-269-3675 and holmesa@grinnell.edu.

February 7, 2002

2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah

Tips on how to get in shape to be a spectator at the Olympics; Memory and the Olympics, how important is it to "memorize the route" prior to the race

1. ANDY HOLMES
Director of Sports Information
641-269-3675
holmesa@grinnell.edu
Olympic Conditioning: How to get in shape to "WATCH" the Olympic Games

Most people are aware of the preparation a world class athlete must do to prepare for Olympic competition.

But what about the spectator? How can they "get in shape" to spend hours in the cold, trying to catch a glimpse of the bobsled or luge as it races down the course, or to keep an eye on their favorite cross country skier? How can a spectator get in shape to "sit" for hours to watch the ice skating competition? How about walking from a food vendor to restaurant to a refreshment stand?

Andy Holmes, director of sports information at Grinnell College, can offer suggestions on how to stay in shape for those long hours of viewing event after event.

Holmes has a unique perspective of the sporting world. In 1996 he worked as a videotape logger during the 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta, where he "got to watch sports, and get paid for it!" An avid sports fan, his conditioning tips can also be honed for the armchair Olympics fan.

2. JANET GIBSON
Assistant Professor of Psychology
641-269-3168
gibsonj@grinnell.edu
o Memory and the Olympic Games

The driver of the Jamaican bobsled team sits in the bathtub the night before the race, mentally steering the 4-man bobsled through the curves and runs of the track at the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympic Games. The scene, captured in the 1993 hit movie "Cool Runnings," implies that memorizing the track is a prime factor in preparing for competition.

Although memorizing the track can be helpful before a race, Janet Gibson, associate professor of psychology at Grinnell College, says nothing beats the physical training and racing experience gained during direct competition.

3. WILLIAM FREEMAN
Associate Professor of Physical Education
641-269-3812
freemanw@grinnell.edu
o Bringing Olympic sports commitment to inter-collegiate athletics

For an individual to reach the Olympic Games, it takes more than an individual commitment. It takes a commitment from the entire family.

At Grinnell College, Will Freeman, associate professor of education, is attempting to bring that Olympic sporting spirit to inter-collegiate athletics. One of the founders of Sport for Life, Inc., Freeman is a former national chairman of the USA Track & Field education program with a total of 15 years training coaches. As a former NCAA All-American athlete, Freeman contends that the one item missing from many intercollegiate sports programs is the parent, so he has developed a program "to coach the parent."

"I believe that we spend a great deal of time training athletes and coaches, but the parent is the missing element in helping to offer the complete experience for the child athlete. With coaches, athletes, and parents all working together, the experience for the child has a greater potential for success.

The program focuses on four foundational tenets: 1) The process of growth is about development and not the result; 2) Positive enhancement of self-esteem and an internal locality of control; 3) Education is the tool for growth and development; and 4) Every child has gifts to offer. Sport does not have to be an elitist, Darwinistic
venture.