Olympic Athletes Share Favorite Music on Spotify

July 24th, 2024

Before big sports events, many top athletes like to listen to their favorite songs. They choose different kinds of music to help them feel strong and ready to do their best. Some like fast music, while others prefer calm songs or even music from movies. For example, a runner named Rai Benjamin enjoys music by artists like Drake. Benjamin listens to music to help him focus and feel ready for his races. Rebecca McGowan, a taekwondo athlete, listens to songs that make her feel like she can keep going even when it's hard. A dancer named Logan Edra loves old hip-hop songs. She feels they connect her with the history of dance. Bradly Sinden, who does taekwondo, gets motivated by a song he heard in a movie. It makes him feel prepared for his matches. Veronica Fraley, who throws a discus, likes to listen to energetic rap music before competing. It helps her get in the right mood to throw well. Canoeist Fernando Dayán Jorge has one special song that pumps him up for his sport. Swimmer McKenzie Coan, who has won gold medals, gets excited by songs from Britney Spears. She listens to these songs to get ready for her races. Rachel Glenn, a high jumper, loves to listen to lively music before competing. Jaydin Blackwell, a runner, prefers motivational speeches over music. But he does like some softer songs when warming up. Daniel Roberts, another runner, enjoys older music that makes him feel good and ready to race. Some athletes don't always listen to music, but when they do, they have favorites that help them feel strong or happy. They choose what works best for them, whether it's music from the past or something more modern. They all use music to help them prepare to compete in their sports.

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💭 Discussion Questions

. What do athletes do before big sports events to help them feel strong and ready?

. Why does swimmer McKenzie Coan listen to Britney Spears' songs before her races?

. Do all athletes like to listen to the same kind of music before competing? Why or why not?

📖 Vocabulary

🌐 Cultural context

Athletes often use music as a motivational tool before competing in sports events. Music preferences vary among individuals, and can include different genres and sources such as popular artists, movie soundtracks, and even motivational speeches.

🧠 Further reading

Sport psychology

Sport psychology is about understanding how our mind can affect our body when we play sports or exercise. It's like a mix of how our body works and how we think and feel. People called sport psychologists help athletes do better in their sports. They give them special tips to help them focus and stay calm. But sport psychologists don't just help people who play sports. They also help people who like to exercise just for fun. They teach them how to stay excited about being active. The idea of sport psychology started a long time ago. The first place to study sport psychology was in Germany in the 1920s. A man named Dr. Carl Diem made a special lab where he looked at how well people could do different sports. At a college in Berlin, they also studied how sports and exercise are connected to our minds and bodies.

Focus (band)

Focus is a rock band from the Netherlands. They started making music together in 1969. The group was made by Thijs van Leer who plays the keyboard, sings, and plays the flute. He found a drummer named Hans Cleuver and a bass guitar player named Martijn Dresden to play with him. Later, Jan Akkerman joined them to play the guitar. The band's music is well-loved in many countries. They first became popular with their second album. This album had a famous song called "Hocus Pocus." They kept making music and their songs were liked by many people. Sadly, Focus stopped playing music together in 1978. But they came back together in the 1990s. Then, in 2002, they started making new music again. Thijs van Leer put together a new band, and people enjoyed their new songs. Focus still plays concerts around the world. Lots of people still enjoy their music today. One of their songs was even used in a big sports commercial in 2010. The band Focus is an important rock band from the Netherlands.

Existential therapy

Existential psychotherapy is a special way of helping people with their feelings and thoughts. It comes from big ideas in European thinking. This kind of therapy helps people understand important parts of life like death, being free to choose, being responsible, and what life means. It says that feeling worried, alone, or very sad is a normal part of growing up, not always a sign of being ill. This therapy talks a lot about a person's own life and choices. It helps people to find more meaning and happiness in life. Important thinkers in history helped create this therapy with their ideas about life. Two big thinkers named Søren Kierkegaard and Friedrich Nietzsche started these ideas a long time ago. They didn't agree with what most people thought back then. They believed that each person finds their own truth by living their life and making choices.