“And I’m proud to be an American, where at least I know I'm free.”
The famous lyrics from Lee Greenwood’s song “God Bless the U.S.A.” are frequently forgotten nowadays. Anger, dysfunction and division are commonplace, and patriotism is waning. The lack of American pride has also become visible within sports.
In a time of national division, sports should be something Americans can turn to expectantly, knowing they can escape from the rest of the world’s problems. Instead, it has become a place dissatisfied athletes use as a personal sounding board.
“It (ICE’s actions in the U.S.) brings up mixed emotions to represent the U.S. right now, I think,” U.S. skier Hunter Hess said in a press conference before competing in the 2026 Winter Olympics. “If it aligns with my moral values, I feel like I’m representing it. Just because I’m wearing the flag doesn’t mean that I represent everything that’s going on in the U.S.”
Hess’s statement sparked a firestorm on social media, including from President Trump, who ripped the skier, calling him “a real Loser.” For many people, the critical words were harder to hear from an Olympic athlete.
Thomas Tyree, a former Marine and current head football coach at Whitko High School in South Whitley, Indiana, said political statements like that don’t belong in sports.
“When you play for your country, on a national team or an Olympic team, I think that's when it's super important,” said Tyree. “Whether you support or don't support whatever, you're there to represent our country. You're supposed to represent the best part of us.”
Unfortunately, Hess’s words echo the thoughts of many Americans today, and it begs the question: What is the place of patriotism in sports?
The U.S. men’s hockey team answered that question in their own way days later. The team shocked the world and beat Canada to win gold for the first time since 1980.
“This is all about our country right now. I love the USA,” Team USA forward Jack Hughes said postgame. “I’m so proud to be American today.”
In a nation that is so frequently divided, something seemed to shift on the day of that gold medal match. Many Taylor students woke up early that morning to catch the game before church. It reminded fans across the country what it really meant to say, “I’m proud to be an American.”
Is this country perfect? No. Are our leaders always right? No. However, as Americans, we can’t allow shortcomings to dissuade us from the truth we were raised to believe: The USA is the greatest country in the world.
Our country may have problems with crime, politics, racism and more, all of which athletes speak out against. However, there is more that unites us than divides us.
“Being part of a sports team has this ability to unify a bunch of different people from a bunch of different places into one common goal,” Jacob Etchison, a senior lineman on Taylor’s football team, said.
For Etchison, being part of a team goes beyond playing on that team. Fans across the country can watch sports and unite with other fans, many of whom they’ve never met, to cheer their team on.
In a time when the United States is so divided, sports can bring us together. Athletes don’t need to spend hours with the media, giving long-winded sermons about how to be patriotic. They should simply play their games.
Americans need something to root for, something that reminds us what the words “I’m proud to be an American” truly mean. That pride doesn’t require ignoring the country’s flaws. It means setting them aside, if only for a moment, to come together in support of something bigger than ourselves.
