Every American gymnast vying for a spot in the national team knew how intense the Olympic Trials were. With such a high-stress environment, it’s hard for athletes to calm down as they’re filled with anxiety and pressure of wanting to join the U.S. Olympic team. In times like this, a golden retriever named Beacon makes an appearance to be the team’s support system.
The USA Gymnastics Team hired the 4-year-old dog to be their first official therapy dog, and his official staff credential reads as “Goodest Boy.” He is owned and handled by Tracey Callahan Molnar, who was a former gymnastics coach.
It was Callahan Molnar’s decision to volunteer her time and bring Beacon to show support and comfort to the athletes. As a former gymnastics coach, Callahan Molnar is aware of the mental and emotional challenges that trials, training, and competition can bring to an athlete. This is the reason why she came up with the idea of adding therapy dogs into the team’s support system, as she is a firm supporter of mental health in sports.
Callahan Molnar’s expertise in gymnastics and handling Beacon allows her to pinpoint the role that the dog will play. When called by the athletes, the golden retriever is very much eager to respond. But what amazes everyone is his ability to sense whenever an athlete needs him, even without being called.
The Integration of Pet Therapy Into Sports
Pet therapy has been used in the medical field. It typically involves the patient, the animal, and the handler. Its purpose is to help the patient cope with stress caused by a health or mental problem. Dogs and cats are the most common animals used in therapy, but it can also include other animals as long as it does the job of comforting the patient.
Animal therapy is also referred to as animal-assisted therapy (AAT), wherein a doctor will structure a set of sessions to meet specific goals in treatments. On the other hand, animal-assisted activities (AAA) have more casual meetings wherein the animal and handler interact with people for comfort.
In sports, Simone Biles, who is a widely known gymnast, has been an advocate of mental health awareness in sports. Her decision to prioritize her own well-being during the Tokyo Olympics became the talk of the whole sports community as it opened untouched issues of the pressures faced by elite athletes like her. The integration of pets like Beacon is a step towards the betterment of the mental health of athletes.
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Beacon As The Face of Pet Therapy in Sports
Callahan Molar shared with the American Kennel Club that when she attended the Pan American Games, she saw that the teams had their own therapy dogs and thought that the USA Gymnastics team needed the same. She brought the idea to LiLi Leung, who is the CEO of USA Gymnastics and a dog lover. Leung immediately approved it, and Callahan Moller went to work.
But of course, problems in terms of arrangements and availability became the conflict after Beacon promised to make an appearance in different cities, but issues such as time and availability became difficult. Callahan Moler realized that a one-man job is difficult, and there is no governing body tasked to do so. She realized what she needed to do to formulate her own.
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From The Club
Admittedly, dogs do really give us happiness, and it’s nice to show proof with Beacon comforting the national team. Pet therapy is relatively new to the sports community, and many aren’t familiar with how it works, but it’s nice to see that we’re making use of our buddies. This is one wholesome therapy! I’m hoping that other sports would take notes from the USA Gymnastics team and hire their own therapy dogs for the players.
