Ever since I was little, I’ve always loved watching the Olympics. It didn’t matter if it was the Summer or Winter Olympics. It was a chance to watch the greatest athletes in the world compete on the biggest stage. When I was a kid, I thought maybe I could be an Olympic athlete one day. Eventually I learned that you actually have to be a good athlete in order for that to happen.

Now that the Olympics are on, I’m doing my best to keep up with all of the action. Due to my schedule, I haven’t been able to keep up with everything that’s going on, but I’m still doing my best.

There’s plenty of great stories in the 2012 Olympics, such as will Michael Phelps be able to claim at least one more gold medal in his final Olympics? Will any team come close to defeating the U.S. Men’s basketball team?

But when it comes to watching the Olympics, I’ve always been a fan of the less mainstream events. I always try to watch some of the table tennis and badminton competitions. For being ‘recreational’ games, it’s amazing to watch people playing them at world class level.

The one thing that I do miss, is having baseball as an Olympic sport. Baseball made it’s official Olympic debut in 1992, and was last played in 2008. Not only was that the last year for baseball in the Olympics, but also for softball. The International Olympic Committee has also ruled that neither sport will be included in the 2016 Olympics.

On April 1, 2011, the International Baseball Federation did announce that they were preparing a new proposal for the IOC. If it’s approved, baseball and softball could return to the Olympics as soon as 2020.

In all seriousness, the Olympics should leave you feeling at least two things, and that’s inspired and motivated. How many other times can you root for a select group of people who represent your country. These athletes aren’t just competing for medals, accolades and sponsorships, they’re competing for their countries.