If you’re like us, you came for the action. You stayed for the heroes.

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Every two years or so, I am transformed. I am changed from a distinctly “not into sports” person into someone who suddenly begins following not one, but multiple sports. While I’m typically the kind of person who can’t name ten current NBA or NFL players, I am abruptly able to rattle off the starting line up of the U.S. Women’s National Team. I can explain what a skip does on a curling team and what role a libero plays on a volleyball team. In short, I am an Olympic fanatic, a fan.

What does this to me is, of course, the Olympics. And maybe you’re with me—is there anything more exciting than the combination of joyful patriotism and athletic feats? There’s so much to get excited about, from the events themselves to the costumes to the memes. What’s not to like?

But the thing is this—it’s not just the Olympics. It’s the stories. The various media enterprises involved with the Olympics are absolute masters of portraying the stories of the athletes—and humbling so many incredible individuals into someone we can simultaneously admire and want to have a beer with. 

Take, for example. Stephen Nedoroscik. If his name doesn’t ring a bell, you might know him as “pommel horse guy.” People were initially skeptical about Nedoroscik—after all, he was a specialist for the U.S. Men’s Gymnastics Team, participating in only one event. But soon, he more than proved his value. He captured the social media zeitgeist with his Clark Kent-like transformation from a bespectacled observer to a masterful athlete, leading the team to their first Olympic medal in 16 years.

And his story is just a small one—and one of the more brief ones. But while the achievements of the athletes capture our attention, it’s their stories that resonate with us long after the Closing Ceremonies. 

The same is true for your schools. As you prepare for a school year that is very much unknown, think about how you can use storytelling to keep your community invested in your schools long after the first day of school. School comms is a marathon, not a sprint—but if you strategize well, you can win the gold.

— Brittany from the SchoolCEO team

One question for you

1. Whose story isn’t being told in your district? How can you change this?

Email us at editor@schoolceo.com or book a time on our calendar and let us know.

Two resources to help

1. Stories only go so far without people willing to share them. We’ve compiled some tips on how to apply word-of-mouth marketing strategies to your district communications efforts. — Why you need word-of-mouth marketing (and how schools can apply it)

2. There are a few foundational elements to any good story—here’s how to incorporate these storytelling best practices into your school marketing efforts. — Boosting Your School Marketing with Storytelling

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Three ideas to ponder

1. “I have asthma, allergies, dyslexia, ADD, anxiety, and depression. But I will tell you that what you have does not define what you can become. Why not you!” — US Olympic Sprinter and Gold Medalist Noah Lyles

2. “Give yourself permission to be an impact storyteller for and about your own life and your own work first in the lives and day-to-day work of the students, the school, and the community you serve. Start wrapping the stories you tell around that.” — Scott M. Curran , CEO and Founder of Beyond Advisors on SchoolCEO Podcast

3. “We all have our favorite stories and things that we love to share, but just because it means something to you doesn't mean it will mean something to the audience without work. That relates to the second piece of advice, which is stories start with the audience and not with the idea because you really want to be thinking about who you're telling the story to and what you want them to take from it or do.” — Karen Eber , Author of The Perfect Story and keynote speaker at this fall's SchoolCEO Conference