Over two years ago, the U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) contacted me to discuss ways to enhance the positive educational impact of the 2008 Olympic Games. I was excited but skeptical in light of highly publicized instances of drug cheating and boorish conduct that had tarnished the image of American athletes and the Olympics.

Still, the commitment to supplement efforts to identify and train athletes who could win medals with a program grounded in the Olympic ideals of honorable competition and sportsmanship was a needed and encouraging demonstration of leadership by the USOC. Its goal was not merely to reduce the likelihood that anyone wearing “Team USA” emblems would disgrace or embarrass the country; it wanted to instill in our athletes sincere appreciation for the concept of Olympism so each one understood the privilege and accepted his or her duty to “Make U.S. Proud.”

I was honored to play a small part in this huge, complicated, and unprecedented effort to bring together the elite athletes most likely to represent us in Beijing. The bulk of the project, the Olympic Ambassador Program, was conducted by a dozen former Olympic medalists whose words and example epitomized Olympic ideals.

More than 600 athletes participated in the program, but logistical and other reasons prevented some high-profile teams from taking part – including the swimming, gymnastics, and basketball squads. I fretted, nagged, and complained, worrying that we weren’t doing enough, but I was assured that the administrators and coaches of those teams were fully on board and actively promoting the Make U.S. Proud theme.

My fears proved to be groundless. The results are in and, beyond doubt, all our athletes and coaches made us proud.

Yes, they won 110 medals, but the most important and lasting achievement of Team USA was the way they combined passion and competitiveness with dignity, poise, enthusiasm, and sportsmanship to enhance America’s image and win millions of friends.

The on- and off-the-field team performances in basketball, volleyball, soccer, water polo, and softball were admirable, but at the center of this tribute to the true spirit of Olympism were particular superstars: decathlete Bryan Clay, swimmers Michael Phelps and Dara Torres, gymnasts Nastia Liukin and Shawn Johnson, and all the basketballers including Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, and Lisa Leslie.

The administrators, coaches, and athletes who carried the American flag with such honor deserve our congratulations and thanks. They sure made me proud.

This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.

* The written and podcast version of this commentary is slightly longer than the broadcast version.

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