A group of owls is called a parliament; a group of fish is a school. A group of lions is called a pride. For years now, pride has been dwindling among our youth.
A Gallup poll from 2025 showed that only 43 percent of Gen Z, my generation of Americans, were proud to be Americans – the lowest number ever recorded. It makes sense. Our upbringing has seen many institutions erode. From technology to politics to public health, we have always been in crisis. Controversy has become commodified to the point that it is constant.
But this week’s Olympics provided me with two athletes whose essence represents a pure, unabashed refutation of this belief and makes me, and I hope others my age, proud Americans. Alyssa Liu and Jack Hughes are both gold medalists representing the United States. The most they have in common is that they both did it while on skates. They probably come from opposite sides of the political spectrum, and they also come from opposite ends of the country (Liu from California and Hughes from Michigan).
Alyssa Liu’s father protested his government, China, in 1989, and for that he had to flee. He built up a law firm on his own and was successful enough to fund his daughter’s ice-skating career. Liu quit because of the lack of control her father gave her over this passion. She came back one year ago on her own terms and, in Milan, showcased what American ingenuity is made of. Other women on the stage fell, cried, or wilted under the intensity of the lights. She shined – spinning, twisting her way into our hearts and winning gold. What’s more, her manners are admirable; she congratulated the Japanese skater who won bronze as if she herself had won.
She jumped with pride and, despite her possible qualms about the current administration, covered herself in the flag with pride.
Jack Hughes took a stick to the face in the third period and lost a tooth and a half. He stayed in the game and scored the golden goal. After the game, he said he is proud to be an American.
Hughes is half Jewish. As a Jew, this meant a lot to me. So much of the “Stop Antisemitism” messaging portrays us as small and weak – feeble, needing extra protection. Hughes, with his teeth shattered and the American flag draped over him, says the opposite. We are here, we are equals, we are proud Americans. Nothing will take that away.
Over the years, much of the media has diluted attempts to unify around sports and the flag. The NFL told us kneeling during the anthem was an appropriate protest, and the media cheered them on. The NBA refused to send its athletes to the White House during the Trump administration while insisting it was a sport that unified us. Caitlin Clark just wants to play ball and be apolitical, and the media and players around the WNBA insist this comes from a place of privilege and imply that she is racist.
Liu, Hughes, and the other USA Olympians give me hope that despite our differences, we remain strong; we remain winners. Their gold is for us, but we are also proud of them and their sacrifice. It was their parents who stayed late at the rink and let their kids get more skating time in. It was their courage, as children and adults, to believe in their dreams.
Some on Twitter say this rampant display of patriotism is unacceptable in our times: “We must not fall victim to this propaganda.” These people are a small, vocal minority. But they have won people over the years. People like Hughes and Liu can help turn the tide. They help every American household – from New York to California to Florida – swell with pride for their nation.
It is not just our talents that have thrived at these Olympics but our American values. Look no further than the athletes themselves. I have watched countless clips of Alyssa Liu and have not seen her break her smile. She is kind, generous, and creative.
You can also look at how the men’s team honored their fallen partner, Johnny Gaudreau. Gaudreau would have been on the 2026 USA Men’s Hockey team, but died in August 2024, along with his brother Mathew. They were cycling on the weekend of their sister’s wedding when they were struck by a drunk driver. In the most glorious moment of the players’ lives, two players had the presence of mind not only to grab the Gaudreau jerseys for the team photo but also to go into the crowd and bring Johnny’s two young children down to the ice with them, creating a moment they and their family will remember for the rest of their lives.
The future seems uncertain these days. Polls show a lack of pride among our youth, technological advances come without warning, and our quality of life seems to be decreasing. But America has faced far worse challenges before. It was Americans who won two world wars; it was America whose innovation changed the modern world. Despite these challenges, because of our Olympians, I find myself with a roaring pride like a pride of lions might have:
We produce the greatest athletes in the world.
We are the greatest country in the world.
Who has it better than the United States?
No one.
May G-d bless the United States of America.