Fred Bowen's "The Score" column,
September 25, 2008, Washington Post

Amid Thrill and Agony, the Best Stay Cool

Redskins fans sometimes remind me of kids who play sports. They get way up after a win and down in the dumps after the team loses.

Look at the season so far. After the New York Giants trounced the Redskins, 16-7, in the first game, the newspapers and radio shows were filled with all sorts of moaning and groaning that the season was already lost. Folks said newcomer Jim Zorn wasn't ready to be a head coach in the National Football League. Quarterback Jason Campbell was all wrong for Zorn's new West Coast offense. The Redskins were old, overpaid and overrated.

Then the Redskins beat the New Orleans Saints, 29-24, and the Arizona Cardinals, 24-17. Campbell ran the West Coast offense to perfection, throwing for more than 500 yards and three touchdowns in the two games. Suddenly, Zorn and Campbell are heroes. And Washington fans can't wait to take on the always tough Dallas Cowboys and the Philadelphia Eagles the next two Sundays.

Lots of kids are like that with their sports. They get too excited after a good game and too discouraged after a bad one.

I have coached more than 30 kids' soccer, baseball and basketball teams. Sometimes kids would have a great game in which they scored a goal or smacked a few hits or sank some baskets. They would come back the next week overconfident and strutting around as if they had the sport all figured out. They usually followed their great game with a real stinker.

In sports, whether you are a Redskin or a recreational player, it's important to stay cool. Don't get too excited after a big win or too discouraged after a tough loss.

Kids may want to take a page out of Campbell's playbook. Campbell looked like a confused rookie in the Giants game, but he didn't panic. He kept studying the new Redskins offense, practicing hard and trying to improve. His hard work paid off against the Saints and the Cardinals.

But just as important, Campbell didn't sound overconfident after the two Washington wins. My guess is that Campbell will keep studying the offense and practicing hard. He knows it's a long season with plenty of ups and downs ahead. He won't get too excited after just a couple of good games.

Of course, if the Redskins can beat the Cowboys and the Eagles, maybe even cool Campbell will get excited. I know Redskins fans will be.

Fred Bowen writes KidsPost's sports opinion column and is an author of sports novels for kids.

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