Fred Bowen's "The Score" column,
May 6, 2010, Washington Post

In sports, there always has to be a loser

I was in Massachusetts last week when the Washington Capitals lost Game 7 of their National Hockey League series with the Montreal Canadiens. But I could almost hear the cries of Caps fans from 500 miles away.

I don't blame the fans for being disappointed. The team had raised hopes sky-high by winning the most games during the NHL regular season and taking a 3-1 lead during the Montreal series. The Caps needed to win only one more game to move on in the Stanley Cup playoffs. But they suffered three heartbreaking losses, including two at home, to the Canadiens.

Some hockey fans are not handling the Caps' loss very well. They are calling the Caps and their stars, such as Alex Ovechkin, chokers. Some even want to get rid of the head coach, Bruce Boudreau, or trade high-scoring forward Alexander Semin because he didn't score a goal in the seven games against Montreal.

The Caps might have to make some changes to reach their goal of winning the Stanley Cup. But their loss is a good reminder that most sports seasons end in disappointment. Only one team can win the Stanley Cup, the World Cup or the Super Bowl. The rest of the teams go home losers.

Kids know all about disappointment in sports. Most kids don't play for championships and are not the stars of the team. Lots of kids end up stuck on losing teams or on the bench, watching other kids play and just hoping to get in.

That's okay. I think one of the best things about sports is that they give kids a safe place to practice dealing with disappointment. No one wins every game or gets an A on every test. Everyone has disappointments in sports and in life.

I know that the fans who watch the games and buy the Capitals jerseys are disappointed. I am, too. It's always fun to have the home team in the playoffs. But no one died or got sick or seriously hurt in the series with Montreal. The Caps just lost a few hockey games.

It's the same with kids. Aside from giving kids a chance to have fun and get some exercise, sports give kids a chance to do something that is a really important part of growing up: to learn how to lose and come back and try again.

And that is exactly what the Capitals will have to do -- next season.

Fred Bowen writes the KidsPost's sports opinion column and is the author of 14 books for kids. He will be signing his latest books at Barnes and Noble in Bethesda on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. as part of the Bethesda Literary Festival.

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