Fred Bowen's "The Score" column,
July 31, 2008, Washington Post

Exhibits Inspire Kids to Go for the Gold

The world's biggest sports event, the Summer Olympics, begins next week. More than 10,000 athletes from almost every country in the world will gather in Beijing, China, to compete in more than 300 events.

To get pumped for the Summer Games, you can go to a special exhibit at the Smithsonian Institution Building (better known as the Castle) on the Mall. "American Heroes of the Olympic Spirit" displays almost 50 medals from the Summer and Winter Olympics, medals from the Paralympics and four Olympic torches.

The medals are cool. One of the oldest is the gold medal won by John Amos "Jack" Shea in the 1,500-meter speed skating event at the 1932 Winter Olympics at Lake Placid, New York. There are also more-recent medals including those won by Bonnie Blair-Cruikshank (speed skating, 1988, '92, '94), Shannon Miller (gymnastics, 1992, '96) and Edwin Moses (track and field, 1976, '84, '88). My favorites are the gold medals won at four consecutive Olympics by discus thrower Al Oerter. Standing in front of the display case, you can almost imagine all the years of dedication and training that went into winning those medals.

Through the years, the medals have gotten bigger. Some almost look like small dinner plates. I think the Winter Olympic medals from Albertville, France, in 1992 and Lillehammer, Norway, in 1994 have the most interesting designs.

The exhibit even features the kind of medals any kid who has played T-ball or four-on-four soccer can appreciate: participation medals from the 1904 Olympics in St. Louis and the 1932 Olympics in Los Angeles.

Another terrific sports exhibit is at the Historical Society of Washington, D.C., at 801 K St. NW. It's called "Discover Greatness: An Illustrated History of Negro Baseball Leagues." It features dozens of pictures of players and teams from the days when African American baseball players were not allowed to play in the major leagues and so they started their own leagues.

As you check out the photos of such famous players as Hank Aaron, who started with the Indianapolis Clowns, and Willie Mays, who played for the Birmingham Black Barons, be sure to notice such lesser-known Negro League stars as power-hitting catcher Josh Gibson and lightning-fast outfielder James "Cool Papa" Bell. They were among the greatest players of their time, but they never got the chance to play in the major leagues.

Everyone will notice the four breathtaking paintings at the exhibit by artist Kadir Nelson from his book "We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball." The one at the opening of the exhibit shows old Griffith Stadium in Washington, where the Negro League powerhouse Homestead Grays played some games in the 1930s and '40s.

Nelson's book is a must-read for any kid (or adult) interested in baseball or history. Maybe you can read it this summer. That is, when you are not watching the Summer Olympics

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

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