Kids Post Score

HANDOUT on 3/7/22

other

Father and son turned their passion for sports into a podcast - The Washington Post

Lots of kids like to talk about sports, but Joseph D’Avirro gets to talk about sports like a professional commentator.

The 9-year-old from Newington, Connecticut, is the co-host of a podcast called “Sliders &amp; Curveballs.” Joseph has been broadcasting the show — which is about baseball, basketball and other sports — with his dad, Mike D’Avirro, since September 2019.

They started the podcast after two of Mike’s former college roommates died. Those sad events made Mike realize he wanted to spend more time with his son. After a tour of an ESPN studio, the idea came to him.

Joseph is a natural at sports talk, partly because he’s a big fan. Ask him who his favorite teams are, and a flood of answers comes back: “the University of Connecticut basketball teams, Dallas Cowboys, Boston Red Sox and Boston Celtics.”

The fourth-grader’s list of favorite athletes is even longer.

The D’Avirros have done about 50 podcasts. Among Joseph’s favorites are when the father-and-son team interviewed Jim Calhoun, the hall-of-fame basketball coach who led the Connecticut Huskies to three National Collegiate Athletic Association titles. Another favorite was when they hosted a show surrounded by the championship banners at the TD Garden, home of the Boston Celtics.

The D’Avirros have also interviewed sports notables such as Mirin Fader, author of a biography of Giannis Antetokounmpo (one of Joseph’s favorite players), New York Times baseball writer Tyler Kepner and college basketball announcer John Fanta.

The father and son prepare for the 30- to 40-minute podcasts by deciding on the questions they want to ask the guest. Joseph asks half of the questions, and Mike handles the other half.

Joseph reads his questions again and again to “get them in my brain well.” It is a lot of work, but Joseph says it is “way more fun than homework.”

Joseph has learned to speak up and speak clearly (a good habit for any kid). He says he also has to listen and “to go with the flow” of the conversation. For example, he said, if the guest “is talking about sports in the 1990s, you have to think about sports in the 1990s.”

They make about one podcast each month. When I asked Joseph how long he and his dad will continue doing the podcast, he told me, with a laugh, “until my dad starts growing gray hairs.”

Of course, Joseph has other ambitions when he grows up. He would like to be a “sports player [Joseph plays basketball and baseball], a sports broadcaster or own an NBA team.”

Those are big dreams, but Joseph is already living a dream: talking sports and spending time with his dad.

Fred Bowen writes the weekly sports opinion column for KidsPost. He is the author of 26 sports books for ages 7 to 13.

Fred Bowen

the-washington-post

washpost

iptc-media/sport/competition_discipline/soccer

iptc-media/arts_culture_entertainment_and_media

iptc-media/sport/competition_discipline/baseball

iptc-media/sport

iptc-media/sport/competition_discipline/volleyball

iptc-media/arts_culture_entertainment_and_media/mass_media

iptc-media/sport/competition_discipline/lacrosse

iptc-media/lifestyle_and_leisure

iptc-media/sport/competition_discipline/basketball

iptc-media/arts_culture_entertainment_and_media/arts_and_entertainment

iptc-media/sport/competition_discipline

client-blocklists/Client List: Becton Dickinson KWs - EXCLUDES ALL

client-blocklists/CLIENT LIST: Nomura KWs 2021 - EXCLUDES ALL

client-blocklists/Bed Bath & Beyond KWs - EXCLUDE ALL

client-blocklists/Client List: Johnson & Johnson KWs - INCLUDES ANY

client-blocklists/Client List: Exxon Mobil  - INCLUDES ANY

client-blocklists/WaPo: Combined Disaster Keyword List - INCLUDES ANY

client-blocklists/Client List: USAA KWs - EXCLUDES ALL

client-blocklists/Client List: T. Rowe Price KWs - EXCLUDES ALL

client-blocklists/Google PG KWs - INCLUDES ANY

client-blocklists/Client List: Discover Card KWs – EXCLUDES ALL

client-blocklists/T. Rowe Price KWs - EXCLUDES ALL

client-blocklists/Client List: Microsoft KWs 2 - INCLUDES ANY

client-blocklists/Ford/Lincoln KWs - EXCLUDES ALL

client-blocklists/HBO KWs - INCLUDES ANY

client-blocklists/Client List: Ronald McDonald House KWs - EXCLUDES ALL

client-blocklists/Client List: Mercedes EQS KWs - EXCLUDES ALL

client-blocklists/Capital One (One Tech) KWs - EXCLUDES ALL

client-blocklists/Louis Vuitton KW List - INCLUDES ANY

client-blocklists/Client List: Navy Federal Credit Union NFCU KWs 2 - INCLUDES ANY - 12.23.20

client-blocklists/Client List: Diageo - Johnnie Walker KWs - INCLUDES ANY

client-blocklists/FlexForm KW List - EXCLUDES ALL

client-blocklists/Boeing KWs 2021 - EXCLUDE ALL 

client-blocklists/Client List: Morgan Stanley KWs - INCLUDES ANY

client-blocklists/Client List: Organon KWs - EXCLUDES ALL

client-blocklists/Client List: Verizon KWs - EXCLUDES ALL

advertising/1st: Keywords+IPTC: Arts/Entertainment/Documentaries

client-blocklists/Client List: AT&T KWs 2021 - INCLUDES ANY

client-blocklists/Client List: Optum KWs - EXCLUDES ALL

client-blocklists/P+ Halo KW List - EXCLUDES ALL

client-blocklists/Synchrony Financial KWs - INCLUDES ANY

client-blocklists/Client List: Inpixon KWs - EXCLUDES ALL

client-blocklists/Client List: ExxonMobil 03312021 KWs - EXCLUDES ALL

client-blocklists/Client List: Showtime KWs - EXCLUDES ALL

client-blocklists/Client List: Apple TV+ KW – INCLUDES ANY

client-blocklists/Client Neg KW List: Omega KWs - INCLUDES ANY

client-blocklists/Marcus Goldman Sachs Neg KW List - EXCLUDES ALL

client-blocklists/PMI KWs 2021 - INCLUDES ANY

client-blocklists/Capital One KWs 2 - EXCLUDES ALL - 1.4.21

client-blocklists/GEICO KWs - INCLUDES ANY_4.26.21

client-blocklists/Client List: IBM KWs ALTERNATE Watson - EXCLUDES ALL

client-blocklists/Client List: Citibank KWs - INCLUDES ANY

client-blocklists/Client List: IBM KWs - EXCLUDES ALL

client-blocklists/Citibank KWs 2021 - INCLUDES ANY

client-blocklists/Client List: Purina KWs - EXCLUDES ALL

client-blocklists/Client List: Fidelity Investments KWs - INCLUDES ANY

client-blocklists/CME KW List 2022 - EXCLUDES ALL 

client-blocklists/Bank of America KWs - EXCLUDES ALL

client-blocklists/POSTIVE Client List: BATTELLE - INCLUDES ANY

client-blocklists/BP KWs - EXCLUDES ALL

client-blocklists/National Instruments KWs - INCLUDES ANY

client-blocklists/Client List: Intel KWs - INCLUDES ANY

client-blocklists/Client List: AT&T Digital Divide  - INCLUDES ANY

advertising/B2_NBA Basketball_legacyaux_00T

client-blocklists/Samsung 2021 KWs - EXCLUDE ALL

client-blocklists/Google PG Competitor KWs - EXCLUDES ALL 

advertising/B2_Positive News_legacyaux_hlt

client-blocklists/Client List: GEICO KWs

client-blocklists/Client List: KPMG KWs - EXCLUDES ALL

client-blocklists/WaPo: Human Disaster

client-blocklists/Client List: Novo Nordisk KWs - EXCLUDES ALL

client-blocklists/Client List: Siemens KWs - EXCLUDES ALL

client-blocklists/Client List: Facebook KWs - EXCLUDES ALL

client-blocklists/Client List: Cisco KWs - EXCLUDES ALL

client-blocklists/Client List: Capital Concerts KWs - EXCLUDES ALL

client-blocklists/Client List: AT&T ALT KWs - EXCLUDES ALL

client-blocklists/Mercedes KWs - INCLUDES ANY

client-blocklists/FX Excludes All Disney

client-blocklists/Client List: Boeing KWs - EXCLUDES ALL

client-blocklists/Client List: Google KWs - INCLUDES ALL

client-blocklists/Philip Morris KWs - INCLUDES ANY 

client-blocklists/Dupixent neg kws - EXCLUDES ALL

client-blocklists/Bank of America Merrill Lynch KWs - INCLUDES ANY

client-blocklists/CME KWs - EXCLUDES ALL

client-blocklists/Client List: Eli Lily KWs - EXCLUDES ALL

client-blocklists/Client List: Office Depot KWs - EXCLUDES ALL

client-blocklists/Chase KWs - EXCLUDES ALL

client-blocklists/Client List: ETrade KWs - EXCLUDES ALL

client-blocklists/Amazon KWs - EXCLUDE ALL 

KidsPost

Games, news, contests, puzzles, and fun activities for kids.

Washington Post Lifestyle gives you the latest fashion and beauty trends, home d&eacute;cor pointers, food and recipe ideas and reviews, relationship advice, travel ideas, wellness tips and much more.

Lifestyle

Father and son turned their passion for sports into a podcast

Closing Ceremony - Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics Day 16

Staff

Getty

Norwegians win big at the Winter Olympics, but their youth sports focus on fun - The Washington Post

Before the memories of the 2022 Winter Olympics fade away, let’s talk about Norway.

Norway is a small Scandinavian country, but it’s a superpower in the Winter Olympics. The Norwegian team won the most medals at the 2022 Games with 37, including a record 16 gold medals.

This was no surprise. Norway won 39 medals at the 2018 Games. The country of about 5.5 million people won many more medals than much bigger countries. For example, the United States has more than 330 million people but won only 25 medals, fifth best at the 2022 Games.

Why is Norway so good at the Winter Olympics? One reason is obvious. Winters are long and cold in Norway, which is much farther north than any U.S. state except Alaska. Many Norwegians participate in Winter Olympic sports such as Alpine skiing, cross-country skiing and ski jumping.

Some of the reasons for Norway’s success, however, are less obvious and should make everyone — adults and kids — think about youth sports in America.

First, Norway emphasizes the idea that everyone should participate. They have a Children’s Rights in Sport document that guarantees every child access to high-quality opportunities in athletics.

This promise is more than words on a page. Norway funds more than 11,000 youth sports centers, where 93 percent of the country’s kids participate in sports.

Compare that with the United States, where youth sports participation is much lower. The Aspen Institute, a group that studies many important issues, estimates that about 56 percent of American kids ages 6 to 17 participate in sports.

One reason that fewer kids participate is that many youth sports in the United States are expensive. Studies show that kids whose families have higher-than-average incomes are almost twice as likely to participate in sports than kids from lower-income families.

Norway is different from the United States in another way. Norwegians do not rank youth athletes before age 13. In most youth games, they don’t even keep score. They think that through age 12, kids should focus on playing sports for fun.

Compare that with the United States, where kids try out for travel teams at younger ages and often don’t make the cut. This month, the U.S.A. Track &amp; Field National Youth Indoor Championships will have a division for 7- and 8-year-olds. There is even a 7U World Basketball Championship sponsored by the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU). That means 6-year-olds compete!

Maybe it’s time for the United States to learn some lessons about youth sports from Norway. Americans can start by funding more places where all kids can play and not holding sports championships for kids younger than 12.

Those changes may make youth sports more fun. And we might even win more Olympic medals.

<i>Bowen writes the sports opinion column for KidsPost. He is the author of 27 sports books for kids. His latest book is “Hardcourt: Stories From 75 Years of the National Basketball Association.”</i>

iptc-media/sport/competition_discipline/skiing/Telemark_skiing

iptc-media/sport/competition_discipline/skiing

iptc-media/lifestyle_and_leisure/leisure

iptc-media/sport/competition_discipline/snowboarding

iptc-media/sport/sport_event

iptc-media/sport/sport_event/world_games

iptc-media/sport/competition_discipline/skiing/alpine_skiing

client-blocklists/Client List: Johnson & Johnson KWs - EXCLUDES ALL

client-blocklists/WaPo: Combined Disaster Keyword List - EXCLUDES ALL

client-blocklists/Client List: Microsoft KWs 2 - EXCLUDES ALL

client-blocklists/ HBO KWs - EXCLUDES ALL

client-blocklists/Google PG KWs - EXCLUDES ALL

advertising/European Content

client-blocklists/Louis Vuitton KW List - EXCLUDES ALL

client-blocklists/Client List: Navy Federal Credit Union NFCU KWs 2 - EXCLUDES ALL - 12.23.20

client-blocklists/Client List: Diageo - Johnnie Walker KWs - EXCLUDES ALL

client-blocklists/Client List: Morgan Stanley KWs - EXCLUDES ALL

client-blocklists/Mercedes KWs - EXCLUDES ALL

client-blocklists/ CLIENT LIST: AT&T KWs 2021 - EXCLUDES ALL

client-blocklists/Client List: Apple TV+ KW – EXCLUDES ALL

client-blocklists/Client Neg KW List: Omega KWs - EXCLUDES ALL

client-blocklists/ Geico KWs - EXCLUDES ALL_4.29.21

client-blocklists/Client List: Citibank KWs - EXCLUDES ALL

client-blocklists/Citibank KWs 2021 - EXCLUDES ALL

client-blocklists/Client List: Purina KWs - INCLUDES ANY

client-blocklists/Client List: Fidelity Investments KWs - EXCLUDES ALL

client-blocklists/National Instruments KWs - EXCLUDES ALL

client-blocklists/Client List: Intel KWs - EXCLUDES ALL

client-blocklists/ Client List: AT&T Digital Divide  - EXCLUDES ALL

advertising/B2_Olympics_legacyaux_u0u

client-blocklists/Samsung 2021 KWs - INCLUDE ANY

advertising/B2_Sports_legacyaux_sns

advertising/B2_Winter Travel_legacyaux_by6

advertising/B2_Winter Weather, Sports and Attractions 11-18-14_legacyaux_jqm

client-blocklists/Client List: Google KWs

client-blocklists/Client KWs : FBI

client-blocklists/Client List: Navy Federal Credit Union NFCU KWs - EXCLUDES ALL

client-blocklists/Porsche KWs - EXCLUDES ALL

client-blocklists/Client List: Aetna KWs - EXCLUDES ALL

client-blocklists/Bank of America Merrill Lynch KWs - EXCLUDES ALL

Norwegians win big at the Winter Olympics, but their youth sports focus on fun

NBA AT 75 AP Was There Wilts 100

The NBA’s first 75 years is filled with unforgettable players and stories   - The Washington Post

The National Basketball Association (NBA) is celebrating its 75th season this year. To mark the occasion, the league named the <a href="https://www.nba.com/news/nba-75th-anniversary-team-announced" target=_blank>75 greatest players</a> in NBA history.

The list includes legends such as <a href="https://www.nba.com/75/player/michael-jordan-893" target=_blank>Michael Jordan</a>, <a href="https://www.nba.com/75/player/kareem-abdul-jabbar-76003" target=_blank>Kareem Abdul-Jabbar</a> and <a href="https://www.nba.com/75/player/larry-bird-1449" target=_blank>Larry Bird</a>, as well as current stars such as <a href="https://www.nba.com/75/player/stephen-curry-201939" target=_blank>Stephen Curry</a>, <a href="https://www.nba.com/75/player/lebron-james-2544" target=_blank>LeBron James</a> and <a href="https://www.nba.com/75/player/giannis-antetokounmpo-203507" target=_blank>Giannis Antetokounmpo</a>.

I’ve been thinking about the NBA for years because I researched and wrote a book called “Hardcourt: Stories From 75 Years of the National Basketball Association.” The book is a history of the NBA for kids and includes stories about the players and other people who made the league what it is today.

Some of the stories are famous while others are not as well-known. For example, many basketball fans know that <a href="https://www.nba.com/75/player/wilt-chamberlain-76375" target=_blank>Wilt Chamberlain</a> (NBA career: 1959-1973) set a league record by <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/kidspost/hoops-great-chamberlain-gets-stamp-of-approval/2014/12/10/d08611d8-7ccf-11e4-b821-503cc7efed9e_story.html" target=_blank>scoring 100 points in a game</a> in 1962. But the giant center may have been helped by the loose rims at the arena in Hershey, Pennsylvania. (Loose rims allow more shots to roll into the net.) Why were the rims loose? A circus had recently been in town, and the clowns may have loosened the rims by hanging on them during their act.

BILL RUSSELL,Red Auerbach

BILL RUSSELL, Red Auerbach

<a href="https://www.nba.com/75/player/bill-russell-78049" target=_blank>Bill Russell</a> (1956-1969) won an amazing 11 NBA championships with the Boston Celtics. The Celtics were able to draft Russell, who had led the University of San Francisco to back-to-back national championships, as the Number 2 pick. You might wonder why the Rochester Royals, who had the Number 1 pick, didn’t choose him. It was because the owner of the Celtics, who also owned a popular ice show called the Ice Capades, promised to let the Royals’ arena host the moneymaking show for a week.

<a href="https://www.nba.com/75/player/george-mikan-600012" target=_blank>George Mikan</a> (1949-1956) was the first NBA super star. The 6-foot, 10-inch center, who wore glasses when he played, was a big attraction. He was so popular that a sign outside the Madison Square Garden arena once advertised “Geo Mikan v/s Knicks<b>”</b> for a game there between Mikan’s Minneapolis Lakers and the New York Knicks.

Even the greatest players had to work hard to become better. After his rookie-of-the-year first season in the NBA, Michael Jordan (1984-2003) returned to North Carolina and asked his college coach what he needed to do to get better. The coach said Jordan had to improve his jump shot. Jordan, already a star, spent all summer working on his jumper.

handout

Similarly, Larry Bird (1979-1992) thought he needed a step-back jump shot to improve his game. Bird took 800 (!) step-back jump shots each day one summer at home in Indiana.

I also learned that the NBA was not always the big deal it is today. In the early 1950s, teams traveled by trains, not airplanes. When the Boston Celtics traveled to play in Rochester, New York, and then to Fort Wayne, Indiana, the train would stop in a cornfield and the players would ask for car rides to Fort Wayne from high school students.

Great players, great moments, great games. It leaves any hoops fan looking forward to more hardcourt stories in the years to come.

Fred Bowen

Father and son turned their passion for sports into a podcast

Norwegians win big at the Winter Olympics, but their youth sports focus on fun

The NBA’s first 75 years is filled with unforgettable players and stories

The focus on Olympic medals minimizes years of accomplishments

By the numbers, Bengals and Rams look like a perfect match

Spectacular moments will save the Beijing Olympics

The name game is almost over. Will the Washington Football Team pick a winner?

Australian Open isn’t just about vaccine drama. It’s about rising stars.

NFL playoffs offer too much to watch, so take a pass on some of the action

For young figure skaters, it’s hard work and smiles