Fred Bowen

KidsPost sports columnist
Fred Bowen writes the weekly sports opinion column for KidsPost. He is the author of 27 sports books for ages 7 to 13. His latest book is “Hardcourt: Stories From 75 Years of the National Basketball Association.”
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Latest from Fred Bowen

Sports columnist Fred Bowen offers parting words of advice

Bowen has written for KidsPost since it started in April 2000. He has learned a lot — especially about youth sports.

February 1, 2023
Children celebrate a goal during a soccer game. Fred Bowen advises kids not to specialize in one sport before high school. Instead, they should play a variety of sports for fun and to avoid burnout and overuse injuries.

NBA scores are going up, thanks to the three-pointer

Nearly all of the teams average more than 110 points per game and many players average more than 20.

January 26, 2023
Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics dunks the ball in a game with the Charlotte Hornets this month. (Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images)

Skier Mikaela Shiffrin could set new mark for World Cup wins

She recently tied Lindsey Vonn’s 82 Alpine skiing World Cup victories. With several races to go, she could challenge Ingemar Stenmark’s record of 86.

January 19, 2023
American skier Mikaela Shiffrin competes in the giant slalom event January 8 at the Alpine Ski World Cup in Slovenia. Her first-place finish was her 82nd World Cup win, tying her with fellow American Lindsey Vonn. (Pierre Teyssot/Getty Images)

Damar Hamlin’s injury raises issues about other football dangers

His heart incident is said to be very rare but other serious football injuries are not.

January 12, 2023
A Green Bay Packers fan holds a sign for the injured Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin on Sunday. Hamlin is recovering from his injury, but the episode has caused a lot of football players, fans and commentators to talk about the dangers of the sport. (Jeffrey Phelps/Associated Press)

Alex Ovechkin isn’t the only pro athlete looking to break a record

As ‘The Great Eight’ chases the NHL lead-scoring record, LeBron James is close to breaking NBA record. Other records may soon fall too.

January 5, 2023
Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals during a game against the Montreal Canadiens at Capital One Arena.

Top NBA awards will be a hat tip to some of league’s greatest players

Michael Jordan’s name will go on the MVP award. Other awards will be named for players kids might not know.

December 22, 2022
The National Basketball Association's most valuable player award is now called the Michael Jordan Trophy, to honor the Chicago Bulls' legendary Jordan, shown in 1992.

In college basketball, more players on are the move

Transfers are common these days because players no longer have to sit out for a season.

December 15, 2022
University of Maryland guard Brinae Alexander shoots a three-pointer against Connecticut on Sunday. Alexander played for the Vanderbilt Commodores before transferring to Maryland as a senior.

Pickleball is a hit with kids, but interest in team sports drops

The Aspen Institute’s new ‘State of Play 2022’ report shows positives but also disappointing trends in youth sports.

December 8, 2022
Fifteen-year-old Anna Leigh Waters plays in a September women's pro singles match against Anna Bright during a Professional Pickleball Association tournament in Mason, Ohio. (Arden S. Barnes for The Washington Post)

Sports all have flaws, but kids can still find ones that are good matches

If baseball is too slow, try watching hockey. Or follow the amazing athletes of the NBA. There’s a game for every kid to watch and play.

December 1, 2022
The United States and England compete during the World Cup in Qatar on Friday. The game ended with a score of 0-0. That's not too exciting for soccer fans. But no sport is perfect.

For some athletes, sports runs in the family

The Currys, Mannings and Kordas are just a few families with several high-achieving athletes.

November 24, 2022
Nelly Korda, left, and sister Jessica Korda, both of Team United States, celebrate after Nelly secured the gold medal on the 18th green during the final round of the Women's Individual Stroke Play on Day 15 of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in 2021.