The kids were smiling ear to ear as they ran off the field Sunday, including my son Bradley. It’s the same smile Bradley had five years earlier, and it was great to see.

Bradley and his teammates won their conference championship game, and this coming Sunday, they will play in the Pony Division (11-12 years old) “Super Bowl” of their league. 

For a kid, playing in a championship game in any youth sport is a pretty significant moment in their lives, and Bradley is fortunate to be doing it for the fourth time and for the second time in youth football. If a league uses the “Super Bowl” moniker for its championship game, it’s certainly a thrill for any child simply because of the magical nature of the name.

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I think it’s a safe bet that any child who plays youth football has watched at least a Super Bowl or two on TV, so to be able to play in one, even at the youth level, is something special. But with advancing to the Super Bowl comes the responsibility of the coaches and parents to properly prepare the kids for the game, and that really comes down to sticking to a “business as usual” approach.

Following the win Sunday, Bradley’s coaches addressed the team and while I wasn’t privy to what was said, there was an awful lot of smiling going on. The head coach told the parents the practice schedule would stay the same, and they would let us know exactly who the kids would be playing against and the game time as soon as possible.

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The coaches are doing the right thing by keeping things the way they’ve been all season long, because kids are creatures of habit and there’s no reason to put any more pressure on them. Adding another practice or changing any of the days could be too much for the kids to handle, so it’s best to stay with what has worked all year.

For parents, it’s important to follow the same rule of thumb. Try to talk with your child about the upcoming game like you would have done any other time during the season.  Keep your child in the same routine when it comes to getting dressed for practice and the way you’ve handled game days all season. The less children realize the magnitude of the game, the more they can just concentrate on getting ready and having fun.

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There’s no denying that a championship game is a championship game, whether you call the game a “Super Bowl” or not. Five years ago, Bradley was 6 years old when he played on his first championship team, and he was so excited. In fact, his team won the championship with a 20-0 win. Five years later, Bradley is equally excited, but even more competitive than he’s ever been. 

My wife and I know he’s going to be nervous and pumped up, so it’s our job to keep that all in check. We’ll probably do something as a family Saturday night to try and take his mind off the game, but Sunday morning will certainly be a challenge for us to try and keep him relaxed. We’ll follow the same routine with breakfast, some time for him to listen to music, getting dressed, and our ride to the field.

The bottom line for any coach or parent for “Super Bowl” week is to do your best to keep things as simple as possible and to maintain a business-as-usual approach. If your child’s team is playing in a Super Bowl this weekend, good luck! There are certainly butterflies for the parents and coaches in a game like this, but you should also try to enjoy the moment and not get to stressed out.

Peter Schwartz is a sports anchor for the CBS Sports Radio Network and WCBS 880 Radio in New York. His older son, Bradley, plays youth football on Long Island while his younger son, Jared, plays flag football. Peter, his wife Sheryl and the boys are busy cheering on the New York Jets when they’re not at a youth football field.