Skill and competition are two major facets that any successful sports team are built on.
Yet at a time when, more than ever, we need to get all our children engaged in exercise regardless of aptitude, we do need to reflect on the potential divisiveness of competition and the message that can sometimes be relayed to children - that participating is only worthwhile if you win.
Introduce an element of competition into any sport and informal fun immediately becomes fraught with expectation.
Divisions become evident between the strong and the weak, the talented and inexperienced, the big and the small, those who have access to local facilities and expert training and those who don't. There is plenty of evidence that competition can make a significant contribution to a child's development, building confidence and self-esteem alongside sporting prowess and skill, but a balanced approach still needs to be adopted.
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