IS WINNING EVERYTHING?
   Ask kids and the answer is probably "No". Ask the adults and the answer is probably "Yes". And it is adults who control sports for young people - with terrible results for many kids. Twenty millions of children between the ages of eight and sixteen play organized sports outside of school. Their experiences are sometimes very bad. Why? Because of the adults, often their parents, who watch the games. Children's sports are organized like professional sports Children play baseball and football. They wear all the equipment that professional athletes wear. They have uniforms and umpires and referees and leagues. They have games. And many people come to watch their games, especially the families of the players. Because the children's games are like adults, professional games, their parents want adult professional competition. When a child drops a ball, his father becomes angry. When a child doesn't run fast, his mother might shout , "Run faster! Run faster!" And the child? With an angry father and a shouting mother, this is not a happy time. Unhappy and nervous, the child wants to stop playing. The game is not fun now. But he or she can't stop, because the competition is not finished.