NPR: Childhood Competition, Good and Bad

It’s a playful word that’s developed something of a bad reputation: “competition.” The fear among some parents is that, once children start playing to win, at around 5 years old, losing isn’t just hard. It’s devastating.

To explain what competition means to the average 5-year-old, I’m going to invoke an adult known for his ferocity on the playing field, a titan of competition: Vince Lombardi. The football legend and former coach of the Green Bay Packers didn’t just win the Super Bowl; he won the first Super Bowl. And then he won the second one…

Read more at NPR: When Kids Start Playing to Win.