Playing To Win: Raising Children in a Competitive Culture

What is the allure of competitive extra-curricular activities for young children? Given the significant family investment of time and money, what are the net benefits for participants? For her first book, sociologist Friedman (Malcolm Wiener Ctr. for Social Policy; John F. Kennedy Sch. of Government, Harvard Univ.) performed an in-depth qualitative study of representative soccer teams, chess clubs, and dance studios; interviewed dozens of children, parents, and coaches; and observed competitions and practices over 16 months of fieldwork. She found that at the elementary level, children's participation is largely parent driven in quest of what she calls "Competitive Kid Capital." This capital consists of children's acquisition of strategic skills and attitudes, including the importance of winning, recovery from loss, and the ability to perform within time limits, under stress, and while being observed and evaluated.