I think you've missed the point Mandy. They are not talking about children with the jitters before a big event that just need a little encouragement. They are talking about a small minority of children who suffer extreme stress for a number of reasons who will be worse off mentally for being forced to compete. I think we can all recall one or two of those children from our own childhoods for who these events were torture and who were constantly ridiculed by other children. It would be great if every bit of trauma made us tougher but that is not always the case.