Japanese boys racing at their school Sports Day 2009-10-06

Our kids had their annual Sports Day at school last weekend. The running events are the highlights for many kids and parents. Our kids had fun in their events and smiled all day, but some of their friends felt serious pressure to win. Sports Day is mostly set up to avoid that pressure. The kids race four at a time, so there is no "champion." Of course, all the kids know who is the fastest in their class anyway. Still one of my daughter's friends went out every day for two weeks and sprinted up a nearby hill. She confided to my daughter that her mother really wanted her to win. The things we do to our kids...