Sports and Culture: Do Sports Help Kids Become Better People? Many parents' major concern today is that their children "stay ahead of the pack", and keep "an edge" over the competition. For this reason, schools are filled with children in enriched and accelerated programs. Children are being started in competitive sports like swimming, basketball, golf and tennis at a very early age. Being exposed to such competitiveness and pressure, how does this effect a child socially? Does it build character? Of course, there is nothing wrong with wanting children to live up to their potential. However, it is the child's