There’s an increased push for young kids involved in sport to just focus on the experience rather than competing.

It comes after an opinion piece in The Age in which writer Penny Flanagan said her son lost interest in playing cricket once the games became more competitive.

Her other son played as a soccer goal-keeper, however also lost interest after he was criticised by his teammates for letting in too many goals.

Former Little Athletics coach Stuart Evans said it is important kids first build the fundamentals of a sport without worrying about the result.

“From six to nine years old for males, and generally about six to eight years old for females, the emphasis is on fun,” he told Tom Elliott on 3AW Mornings.

“But then as they go through the stages, they go through a learn-to-train phase, and a train-to-train phase.

“Then finally they end up with something called train-to-compete.

“So generally that stage is around about when their adolescents.”

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