The simple joy of playing a game is often being replaced with the competitive drive to win. Kids hate to lose, and many parents aren't setting good examples of sportsmanship themselves. But losing has its winning lessons as well.
Most children begin playing games at a very young age.
There is a growing trend in young children's games where there is no winner, no score is kept. But as they get older, when we only let them play games where nobody loses, then we are saying they are too fragile to handle defeat. What we are really saying, in a way, is that we don't trust our kids to handle losing. We're sending the message that losing is too tough for kids to go through. There is nothing wrong with winning and losing, if it's not the focus of the game.