Growing up these days is a minefield. Kids as young as 11 are being told to start fretting about their chances at university and in the big bad world of the employment market - or unemployment queue.

So a few little steps to protect vulnerable self-esteems is a good thing.

But only if it's relevant - only if it's instilling a sense of rationale to those exam-frazzled mites and turning down the achieve-ometer on the brows of their intense parents.

Not if it's stripping competition from sport.

Yes, a 19-0 beating is demoralising - I've been there - but it pushes you on and the 19-0s become 9-0s and then 2-0s and then 2-2s and eventually 3-0s in your favour.

Ansell Henry, currently jostling for position along with Sir Alan's other top-level business success stories in The Apprentice, didn't get there by glossing over who was the best salesman/strategist/smooth-talker.

His background? He left school at 16 to play for Millwall. The competitive dog-eat-dog resilience needed to hit the top of the sales charts didn't come from a cotton-wool culture where egos were stroked, truth hidden and a personal will to win were hushed up.

Stealth rules are being injected into junior sport in a way that undermines the entire principle.

Junior rugby league teams of a certain age are fined if the result of a match is made public, while certain academy footballers will never see their achievements in print.

Sport without results is about as constructive as building a sandcastle with the tide crashing in - it means nothing.

We don't need an emerging generation of 'you first' cowards, who hide behind politeness, modesty or an ingrained success-phobia to take us forward - and we're not just talking on the sports field.

Maybe that's one reason why so many top-level jobs are occupied by those from private school back-grounds where competition is valued.

A co-operative sports day - as is being worryingly wheeled into state schools - would be chortled off the proverbial park.

If the children of today, who are weaned on a daily dose of violence via television, newspapers and video games, are too soft to go up against each other then at least bring in a system where they can compete against their own standards.

Some of the bizarre quirks of our sporting landscape at the moment include swimmers being penalised for going too fast. They call it speeding tickets. It's like rewarding an executive who's excelled himself with an astronomical tax hike.

Sure, it makes all the ones at the back feel better - but do they really? Would you rather win a gold by default - because the real winner was 'too fast' - or would you prefer a silver knowing you had done your best and not held anything back?

Competition is not called healthy for nothing.