I coached my son in 5-6 year olds youth soccer. The league told us there were no standings. It was instructional. I knew, secretly, we had the best record in the league. And 1 minute after the end of the last game of the season, the 5 year olds were screaming, “we’re the champions!”. They knew.
Kids aren’t stupid. They keep track, even if adults pretend that there are no winners or losers.
One of the best trips we ever took was to Montreal to participate in the provincial playoffs for my son’s baseball team.
Learning how to win and lose with respect, honor and dignity is a great lesson for children. The two teams always formed lines to shake each other’s hands.