Encouraging Friendly Competition, Sportsmanship (NAPSA)—From sports to music vr to spelling bees, friendly competition can provide numerousbenefits for children. Parents are often encouraged to support their kids’ x =v ee interest in competition, as it offers them the opportunity to travel, engage in social activities and meet other youngsters their age. Competition also plays a significant role in trading card games (TCG), which have become increasingly popular with kids because they combine elementsof collecting, reading and strategy. Plus, they’re easy to start playing. Depending on the game, there may be local clubs, leagues and even tournaments where players can compete for standing and/orprizes. From the sidelines It is especially important that parents understand their role in such competitions. Allow your child, or children, to play at their own pace. They’re learning to concentrate on complex strategies and concepts and it can sometimes be frustrating. Also, don’t interrupt a match in progress. If you have a question about anything, ask a judgeor the organizer. Tournaments are often run by the owners of hobby and comic book stores, and since they have a business to run as well as the tournament, you should remain on site to keep track of your child and, of course, hear about how well he or sheis doing in the tournament. Tournaments usually take several hours. A league of their own One TCG that has remained Fans competing in a popular trading card game tournament. popular over the years is Pokmon. The leagues offer casual environments where kids get together to hone their skills. The games are interactive and fun, and teach children about good sportsmanship. Most leagues meet about once a week for two or three hours and areheld in safe public facilities, such as retail gamestores, card shops or community centers. Players may qualify for World Championships at Qualifying Tournaments. At the invitationonly Pokmon World Championships, children compete for the most prestigious title offered by Pokmon Organized Play (POP)— Pokmon TCG World Champion. Be it a game, toy or hobby store or large chain, many different retail locations run Pokmon leagues and tournaments. And to help players get started, the newest expansion of the Pokmon Trading Card Game—EX FireRed & LeafGreen—isin stores now. For additional information and tips, parents can visit the Website at http://op.pokemon-tcg.com.
