Competition is about winning. There are other factors such as sportsmanship, teamwork and so on that are positive by products, but if they are keeping score the object is to win. Otherwise it is what we call an exhibition. Give every contestant a participation trophy and before long it will simply mean you were there. Give a 1st place, 2nd place and 3rd place trophy and the trophies are displayed with pride. They represent much different things. Winning represents much more than highest score. Now, if you can win with nothing but local kids, that would be something really special, while losing with local kids also represents something special, and it ain't good. There is a reason for recruiting and it is to win. Anyone can lose. You don't even have to try. Losing with local kids means you may not have even tried, but did it with local kids. So what. No one wants to see that. Not even the families of local kids. If the local kids are trying and losing it is an exercise in humiliation. One time and we give them credit for trying. Twice and we say you need to work to get better. After that it goes down hill quickly and reaches reality and the reality may be hurtful. Enter your ugly daughter in a beauty contest. The first time she struts the runway she gets credit for trying. Then keep doing it. About the 6th or 7th time when people are laughing or booing someone should kick you in the nuts for being an asshole.
