My son was picked as the top player at soccer tryouts for both his age bracket and for 1 year older. The evaluators had to play with the opposing team to even the odds when he was playing kids of his own age and called him "a man amongst boys".
Both coaches gave him their blessing to roster for both teams and when he learned he gets to play twice as much soccer he got really excited, and the coach for the older team complimented him by saying he not only stood out as the best player, but also made his teammates better players through his leadership. 
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"The dignity of man is not shattered in a single blow, but slowly softened, bent, and eventually neutered. Men are seldom forced to act, but are constantly restrained from acting. Such power does not destroy outright, but prevents genuine existence. It does not tyrannize immediately, but it dampens, weakens, and ultimately suffocates, until the entire population is reduced to nothing better than a flock of timid, uninspired animals, of which the government is shepherd." - Alexis de Tocqueville
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