For the more than 500 kids who participate in the Winchester Youth Soccer League, this week will bring some temporarily painful lessons when it comes to winning and losing as the single-elimination tournament heats up.

But, make no mistake about it, countless other lessons began when the season started.

Youth sports offer valuable teaching moments and shape children. Although the younger ages still take somewhat of a everybody-gets-a-trophy approach, sports are important to help children understand that, in life, sometimes you win, sometimes you lose.

The character building goes far beyond this.

Youth sports leagues, and the Winchester Youth Soccer League particularly, does a great job of it with outstanding coaches and league officials, instills many values including the importance of hard work, teamwork, preparation, perseverance, good sportsmanship and many others.

In some ways, parents get some lessons of their own in many of the same areas. Overall most parents behave like adults on the sidelines, where it can be easy to get caught up in the excitement and get overzealous.

When we look at the challenges facing our community here in Clark County, as well as those impacting communities across our nation, it becomes very clear that creating stronger bonds within our community imparting important character traits in our youth will be a critical step toward building the strongest community possible.

Youth sports leagues like WYSL, Civitan and Upward are important parts of that.

We appreciate all the volunteers who donate countless hours toward making these leagues go, as well as all the financial supporters and parents who allow their children to participate. Having strong youth sports programs is one of the rare situations in life where everybody wins.