What are the benefits of playing in tournaments?

Playing in tournaments is a test stone for a serious chess player. It marks the beginning of a wonderful journey.

Here are an incomplete list of benefits for a child to play in tournaments:

• s/he will take the game more serious and can have faster progress and better enjoyment
  
• s/he will have ratings and watch him/herself growing up in chess
  
• s/he will have a chance to practice what s/he has learned in chess lessons
  
• s/he will meet a lot of new kids outside his/her school or club, and make a lot of new friends
  
• s/he will learn how to accept a tough loss
  
• s/he will learn how to handle a strange environment and thrive
  
• s/he will learn to be independent, without parents' care in every minute
  
• s/he will learn time management
  
• s/he will learn how to handle pressure
  
• s/he will win medals and trophies
  
• s/he will travel to a lot of places