It’s a protection mechanism for ones ego. Because if you “don’t try” you always have an excuse for why you’re not doing as well as the “nerds” at school.

If you do “try” but you don’t get a top result, what would that say to a kids fragile ego ? They might think they’re not good at all.

By trying, you reveal your capabilities (as well as your limitations), and that can be terrifying for a kid with a fragile ego.

The correct mentality is to focus on the process, rather than the result.

The result doesn’t matter (especially for kids) as long as you focus on training and improving yourself.