Healthy Competition

A couple weeks ago, while I was going through my christmas decorations to take to school, I sent out an email to the staff asking if anyone wanted to participate in a door-decorating contest that the students could judge. The winning class would get something like a pizza party or gift certificate or something. A bunch replied saying it sounded like fun, and the decorating began.
Then the other day, the principal came up to me saying someone on staff complained about the "competition" and thought the school should be promoting "cooperation" instead. So... the contest was no longer a contest... now anyone who participated at all won something and if they chose not to participate, it was up to them.
GIVE ME A BREAK! I understand the whole "cooperation" thing. But what's wrong with a little competition? Oh, I forgot... kids are all winners. That's right. There's no competition in life. They all get stars on their charts, we wouldn't want to hurt anyone's feelings now, would we? We don't keep score at games anymore (because that will prepare them for high school?!) because everyone should be a winner. And apparently now, even the adults can't handle a little competition either.