My dear departed daddy used to say, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!"
As a parent, I have been involved with KidsQ contests for over fifteen years. I have also mentored some of my 3 childrens friends in contests as well. Fifteen years ago, it was not unusual to see a parent carry their child up to the stage to accept their ribbon. People would scratch their heads and wonder who really cooked that award winning entry. Rules back then were fairly lax. I guess enough complaints were filed that the KCBS did come up with the guidelines they now have in place and these "rules" seem to work just fine.
My kids loved cooking in the KidsQ contests and our team scheduled our contests to those BBQ contests that featured a contest for the kids. My boys did quite well winning several contests. My middle son would always rag on me on the way home when he had better ribbons than I did and especially if I happened to get shutout. His line was always, "Dad, you gotta cook what the judges like, not what you like." Thanks a lot, son..........
IMHO, adding BIG money to these friendly contests for kids will ruin what is a fun time for them. Helicopter parents will really have their rotors running when big money is on the line. Children have enough pressure on them these days and if big money is on the line, the pressure to win will be even greater.
Lager,
Juggy