[Maharlika]

...that pushing the child just to be a trophy/medal collector isn't really a good idea for the child's overall growth and development.

On the other hand, CE mentioned the word "gifted." This would mean that the child has an identified level of talent or skill or ability beyond the normal range in the kid's age group.

An identified gifted child surely needs some special approach by the child's guardian to ensure that the kid's "giftedness" would not hamper or be a liability for the child to lead a healthy life.

What about those that are not "gifted?" The mainstream kids if you could call that. Is it okay to subject them to some form of "non-excessive" push in order to get a "little" head start?

I suppose it is, provided that the parents are aware that there should be no pressure whatsoever, nor high expectations of the child to perform above par.