There are Pokemon leagues and tournaments all over the country. They are divided into age categories, and the ones my DS has been to were very well-run and VERY "kind" to first-timers. There were prizes at the end for the winners of each division (my DS was the youngest in the Junior Division at 6...I think that division goes up to 10 or 11?). But, there were also "door prizes" and DS walked away with something each time. He just loved being in a room full of other Poke-fanatics!
Now is a great time to look into the organized leagues, because a big new release is coming (HeartGold and SoulSilver). There will be pre-release "parties" all over the country where the kids will have access to cards not yet in stores. They start in our area next weekend, and the one closest to us is in early February.
If you go to pokemon.com, you can find all of the information. It appears that they have recently re-done their website, and I found it MORE confusing rather than less, but try this link:
http://www.pokemon.com/us/organized-play/Click around, scroll down, etc. and explore a bit...within this area is all of the information about Leagues and Tournaments.
