Kids aren't punished for being good at math, they just learn soon enough that it's not "cool".
And their parents seem to think sports and social development is more important. (No, it's not important, you're only going to be in high school for four years). Look at the way math and science-talented teenagers are portrayed in movies and TV, as socially inept, awkward geeks. Most important, they never get laid.

When I was growing up, I was expected to become either a doctor, lawyer, architect or engineer (the only acceptable professions for Cuban working-class kids). When I went into astronomy I thought my parents were going to flip out. ("What the hell can you do with that? Teach?"). I was brought up so that Business, Liberal arts, Social Sciences, Education, etc were for people who couldn't make it in the Big Four. It was the same for a lot of my friends. By the time my brother (7 years my junior) got to high school, he was fully Americanized. He lettered in track, and man, did he make out with the babes. He got his degree in history.