Storyline: Kids need to learn the fundamentals of sport, experience the thrill of victory, and go through the agony of defeat. Most importantly they need to learn that good things come to those who work hard.
It’s funny sometimes how topics just pop up. While writing at my desk this week I looked up and saw trophies on the shelf above. A few of them are “Participation Trophies” from my youth.
I sat there stewing, mad at myself, as well as my parents, for accepting these awards. I did absolutely nothing to earn them. I just showed up.
I’m not the only one wh o feels this way. About a year ago the subject was a hot topic on social media. Pittsburgh Steelers’ linebacker, James Harrison, returned Participation Trophies that has kids had brought home. He said: “I came home to find out that my boys received two trophies for nothing, participation trophies! While I am very proud of my boys for everything they do and will encourage them till the day I die, these trophies will be given back until they EARN a real trophy.”
I applaud the way Harrison responded. Like me, he realized the negative consequences of these trophies. I believe Participation Trophies need to be eliminated from youth sports. They encourage idleness, take the thrill of competition out of sports, and devalue the significance of a trophies that are earned.
Encourages Idleness and Complacency
A trophy is “a cup or other decorative object awarded as a prize for a victory or success.” Well, unless Dad or Grandpa Joe broke the land speed record getting little Timmy to his practice or game on time, there’s no victory or accomplishment in simply showing up.
Courtesy: sweasel.com
The purpose of a trophy is to serve as a summit, something for which an athlete strives. When an athlete strives, he or she puts in countless hours of practice to attain a goal. That’s what makes reaching the mountaintop sweet: it was earned through sweat, hustle, and hard work.
Participation Trophies undermine all of that, saying “You don’t have to work hard to get rewarded in life.” Is that really the message we want to pass on to the next generation?
Takes the Thrill Out of Competition
Another game of basketball is about to begin. Adrenalin is pumping. Fans are going nuts. The refs are about to toss the ball into the air. Having played basketball in the basketball-crazed state of Kentucky, I’ve always truly enjoyed the thrill of competition. My aspirations are to dominate the opponent.
But what about aspirations if there’s never a winner? Why bother competing if there’s no thrill of victory or the agony of defeat? There really would be no purpose. Right? But Participation Trophies promote the idea that everybody’s a winner, even if he or she doesn’t play.
Somebody wins, and somebody loses, when you compete. Athletes push and play even harder whenever something’s on the line. Competition is a good thing! And it’s everywhere, too—at school and in the workplace. It’s a big part of life. Competition helps society innovate and improve.
Devalues Significance of “Real Trophies”
Looking back, I could care less that I played rec baseball back in the summer of 2006. I could care less that my basketball team qualified for an eight-team tournament back in 2011. I just couldn’t care less. But there are trophies that I’ve earned and care about, like the 1st place trophies whenever my basketball team won a tournament. All of the other trophies mean nothing to me.
An earned trophy is something special. It represents an accomplishment. Participation Trophies just say you participated. They represent nothing else. A “real trophy” serves as a permanent reminder of hard work that was put in to achieve a goal. It shows what you have achieved.
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Patrick.net
While the tone of this article may seem a tad harsh, it’s the truth. Participation Trophies encourage complacency and idleness, remove the thrill of competing, and make an earned trophy seem like “just another thing to take up space.”
Some might argue that participation trophies should still be given out in sports, like T-Ball, but I strongly disagree. The sooner kids realize that they can’t win every single time, the better.
Kids need to learn the fundamentals of sport, experience the thrill of victory, and go through the agony of defeat. Most importantly they need to learn that good things come to those who work hard.
