Benefits Of Participation Rivals

In “Losing is Good for You,” Ashley Merryman argues that society should stop handing out trophies for participation and instead let your child loose sometimes. Merryman states, “today, participation trophies and prizes are almost a given, as children are constantly assured that they are winners.” She later goes on and says that children who are given so much praise will crack “at the first experience of difficulty.” In her opinion, she does not believe that every child should be given a trophy because it will affect how they handle a different task. She claims that children would be better off losing than winning, and she also think that children should not get a trophy for everything they compete in.

Although it may be true that the participation trophies help children sweepingly, but there are many studies that presume differently. For example, “in a study of Gold Medal Olympians, they said a previous loss was key to their championship” (Merryman). Even a Gold Medalist will admit that they learned from their mistakes and it influenced their extensive win. Additionally, Abate goes on to explain that participation trophies help children with teamwork; however, he goes on to contradict himself by saying athletes do not care about those trophies, only the first place one. So, why should we have the trophies at all if they do not care about them? We should use the money for better equipment and supplies that the teams desperately need. Abate also argues that participation awards encourage teamwork when they supposedly “boosts children’s confidence.” Participation awards continuously over praise children, which later on makes them lazy and have over confidence.

In an age where everyone is expected to be recognized, there must be an understanding that the world does not progress by congratulating the “average.” I believe that giving participation trophies makes people stop competing; especially if the trophies are given at a very early age. For example, a team of small children have a terrible baseball season, but it’s okay! Because the coach gives out trophies to everyone. This in turn only teaches the child that no matter how bad life gets, they will always be rewarded. Participation trophies create future generations of entitled adults as seen by today’s generation. We need to reward kids that work hard for what they do for the sake of risk and reward. That is simply how progress is made in society. Yet I agree with one point made by the opposing side. I believe that participation should be recognized sometimes. Participation can teach kids that teamwork matters in every little aspect of society. Participation trophies should be eliminated but participation should still merely just be recognized with a pat on the back as said by Betty Berdan, a high school junior from Connecticut. Participation trophies overall hinder the growing and learning process of kids; whether it is through sports, or any other competitive involvement.

While many writers claim that participation trophies are beneficial, writer Ashley Merryman agrees with the idea that participation trophies are more destructive than beneficial regarding the learning process of a child. The general argument made by Merryman in her work, “Forget Trophies, Let Kids Know It’s O.K. to Lose,” is that providing

Reason-Rupe poll, 43 percent of Americans believe that every child should receive a trophy for participation, but the numbers drop with income, education, and age. Although participation trophies can cause unrealistic expectations in children, these trophies raise self-esteem and build a work ethic.

Participation trophies only hurt kids. These trophies have been given out in many sports for decades but they do not mean much to older children. Something as simple as golden painted plastic will not keep a child playing for long after their first years. Children must also be taught how to compete early on. These trophies create a lack of competition in youth athletes and should not be given to children above the age of ten to help teach them life skills and to protect them from struggling in their future lives when they will have to compete for jobs.

Does frivolously giving trophies to children make them into better adults or take away their will to give their best? Giving trophies out every time a child participates in an activity has just become a way of life; from receiving 12th and 13th place ribbons at field days to receiving participation trophies for tee ball and soccer. Children should have to earn what they receive, and if they lose then the hurt feelings they may have will just help them grow in to well-rounded adults that are able to cope with failure in their future. Giving trophies to children is great for boosting a child’s self-esteem, yet it dilutes the ability to overcome failure; trophies are mass produced and frivolously distributed by adults, but children still know what they have earned and what they have not.

Participation trophies are a very bad thing. Participation trophies should not be given out to young kids that have no idea what they are. Little kids more than likely do not know what they are and some might think that they won even though they lost. With kids not knowing what they are makes them think that they did just as good as the kids that won. They need to know what they did wrong and what the can do to improve that and be like the kids that won. Some kids might grow up with everyone telling them that they did great and they have nothing to work on. They think they are better than those who won and even everyone in their life. Kids should grow up becoming better in things that they feel passionate about and not just giving up. Kids

Last year 7 year old Billy beat his opponent in a tennis match. Billy was so enlightened that he was going to get a trophy. Then, he looks to his opponent and saw that he was getting the same trophy as Billy! Billy felt very depressed after that because he worked so hard to win just to see the opponent getting a trophy for clearly not as much work. Participation trophies started in the 60’s to motivate inner city kids, but it spread like wildfire everywhere. Kids should not get trophies just for participating they need to work hard to get them this is ,because after time trophies can lose their value. It will also not encourage kids to improve with skills , and it is very expensive.

Participation trophies are not good for athletes. It has been acknowledged, “But it’s not just the “losers” we need to worry about; it’s the “winners” too. Phrases like “You’re a winner” or “You’re a natural” can actually be toxic to how kids deal with losing” (Fader). If young athletes get used to winning all of their childhood when they lose the children will not be able to cope with the feeling of defeat. If children earn their awards through competition, they will want to keep winning and work harder, which will develop a great work ethic. Long time coaches know what it takes to win: “I coach tons of world-class athletes, and the pride they feel from a big win does not come from a ring, or a trophy, and it does not come from someone

Participation trophies aren't good for kids, and even kids health, for multiple reasons. First of all Sports aren't for trophies. Sports are for fun! Sports Psychology, Jonathan Fader says, “the science suggests that we need to be praising our kids on the process, not result” (Website 1). Another thing that might change people's perception about participation trophies is that it isn't fair for kids that actually won. If you try your hardest you will most likely win, and

Olympic Gold Medalists have said that not getting trophy was a good thing. When they did not get a trophy for participating, it motivated them to work harder to earn one when they win next time. “If children always receive a trophy - regardless of effort or achievement - we’re teaching kids that losing is so terrible that we can never let it happen.”, said New York Times. This means that if they always get a trophy for things they didn’t work hard enough for, they will start expecting a reward for everything they do. From this evidence, you can see that when kids don’t get a trophy when losing a game, it can teach them many

Getting motivated is important because when you are motivated you want to work hard. When you get a participation trophy for just being a part of a team isn’t going to be extremely motivating. Motivation killer could mean two thing, it could make a person cocky or it could make a person not care. When you get a trophy some kids’ think they get it for actually doing something, but all in all they are just getting a trophy for showing up. That is why getting trophies for participation could be a motivation killer.

Lastly people need to improve themselves not just think it’s all they can do they need to keep trying to achieve the trophy they want. Kids need to realize what they can do so they need to actually try if we just give them things they won’t learn. If you did really bad and you felt bad would you want a participation trophy so you could remember that day you didn’t do well.

“The whole notion that we are creating a nation of wimps because we hand out participation trophies is only the case if we want it to be. These awards only detract from creating a competitive society if we let them do so” (Priceman). Participation trophies can be good if everyone will let them be. Society portrays if they’re good or bad. Participation awards can encourage and develop high self-esteem.