Competition Is Great For Students And Athletes

The thrill of winning a trophy for the first time is always memorable, however, it brings up the question: Is receiving an award for participating just as exciting? Participation awards are a topic highly debated among those of all ages, with none agreeing on a single answer. Individuals who are under the impression that they are essential believe they boost a child’s confidence and self-esteem. This may be true in some cases, but these trophies could be doing more harm than good. Although in the moment they may appear to be wholesome, they have a lasting effect on children as they grow older. Many children put loads of effort into winning awards, which is belittled by participation trophies that are not only unhelpful and unrewarding, but don’t teach them the important values learned by losing.

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.

Participation trophies are changing kids ideas of winning around the globe in many ways. First off, it gives children the wrong impression on working or putting an effort towards something. Trophies are something you should have to earn. Life doesn’t give you a participation medal, you have to earn it (Website #2). Kids just need to learn that

Losing is not a bad thing. The biggest argument that people have about competition is it decides a winner and a loser. They argue that this is unhealthy to people. This was said by the students in Professor Mitchells English lesson during a class discussion one day. What they failed to mention is that people learn from losing. In order to lose, a person has to make a mistake or not be as good as the other person. Losing can cause a person or team to have a low self-esteem, but it can also encourage

Participation trophies can vary from sports to clubs to activities of any type. Many people believe these standard awards provide many benefits for children and their childhood growth. However, children today have become accustomed to receiving an item or prize regardless the outcome of their effort, which could potentially send an unhealthy message about achievement and diminish the value of the award.

Dodgeball helps teach students around the world that it is OK to lose at a game every now and then, it happens to everyone. Rick Reilly, the author of the article Weak Shall Inherit the Gym stated that “Then those kids’ parents will send them out into the world to realise that, Yes there are winners and losers.” Bringing this statement into the argument helps show that if adults do not show those noncompetitive children that it is possible to lose, they will not act like an adult when they do lose they will never learn. Kids just have to learn to deal with it and learn from their mistakes so they will not lose next time. Children have to deal with losing like a Mature adult or they will have a rough life later on.

“What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger,” this phrase is a great representation of the problem that children of the world face due to participation trophies. Participation trophies kill the drive of young kids unless they are taught to accept them correctly. Children need to know that these awards should not be a goal.

When kids with Low Self-Esteem get the participation trophies, It can make them feel and believe that, they can’t live up to their own hype. We should stop giving kids the trophies, and instead give them a pat on the back, and say “Good luck next time”. Telling your kid that they are a winner, and a natural, will make them feel like they don’t have to improve, and get

Some people think that children mostly learn life lessons by learning from their mistakes or at school, but according to the article, “Social Effects of Sports on Young Children” by Angus Koolbreeze, who has been a freelance writer since 2007, and has a Master of Arts in English from Western Michigan University, states, “Sports teach how to be fair, honest, and competitive, this teaches the child to cultivate meaningful relationships as he/she progresses through school and life” (Koolbreeze, 2017,p.2). This demonstrates that when children participate in a competitive sport they learn to be fair and how to create friendships with teammates, and new friends through life and school, and to always try your hardest. Another example of why competitive sports teach kids important life lessons is because according to the article “ Get Off that Couch and Play” by Eileen Brooker, from Sports World, states, “The challenges young people encounter when participating in competitive sports mirror those they will encounter in their lives. Students learn important life skills such as how to accept criticism, how to handle oneself under the pressure of competition, how to work hard toward a goal, how to win and lose graciously” (Brooker, 2014, p.1).This means that when children face a challenge in a sport, they will be prepared on how to handle the situation later in life, such as pressure and

Finally, kids that are given participation trophies are given the wrong idea. Fifty-seven percent of people said "only winners" deserve to have participation trophies, giving out participation trophies is tantamount to giving kids the wrong praise, and giving kids with bad attitudes and not a care in the world is not a good idea. These kids need to realize that they need

Elementary students who participate in group sports often receive participation awards at the end of the sports season. James Harrison posted on twitter that he felt participation trophies were wrong, because the child did not actually achieve anything. This post has caused a major controversy across the United States. Some parents agree with Harrison and say that participation trophies create a false sense of achievement, which stops their child from trying hard later on. I, however, disagree. Participation awards help kids feel like they had a part in an activity, reward children from their effort, and can help them strive for success.

“Sending him home empty-handed at the end of a hard-fought season won’t help him learn the lesson of losing, it will teach him early that there’s no value in the attempt” (Zadrozny). Prizes such as trophies and ribbons are a controversial topic in society. Some believe that not enough are handed out to children while others believe that too many are handed out. Trophies are a symbol of victory and triumph, but do not forget that children just want to feel part of a team even though they are not good enough. Putting forth an honest effort is important, and doing well is the habit on which they will be repeatedly evaluated in life. Even though some believe trophies are not good, they give a boost of confidence while keeping children happy and

The purpose for a middle school athletic competition provides many advantages which are learning sportsmanship, teamwork, communication skills, problem solving skills, self-control, weight control, builds self-esteem and looks good on the students academic record. In addition, many studies have shown that engaging students in extracurricular activities reduces student dropout rates, teen pregnancies, and juvenile arrests. (The Foundation for Global Sports Development, 2013)

Ashley Merryman, co-author of “Nature Shock,” (NY Times, Oct. 6, 2016) in “Forget Trophies, Let Kids Know It’s O.K. to Lose” argues that there is nothing wrong with losing because failure can actually be helpful. I passionately agree with this.

It’s important for a child to understand the positive impacts of competition despite a loss in a game. Adults go through competition everyday, from getting a job after a successful interview or missing it from an unsuccessful interview to promotion because of work well done or demotion at work. The basics of competition taught early helps a child succeed later in life. Team Sport equips a child to cope with competition in a friendly environment. Achieving a goal by being part of a team will help a child gain healthy competitive skills that they can use for the rest of their lives. Sports also help a child cope well with both a loss and a win as part of life. Learning to positively handle both the winning and losing side of playing a sport combined with good sportsmanship is a characteristic that carries over from childhood to