Participation Trophies: Yes or No?
The real world is not easy to anyone. The real world expects us to not only show up for your job but to work hard so can keep your job and your position at work. Sports teach children that in the future they are going to have to work hard, and do their best to be successful so they can support their family. The youth needs to understand that sports are only here to help them learn discipline and structure. The children need to learn that in everyday life, to be successful we are motivated by a reward; when adults go to work at the end of the week they receive a “reward” money. Adults do not realize that participation trophies are not teaching their children how to be successful. The participation rewards give
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The children need to know that doing their absolute best will benefit them in the long run because they’ll receive a reward for all the hard work and dedication that, they put into the activity or sport. “Participation trophies are sugar coating the fact that children did not win at something” (“To Give or not to give participation trophies”). They should not be rewarded for participating and not coming out on top. We set goals to reach them, and be rewarded, we never get anywhere by just participating and not reaching the goals we set. Sports are about learning from mistakes and bettering yourself; for example, in softball, the athlete gets up to bat and the pitcher throws three strikes in a row and they strike out, but when they get back up to hit again they are going to adjust to the pitcher's speed and get a hit the second time around. Children learn from striking out, because making mistakes better them in the long run. If the children are being handed a reward for just participating, they are not learning from their mistakes. Children are not learning from their mistakes; therefore, they are not correcting their mistakes. This generation is learning bad habits at a young age. Parents are not comprehending that a bad work ethic at a young age will only get worse as they get older. For example, if a child scoots by in school and sports with no structure, …show more content…
They have been blamed for children not working hard to receive a prize for their hard work on the playing field because children know no matter how much effort they put into the sport there will always be a reward. Sports are a great example of earning things for hard work. The children participating in sports need to work hard then be rewarded. “The hard work shows the children how to build a work ethic and it also teaches them that later in life they’ll receive a prize for their hard work” (Jacobi). Building a work ethic is important at a young age, it sculpts the children into the people they are supposed to be in the future. The real world is difficult. Children need to know, they have to work hard and strive for greatness to be successful. The children need to understand that success will help them in the long run. Participation rewards give children a different outlook of the real world. In everyday life, you work hard to pay bills, and to support your family. In your childhood is when you learn that hard work pays off, “It's understood that parents want their children to succeed, and feel as if they won, but children need to learn that in life things have to be earned and not handed to them” (Johnston). Personally, there should always be a winner or a loser, because when you lose you will work harder to win the next time. Competition in all sports
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.
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
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.
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.
Participation trophies teach kids bad life lessons. They introduce the wrong idea at a young age that you can just show up and still be rewarded for minimal effort. If someone joins a sport they are expected to try their best and should be rewarded for doing so. When they are not then there is no point in even participating. Kurt Warner was quoted saying ‘ “ They don’t let kids pass classes 4 just showing up ” ‘ (Wallace). later in life people aren’t rewarded for showing up, and teaching something that is not true at such
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.
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.
Sports has become a large part of our society. We look up to sports icons and try to be copy their looks, styles, and athletic moves. Kids who have aspirations to become a sports star usually begin their athletic careers at a young age. In these little league sports, children begin to develop their competitive nature and learn how to work hard for something they want. These are crucial life skills that kids are learning naturally, while they are enjoying their favorite activities. Children should not receive participation awards, because this teaches them that they don't have to work hard, things will be given to them, and that everybody is equal in no matter
This why we should not reward just because of showing up. To start, I found a very crazy piece of evidence in the article, “Do we Give Children Too Many Trophies?” by Michael Gonchar the text says. “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.” This shows that if kids loses in the future and get no trophy they could have a mental break down and quit sports entirely which can lead to a massive health disaster. For some backup on that many parents think that you must learn from your mistakes to become a humble and fun to be around person so eventually their kids will adopt this same personality and believe in that. So to make them humble and fun to be around is to not give trophies if they mess up and cost their team an important game and especially if they are not trying at all. This is a huge problem because it can ruin the future of the world. If we give the wrong message It could cause kids to quit and like what Lauren Tarshis said, “Kids who stick with team sports, exceed higher fitness levels to better grades.” So this can affect the world by giving kids bad jobs for not doing team sports, it also in extreme cases lead to the child turning into a
Do you believe young athletes should earn participation trophies? According to "Trophies For All Policy," youth athletes are being rewarded with participation trophies. There can be positive and negative results from earning a participation trophy. But, not everyone can be rewarded for nothing. Some parents believe earning participation trophies could help boost some young athletes confidence, but is that what sports are all about though? Youth sports are not just about winning or earning a trophy, it is mostly about playing the game and enjoying yourself.
Imagine a world where everyone receives a trophy for everything we do? According to the "trophies for all" policy, youth athletes are being award with participation trophies. Money spent on trophies will make a kid smile. Every player getting a trophy will help them stay in sports.giving pericipation is not harmful for kids.however participation doesn't represent real life trophies for all can be better later on in life by giving the kids confidence now.
Many kids around the world are in sports to play for the competition and winning. Starting out as little kids when joining sports, it is for the fun and enjoyment. If I had a child and my kid had a bad attitude going out onto the field or court and never tried the whole time, I don’t believe that my child deserves a trophy in the end for participating. Our big question is; does everyone deserve a trophy for showing up? I oppose the idea of giving everyone a trophy for participating in a sport.
That it motivates the kids and gives them a reason to try new things. Kids can be motivated by things other than trophies. They can receive a high five, hug, pat on the back, a “good job,” or “we are proud of you,” and can mean just as much or even more than a trophy. These gestures can be very motivational to a child and boost their confidence more than a trophy can. “We’re focusing so much on giving kids materialistic rewards that we’re not spending enough time on the real life lessons you learn from sports: success and failure, making choices, teamwork. The whole purpose of youth sports should be to play and have fun. It should be about the experience. That’s the real trophy” (Fussell). The big reason kids should be playing sports is to learn lessons and skills that will help them in life, not a
Have you ever received a trophy or ribbon in your life from sports or science fairs or anything in between? Now a day's coaches or teachers will pass out trophies and ribbons to those who really do not deserve it. Not because they were bad, but because they did not work hard enough to earn it. Giving rewards to kids who do not try their best and still get a trophy could lead them down a road to disaster. They will grow up thinking everything they are getting rewarded, when in the real life that is not the case. If you want your kids growing up learning to work hard for something they want and chasing their dreams, then dont give them the rewards they do not deserve.
Who feels special when they receive a trophy for doing nothing? Nobody, trophies show what you have accomplished, however kids still earn participation trophies for showing up. These participation trophies cheat kids from learning a life lesson. Instead of learning to work for what they want, kids are getting trophies for just showing up and participating. Awarding kids participation trophies makes them not capable of enduring the disappointment that they will be required to cope with later in life, and participation trophies cheat kids from learning a valuable life lesson and essential skills, while giving kids participation trophies teaches children participation, participation trophies should not exist because these trophies do not teach kids to do an laudable job to obtain what they want.