Participation Trophies: Yes or No?

[MadVillainy]

TL; DR: Should kids get trophies just for participating? And that doesnt just go for sports.

Longer: What's happening with Pittsburgh Steelers down) player James Harrison basically made a long Instagram post about how his sons got participation trophies and how he got rid of them or at the least took them from his sons.
Basically he says that trophies should be earned for hard work, not just because. Do you agree or do you not agree?


I agree full heatedly/Im actually surprised people are agreeing with him.but I thought I would mostly see people calling him a bad parent or a thug.

At the best I still think 1st place should get the biggest, coolest trophy and the rest can get smaller awards

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/1...ids-participation-trophies-says-awards-earned

 

[Majik1387]

Participation trophies are just another version of consolation prizes. Cheap and worthless.

You want recognition, I agree, you have to earn it.

 

[Erzengel]

Unless you're 5 or under, then no.

 

[Fallen Angel]

Nope.

You win something or you come first you should get a trophy or medal. The kid who finishes a race 8th out of 8 shouldn't get anything. This just breed's a loser mentality.

 

[BestGirl]

Unless you're 5 or under, then no.

They're useless even then. I don't know why organizations eve hand them out; I've never met anyone who likes them.

 

[The Apocalypse]

I never thought about this as a kid when playing sports but I started coaching little league baseball a few years ago and you can even tell the kids doesn't like just getting a trophy. One kid even asked his coach why they are getting something for losing.

 

[KevanG]

I'm sure everyone loves getting a "You Tried" trophy.

I found them stupid as **** as a kid and even worse these days. What's the point in winning if everybody 'wins'?

 

[Breogan]

You are all wonderful and get magical YOU ARE AWESOME! trophies for participating in this thread!

 

[CyclopsWasRight]

I see it as a way of celebrating that people actually gave a crap and tried. They didn't win. But the didn't sit on their ass wasting time online.

 

[Greens]

I think they're useless.

 

[Manic]

Giving kids trophies just for participating kinda screws them up psychologically. The kids themselves know that they're only getting the trophies for trying, not for anything they really deserve. Trophies, ribbons, plaques, and prizes lose all meaning to you when you get them all the time just for showing up.

Then you grow up, maybe work your ass off at something, get a trophy you actually deserve, and... you don't care. You don't take it seriously. Maybe you don't deserve this trophy. Maybe it's just like the pity-trophies you got as a kid. Everybody gets a trophy, so trophies don't mean anything, and your accomplishments don't mean anything to you.

 

[KevanG]

Or to paraphrase the Incredibles, "Once everyone is special, then no one is."

 

[Victarion]

No to the participation trophy.

 

[SuperFerret]

Trophies in general are useless, earned or otherwise.

 

[jokesonm3]

i believe that hard work should be rewarded.

 

[SuperFerret]

Hard work should be rewarded, but nothing really worthwhile results in winning a trophy.

 

[Lencho01]

I don't see why he had to take them away. Could've still let the kids keep them and explain why he feels they're wrong.

 

[Duke]

You've got to earn something with hard word, dedication,etc. Rewarding consolation prizes just breeds failure.

 

[Enriquespy]

What about a participation certificate?

 

[Lencho01]

Yeah, I think a certificate would've been the way to go. A trophy pretty much signifies excellence. But, I would've let the kids keep it to signify what they shouldn't want to receive in the future.

 

[jokesonm3]

What people need if they lose is some good old fashioned motivation and commitment rather then awarding them for not winning anything.

 

[chaseter]

Losing doesn't deserve a trophy.