Participation Trophies

If you've ever played a sport in a recreational or club league, I can almost guarantee that you have AT LEAST one shelf lined with dusty, gold and silver plated plastic trophies. In sports and arts programs across America, awards are given to every child on the team for things such as participation or perfect attendance. These awards are detrimental to our society because they influence kids to believe that everyone is a winner in life, they reduce the amount of effort a child will put into their sport, and they cause children to collapse the first time they encounter a difficulty.

Syndrome, the Main Villain in
"The Incredibles"

Remember that scene from the movie “The Incredibles”? The main villain is trying to sell all of his gadgets that make him powerful. He says “If everyone is super, no one will be.” This very same type of view can be applied to participation awards. If everyone is a winner, then there are no “real” winners. Before the 1970’s, trophies were reserved for those people who really stood out and excelled at what they did. It was tradition that the winning team or winning person got the big award and the glory that came with it. In fact, the actual definition of the word Trophy is “anything serving as a token or evidence of victory, valor, or skill.” Last time I checked, “showing up” isn't exactly a skill that someone would like to see at a talent show or cheer for on a field. If this is true, then why do some people think that participation trophies are necessary?

How Your Participation Awards Will
Look in 20 Years 

A little league football program in Texas has announced on Facebook that it will no longer be giving out trophies for participation. Participation awards are given to everyone on the team for a few reasons, but the main reason is that some parents want to make their kid believe that they are the best. Instead of praising their children on the amount of effort that they put into their activity, a few adults wish for their child to always think that they are always a winner. While it is important to inspire confidence in kids and encourage them, it is also important to teach them that they have to try their hardest to be a real winner. Michael Jordan once said, “I can accept failure, everyone fails at something. But I can’t accept not trying.” In life, no one is rewarded for doing simple things that are already expected of you such as coming to work or finishing a report. Awards are given to those who truly deserve them, such as someone who has sold the most items or who stays late constantly to help out around the office. Children should not be taught that everyone is a winner. They should be taught that they can be a winner if they put in the time and effort, and dedicate themselves to whatever task they are performing, which is something that potential employers look for in a good employee.

In today’s world, there is always major competition for jobs. In an interview, a person may or may not get the job based on intelligence, the way they present themselves, how they dress, and many other things. However one of the most important qualities that employers look for is a person’s ability to put in effort into their tasks. A boss will never want to walk into an office to see that all his employees are taking a nap or playing computer games. When leagues give everyone a trophy, it reduces the amount of effort that a player will put into the sport, thus causing him to put less effort into other activities in life. Today, children who do not truly try too much in their football games or dance practices mostly still receive awards for showing up. How do you think this will affect their outside life?

The Near Future for Some of Today's Children

These slackers will sooner or later stop doing as well on their schoolwork. “If everyone wins, why do I have to put in the time and effort?” They will most likely not be able to hold a job for very long either. “Why should I do extra work if everyone is going to get awarded?” This kind of attitude separates the people who win, and the people who could win, but don’t try hard enough. These participation trophies will cause a lot of trouble for children in the near future, mostly in the form of big red “F’s” on their assignments or their last paycheck arriving in the mail.

Another Example of a Useless Award

Some people might argue that these trophies inspire their kids to continue to try their hardest and give them something to look forward to, even if they aren’t the best. While this may be true for some children, for most it is not. These unearned accolades make kids hooked on the rewards. They will no longer have the internal motivation to continue to play the game, not to mention the joy that comes with it. Why would they even want to try if everyone who stands there and breathes gets awarded? The main reason for playing a recreational sport or activity should be for the fun and enjoyment of it, not for the shiny figurine that will eventually end up collecting dust in a box in the attic. Even though these awards might encourage some kids to continue to play a sport, it encourages them for the wrong reason. In a New York Times article titled “Losing is Good for You” it explains how this non-stop recognition may cause some children to underachieve. If they are always being rewarded, there is no incentive for them to better themselves.

Does This Count as an Achievement?

One of the most important reasons why participation awards should not be given is that they cause children to give up at the first sign of difficulty. Imagine a soccer game where every player on the opposing team is 6 feet tall and ripped. If this was a championship game where only one team got the trophy and the glory, there would definitely be incentive to do as best as possible. However, if everyone who played got a trophy, why would anyone want to participate? There is no use in fighting these monstrous brutes for a prize if everyone gets one. After a few instances of this kind of thing happening on the field, it will start to invade the everyday lives of American children. “Why should someone ask for a raise if everyone gets one?” This kind of attitude will follow these people through life, and will overshadow them when it comes to advancing in the world. They will not be familiar enough with competition to understand that if you want something, you need to try as hard as possible to get it. The difference between winners and losers is how hard you try. As hockey legend Wayne Gretzky said, “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.”

In the end, the cold, hard, gold plated truth is that not everyone deserves an award. Those who strive to achieve their goals and who have the attitude of a winner will eventually get what they deserve, whether it be a plastic championship trophy or the job offer of a lifetime. The job of adults is not to turn losses into ceremonious victories with a small piece of metal, but to encourage children, teach them how to lose with honor, and ensure them that with a little effort, anything is possible.