A Participation Trophy is often given to children in youth sports. Whether they did well or not, each child receives a trophy, typically at the end of the season.
Three senators in North Carolina have introduced a bill into the local legislature that would ban participation trophies for children.
North Carolina Seeks to Ban Participation Trophies for Children
What do you think?
I feel that while in an attempt to boost one's self esteem and feel good despite outcome, it ultimately sets them up for hard lessons down the road.
You can't grow and learn if you don't lose. If you are rewarded for failure and loss it teaches you that mediocrity and not earning something is okay and accepted when it really isn't. That is why there are so many spoiled brats running around the world today. Making demands and wanting something someone else earned because it is "fair" is stupid. Good example of this being distributed wealth of others.
I remember getting these as a kid and being confused as hell. Dad taught me young that if you want good things you have to earn it. So when I got those, I was like, "Why the fuck am I getting a trophy for losing? This is just embarrassing."
Trophies are a dumb idea but there's nothing wrong with a participation gift or memento. The main thing is to make it clear it's for taking part. After all you give adults them when they run marathons. Kids would be happy with a cardboard badge.
If you don't do something to acknowledge participation people simply think "I'm never going to win so why bother taking part." you can extend that to "I'm only here so x can beat me and feel good."
I know kids have got to learn not everyone wins but banning trophies just seems more about drumming it into them that they are losers. Then they don't bother trying in other areas because you've taught them they'll never win.
What concerns me more is the idea of politicians ordering schools about on such a trivial matter. It sounds more about teaching kids to know their place.
I think the first place winner 🏆 should get a special trophy for winning; after all they work hard and put in an effort to win.
However, it does hurt when you walk away empty handed from a game where you didn't win first place. So, if you could bring home some sort of something other than a trophy for playing the game, that would be a good thing.
The US is one of few places to do that.
Most counties will give a participation certificate or medal but it would be clear that it's only a mark that this person participated in that activity nothing more.
A trophy is a symbol of victory and the one coming in last going home with a symbol of victory will have very little in the way of motivation to be better.
A trophy should be this unreachable achievement that takes all you got and more to get so that once you do you can bask in it's glory
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u The message: You don't need to try your hardest. You don't need to do excellent work. ALl yu've gotta do is show up and you're a winner.
I don't want to be a member of any society where that is an acceptable lesson to teach children.
You are a part of a society that teaches kids to participate not sit out and expect something for nothing. If you try hard you should get something out of life. You're not a loser for not being the best all the time. If I work hard at my job and do everything I'm supposed to do but someone is just better than me should I not get paid?
And I'm ok with if someone's better they get paid more. Hence the winner gets a bigger trophy. The rest of us still get smaller checks. Or smaller trophies. Why? Because we still did work or played the game...
@Friendlybro79 That's the way reality works and kids need to learn all about it!
I think the issue is we agree but we're not understanding the participation trophy is a good thing because it symbolizes participating as getting rewarded and when you participate into society you are rewarded. Some more than others. Hence everyone gets a trophy bit the winners is usually bigger. It's not a bad thing to teach kids this. It's bad to not participate at all and expect something.
@Friendlybro79 My understanding is that participation ribbons and trophies are awarded but first, second, and third place rbbons and trophies are not awarded.
I'm not arguing with you on what you're understanding is. I made an analogy to what it is like for kids today who all receive participation trophies to all people participating in life and to society get something out of it.
The winners or the ones who participate more get the better or bigger trophy.
Again my point to the original question is what do I think of participation trophies. I think it makes sense if you use my analogy above because we should teach people that if you participate and do your best (not everyone in real life is the best at everything or second or third best) and participate in society, you will receive something... that being the ability to make a living.
Clearly some will do better than others hence winners will get more (the equivalent to first place for ex)
Your theory could suggest if you all work hard only the top 3 (certain percentage will get anything and the rest of you plebs zero?
The participation trophy is a good reminder to little kids that being in the game matters. You have to try to get something out of life.
If you don't want to do anything like sit out of the game (sit out and expect hand outs) you're going to get less or nothing.
The point of the participation trophy for all makes more sense than the older way you're understanding. That said it makes the point you and I believe in better is what I'm saying
I agree teach them life doesn’t care. Life doesn’t pat you on the back and say nice try. It’s hard and painful, especially in these crazy times
My son came home with a trophy at 7 from playing chess. I says congratulations m. He said nothing to be proud of…everyone got one.
Even kids understand that at a young age … showing up doesn’t equal to receiving a reward.
I was told to give a kid reward for sitting down nicely in class. I told my principal no. I don’t raise my own. Kids that way. She agrees with me… when the parents complained.. my boss told me I have to give that kid stickers for sitting down nicely… thiskud gets ehatever she wants… including ripping up my library books… but I must reward her for being in school. what is the message for the rest?
@midnightmoon05 EXACTLY!
@midnightmoon05 Helen will have family come from China for the wedding!
You all are taking this way too seriously lol
Next time you go to work and you aren't the best employee hand back your paycheck. So what if you showed up and did your job.. If you're not the best or top 3 employees in your company resign... You don't deserve anything lol
@Friendlybro79
1. Yes, teaching chldren and preparing them for adulthood IS serious!
2. Your paycheck analogy is totally misguided. There is a contract between employer and employee, enforceable by state and federal law. The better analogy would be for employers to withhold promotions to the best employees because it might hurt the felings of the other employees that they didn' get the promotion.
The old idea is participation isn't enough you have to be the best to get a trophy. Everyone else gets nothing for participating because you're a loser if you're not 1,2 or 3. My paycheck analogy is this. Employees 4- whatever get no paycheck. You worked hard but not enough to get anything because you weren't the best. This is not how the world works so why should your kids play by this mentality.
If everyone that participates gets something is more realistic to how a job works. Key word something. This means all employees get paid for their part. The game is called life. You have to play within the rules to get paid... everyone gets paid. If you participate in your job. If you don't you play the game and don't participate you don't get anything.
The better participants get something that is more than the rest. My analogy to work is the better you are... then you get more than the rest. This is how the world works. Hence why everyone that participates gets something makes more sense. Because not everyone in life is going to be the best but they still play a part and participate they should be able to get something out of life for the effort. Remember this was what do you think about participation trophies. This is how I see them. It's a realistic way to say when you work harder or better you get more than the rest. It's not ok to teach someone that's life means of you're not the one percent you won't get anything
Also remember their kids. As they get older you can help them understand better how you can't expect to get the same for lesser work. Most places here hand out smaller trophies then the winners hence the point of my analogy. Better skill means more money. Hence why even if a major league team loses more games than wins they still are getting paid for playing.
@OlderAndWiser This is just the logical extension of the Conservative principle that "nobody gets anything for nothing" (except those that inherit stuff because inheritance taxes upset the wealthy), and the corollary of "Don't give stuff to those that don't deserve it" (meaning anyone who hasn't been worked to the bone by the master).
As someone who won many trophies and boxes of medals for legitimately being the best at many things, I can honestly say I never cared about trophies or medals whatsoever. Only losers care about having a trophies, because they don't have the skill or drive to obtain victory. I kept winning, so they kept giving me trophies and medals. I really didn't know what to do with them so they just got thrown in a closet and then eventually in the garbage. I think my mom fished some of them out of the garbage at one point. She may or may not have some of them today, I'm not sure... It's fun to compete. It's fun to win. It's not fun managing clutter unless you're the world's best competition maid or something like that.
I think it's great to encourage children to participate in activities like sports. I don't necessarily think everyone should get a trophy, because it takes away from the meaning of a trophy. I think having an appropriate amount of awards relative to the number of participants is solid. If you have ten people competing, one top prize is enough. If you have 20-100, sure go for 1st, 2nd, 3rd place. If more than 100, consider selling some T-shirts that say "I participated in !" I do think parents shouldn't be hard asses on their kids and focus on "win win win, nothing else is important", and even if they don't win, they should be supported and encouraged. This is basic Pavlovian behaviorism at work here: if you feel like crap every time you do something, you are more likely to go do something else that makes you feel good. simplypsychology. org/.../... periment-1024x1024. jpg
Can only speak from my experience but I used to run cross country because i was a skinny little kid and could run like Forest Gump, just had a knack for it without training. Started at school and was selected for my school team and won a few races, got a few medals and got selected for my town, ran a few more and won some more medals and then I got selected for my region. At this point I'd taken medals for granted so much they didn't mean a great deal but I remember my first race I ran for the regional team I came dead last and it felt awful leaving empty handed. It lit a fire in me and I started training seriously over the next few months for my next race, came back and really earned my next medal and I felt so proud. I think medals and recognition are for those who worked hardest for it
They teach you that just stepping on the field you won. Now you can metaphorically think that way because you may have struggled to make the team etc but just knowing you get a trophy before you even play the game teaches young kids to expect that in life down the road and they will be sorely mistaken when it doesn't happen.
I think they're awesome, but it should look like this. The small trophy represents the fact that you showed up and tried your best. The big trophy means you won.
Great point.
I like this idea.
Rather pointless. If you're going to get a trophy for everything you do, the ones you get because you really deserved them don''t mean shit, anymore! Neither does the work it takes to be able to actually win one! You don't HAVE to be the best, anymore! You just have to show up!!!
It's a "participations" trophy not a winners trophy. It says when you participate you get something.
In life if you participate you get something which is the ability to take care of yourself hopefully and participate in society in a positive light
The ones that participate more are winners and usually get a bigger trophy right. Just like life if you participate better or harder you will prob be in a better position than others.
My point is they're kids. How about politicians trying to help kids out by making hard work in life pay not come at half of the payout as what generations before us had. What a deflection these senators are playing because this is how they ignore real problems that voters care about.
I think taking all of them out for ice cream is better than giving them all trophies. I might be a little old school on this, but I would be afraid of it creating a reward culture that will oppose everything that is good about a meritocracy. One step closer to socialism.
Participation trophys discourage competiveness and drags a teams performance downward. On a macro level, making every aspect of a child's lift a safe space doesn't prepare a kid for the real world, rather it will hold them back and give them a large sense of entitlement.
Unless the kids are 4 or 5 years old, it is ridiculousness. Life isn’t fair and it takes hard work to succeed (and even then you aren’t always successful).
Many have been setting our kids up for failure with this sort of positive reinforcing behavior.
Participation trophies are how we got to the point where you are only allowed to give women positive feedback about absolutely anything and they are all walking around FALSELY thinking they are "fierce" and "powerful". (they even put it on their T shirts) If they were given honest feedback they might be inclined to put in the work to actually be fierce and powerful
They are bad and counterproductive. It teaches them that they should get the same benefits as everyone else even though they didn't earn it. It is part of the liberal's plans of "equity" and not equality.
At a very young age it's ok. Especially when we don't want kids clobbering each other. I got one for an early activity, I didn't care that much and felt out of place since I got last place, but it was nice gesture from my father.
After that, you gotta perform or no trophy.
There is nothing wrong with this...
It's a symptom of woke liberalism. Like pretty much everything these people believe in, it protects the feelings of the weak and vulnerable but shelters them from the sometimes-unpleasant life lessons that ultimately make them strong and successful.
You mean like the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal? :)
Seriously, though, it's just another example of Republican politicians thinking they know better than education professionals with a side order of minor cruelty.
Just not a supporter of the participation trophies/ribbons. If kids (or anyone) wants a memento then take a selfie or pass the camera to someone to take a pic.
I am an advocate for encouraging participation but kids need to learn that one has to out in their own effort/work to get the prize of being a winner because adulthood and life itself has no qualms about chewing up and spitting out the unmotivated.
Normally I'd say kids have to earn a trophy by achieving excellence and trying hard, but these days it is an achievement to just participate, so I say give them all a trophy. Fuck it
I have nothing against it. If they wanna make everyone feel good, so be it. But they better not get used to it cause once they get to the real world...
Whatever happened to less government and letting local communities decide what to do? Whether you like the idea of participation trophies or not, is this the sort of SHIT you elect State Senators to do - decide how to deal with your kids' participation in sports? What the fuck is wrong with these people? Too much inbreeding, most likely.
I think it's good practice. I remember being more active in terms of extra curricular activities in middle school because positive reinforcement made me feel appreciated.
It's complete bullshit, especially in sports because that isn't how sports works. It would be better to not give out any trophies at all in school.
For the very young, who don't know how to cope with losing good.
But by 7 or 8, they should have learned enough emotional development to cope with losing instead of being given an award for just taking part.
i wouldn't give participation trophies
but I'm not sure its that big a deal that it needs to be law
I just don't see the point. At some point snowflakes will want to. Stop keeping score. There is a reason everyone does not get a trophy
I think its stupid. Trophies go the winner or winners.
To those who participated but loss they should get a certificate of participation and thanking them for competing like I got when growing up.
m that sounds like a Participation Bill.. "there, I did legislate"
Simply existing and breathing oxygen aren't merit-based contests. Participation trophies are dumb.
I am against them. Only champions like me deserve a trophy. :)
You haven't showed us your super cute butt yet, so I don't know if you have a champion's rear end or not - yet.
m It causes the sort of self-entitlement that has given rise to the whole “Karen” mindset.
Losing builds character as a kid, you can't always be a winner do not teach kids they will everything cause they will not. That's like setting them up for failure.
I'm okay with it if they put in the work all season. Professional sportsmen still get paid regardless of whether or not they win the league. And this is basically bullshit legislation.
I don't think they cause any harm really, and children like them. That said, maybe some award that doesn't take the form of a trohpy would be preferable.
I think there is zero reason to attack them legislatively, but they are horrible and should never be given out.
They disincentive the desire to achieve. I agree with North Carolina.
BAd idea in most cases, as it does not reflect the real world.
It's trash. If a contest is to have meaning and value there must be winners AND losers.
I've never been a fan of participation trophies.
I think it’s satire lol.
Nice. At least they care about your participation.
They're worthless and not realistic
Why would they want to do that?
They should be eliminated.
Great for the mentally feeble
I think that they are pointless
It cheapens the symbolism of real trophies.
A mockery.
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