Do you think giving every kid a trophy inhibits their sense of competition and accomplishment?

Question

If you got a trophy for competing and you still got a trophy when you lost, would you bother competing again? Do you think that you would give it your all if everyone got an award whether they won or lost? Or how about first, 2nd, and third-place awards, just like they get in the Olympics?

BoopBoopBeep · Accepted Answer

You finish the Boston Marathon you get a medal. Doesn't matter if you're last place. Cross the line, get a finisher's medal. That said, that's also an accomplishment. I do charity rucks every weekend. I try to always take the long ones, but sometimes it's only a 5k so I just carry extra weight. I get a medal at the end of it nearly every time. I served in the Global War on Terror. Got a medal for it. I'm proud of that medal because the towers came down, I enlisted, had I not I wouldn't have that medal. When civilians are like "isn't that a gimmie medal" I ask to see theirs.

That said, if you showed up for one day at the science fair and your project was displaying the lint you found in your pocket on the way there, not so much.

I understand the "never given always earned" mentality. Go do a Spartan Race. Doesn't matter if it takes you 14 hours to go 6 miles, you're still getting the same helmet medal at the end. You still earned it.

Long and short of it, I don't have a problem when everybody gets a medal as much as I have a problem with WHAT everybody gets a medal for.

Ahroo!

ohsheeT · Accepted Answer

If it was my kid never because somewhere down the road they're going to think that they deserve something and they don't they are going to feel that they're going to be handed something instead of work for it and no they're not going to get that it's going to ruin them for life or it could let me put it that way depends on other qualities they have going on with them but no let them work for it nothing become the best let them understand what that feelings all about and who they are and what it took to get that trophy they understand that they will carry that the rest of their life with him and understand when they want something they have to work for it and they have to earn it and put the work in for it

Date_a_Snob · Accepted Answer

tropgies are meaningless... when I was a child I came in first place in a squash tournament but when the medals were handed out my best friend got the first place medal and got the second place medal.

at first I was upset but than I realized I didn't need a medal to tell me I was a good squash player

flash forward several years and my little league team won the big tournament. I was sick and couldnt recieve my trophy on the day. It took almost four weeks before I managed to get my trophy. The same day I got it home, it broke and couldnt be repaired.

provokeesmokee · Accepted Answer

Y'know what's funny? I was part of the "trophy generation". My trophies meant more to my Boomer mother than me.

In my sport teams, the kids never really cared for participation trophies. We actively disliked them and some of us threw them away. We wanted victory, not consolation.

The Boomer parents who were the ones who advocates for participation trophies and congratulations for losers? They were the ones who needed validation when their children lost sports games.

Positive reinforcement is good, but not when you're reinforcing nothing.

madhatters4 · Answer

not really because the participation trophy gimmick usually ends early on. i think the goal of the trophy is to encourage the kids to continue to play at a young age. give them a little trophy and they'll hopefully come back next season right? but then the trophy stuff ends at the age when kids can start to understand that there are winners and losers

CurrentJohn · Answer

If everyone gets something no matter what they achieved than what purpose does it even have to even try? It doesn`t teach kids value if you give them a reward without them trying their best and if they know they all get an equal reward, they won`t try as hard most of the time. So no, it hinders their sense of competition and accomplishment if you don`t teach them that you actually have to achieve something to get rewarded for it.

DubiousIntentions · Answer

I don't think anyone would care about bothering to compete if that was the case. To some winning is everything, and they train hard to do that. If winning was not important no would bother training hard or bother to compete. It's the same in the corporate world.

katiesmuff · Answer

That has to be some of the stupidest stuff being done. When they get to the real world it is a hard shocker for them when they realize the world doesn't work that way.

AngryCarl2 · Answer

I don't think it makes any difference. Kids don't compete to get a stupid trophy, they do it to put one over on the other kids. Anyway giving trophies to just the winners is just punishing the other kids for being less able. The fact they lost doesn't mean they made less effort.

AviatorTom · Answer

A trophy should be given to those who excel... the winners. It's okay to give a participation certificate to everyone, but not a trophy.

DryGermanGuy · Answer

„I didn’t know they made ninth-place ribbons!“  - Jack Byrnes, Meet the Parents

Anonymous · Answer

I mean I think it plays a part. But I think upbringing plays at least an equal if not bigger part. Some kids are raised violently competitive and some are raised just to have fun. I think these influences play a a bigger part than some gold painted plastic trophy.

FunkyMonkee · Answer

If you give a trophy for EVERYTHING what's the point of getting one? And, if everyone gets one, first place doesn't mean shit anymore!!
"I got a trophy for winning!"
"So? I got a trophy for coming in dead last! I did no work at all to get there and I got the same prize you did!"

Pinay_ako · Answer

Winning isn’t everything. We succeed, we fail. Can’t always baby proof ourselves especially kids to make them feel better because they lost. It’s a normal part of life.

LazerBean · Answer

Yes, it does. So does parents giving their kids whatever they want rather than teaching them to work for things.

exitseven · Answer

Charlie Brown really is wise for a blockhead. Kids need to realize that not everyone can win and that life is not fair and that the world is a hard place.

Fromdusktilldawn · Answer

I hate this wimp raising mentality nowadays, they get sheltered from so many things nowadays though we also have the other extreme, where parents let their kids do everything they want, and dont care

molonski2 · Answer

100 % it does , you need to learn both winning and loosing in life , this everybody gets a trophy stuff is absolute rubbish.

WhitneySnow · Answer

Getting a trophy makes everyone feel good about participating

strateguy632 · Answer

yes. when everyone gets a trophy nobody got a trophy

rising1138 · Answer

In the long run, yes. It cheapens things. The fact of the matter is you will NEED to put in effort to succeed and accomplish your goals. There will be many bumps along the way. It's important to have this perspective.

BigDog1989 · Answer

If you don't get one, it teaches people that they're losers, if they don't win. Who wants to be known as a loser, right, girls?

SonyaLB · Answer

Sure! I just am very competitive. I think losing tells more than winning like what you need to work on and how do become better.

Grovermint · Answer

Yeah, it's stupid. Thanks for participating.

Iron_Man · Answer

Trophies are for different places you finish as well if you qualify

Blueeyes81 · Answer

It doesn't do anyone any good.

whistlingwh0res · Answer

Goblins will be goblins period

Fuentes · Answer

Yes I do

Do you think giving every kid a trophy inhibits their sense of competition and accomplishment?

Most Helpful Opinions

What Girls & Guys Said

Do you think giving every kid a trophy inhibits their sense of competition and accomplishment?

Most Helpful Opinions

What Girls & Guys Said

We're glad to see you liked this post.