I’ve focused on leadership, overcoming obstacles, dealing with adversity, and many other self-development topics throughout my blog post writings.
Now, I’m fascinated by the argument or debate over “Participation Trophies.”
The fact is because a child in kindergarten got a 4-inch-tall plastic cup for showing up to play soccer/football or a robbin for showing up to present in some school project, that 20 years later, that individual feels as though they deserve a promotion for just showing up.
That’s the argument!
Only winners should get trophies!
Nevertheless, our children are more intelligent than that; in essence, a trophy for participation is just a trophy for participation. Right?!
Yet, the old participation trophy argument rages on where most people consider it dangerous for children.
For most people, the participation trophy symbolizes what’s wrong with children today (or what’s wrong with the world); basically, this entitlement generation. The lack of toughness, discipline, accountability, hard work, and determination.
These kids are being told that they are special, where most have never learned to work hard and earn a winner’s trophy.
The bottom line… these kids are being set up for failure.
History of the participation trophy.
Suppose you don’t know about this phenomenon. In that case, the participation trophy is a trophy given to children (usually) who participate in a sporting event but do not finish in first, second, or third place. So they would not usually be eligible for a trophy.
The history of the participation trophy goes back decades, before World War II.
In 1924, the University of Minnesota debuted a 30-inch sterling participation trophy for the campus organization with the highest participation points.
The idea was to encourage students to do sports—participation as something to be rewarded, because it’s good to exercise, compete, try-hard, win or lose (Reference https://slate.com/culture/2019/04/participation-trophy-history-world-war-i.html).
Today, the participation trophy is frequently associated with millennials or Generation Y.
However, I’m in Generation X, and I received a participation trophy in middle school for football and later in High School for soccer.
The difference in Perspectives.
After reading several articles on the pros and cons of participation trophies, I conclude that the argument is total nonsense.
The military handed out participation trophies during and after World War II. The so-called “Greatest Generation” received participation trophies, and these are people born from 1901 to 1927.
This Greatest Generation believes in personal responsibility, humility, work ethic, and faithful commitment, among other characteristics.
Are they entitled because they fought in World War II and other conflicts?
People who run races receive participation trophies.
If you run a marathon or half marathon, you will receive an award, T-shirt, and other gifts for just finishing the race (basically, you don’t have to come in 1st, 2nd, 3rd, or anywhere near the top 20 percent – you just finished the race).
Some individuals run for fun, others for personal accomplishment (e.g., weight loss, overcoming an illness, etc..), and some want to win the race.
Are we going to say that the people who ran the race and received an award for fun or personal accomplishment are entitled and don’t deserve anything because they did not win or come in the top 10 percent?
That’s the argument.
On the other hand, those people finishing in the top 10 percent are told they are special. Indeed, they are special and gifted for finishing in the top 10 percent. Whether that is academics, sports, or business.
Participation Trophies are not about Winning and Losing.
People associate the participation trophy with the game of life. You could argue that life is not a game; it’s serious because you could die.
That’s the whole point. We need to stop looking at the participation trophy as winning or losing.
In the game of life, there is NO winning or losing; the game of life is about whoever lasts the longest.
There is no winning or losing in marriage, business, or relationships; essentially, it is whoever lasts the longest.
You must participate to win. You must participate in order to understand your strength and weaknesses.
I say participate as early and as much as possible. Whether you win or lose, what did you learn about yourself? How can you apply those lessons to your relationships, marriage, business, etc.…?
In summary, the participation trophy argument is something that coaches and parents must decide on, whether it becomes a personal choice of goals or motivations behind the award.
However, the participation trophy can be just the boost a young person needs to find out their strengths, weaknesses, and or limitations.
Why are we not talking about the kids who don’t participate? Where are their parents?
Well said 👏