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I wish the article gave the ages of the kids. Participation trophies ended by 2nd grade at the latest for the sports my kids were in.
I know they didn't carry much meaning for them once they began actually earning trophies, but at the time they got them, they were thrilled, and maybe it even encouraged them to keep on playing. The children of a pro may not need that extra push to play, but is there really anything wrong for the average child just starting out in organized sports?
Why does the news media give so much attention to this?
Seems like they are trying to push some agenda
He returned the trophies.... great
Is it news worthy? hell no
There's no importance in telling a 6 old that they aren't as good as their fellow 1st graders. There is nothing to be gained by beating their confidence down the first time they try something. All they know is that their little friend got a trophy and they didn't. To take the trophy away is even worse. SMH
Nobody gets an award for showing up and doing what they are supposed to do. There is no reason to give a child an award for showing up and doing what they are supposed to do. Sometimes you do the best you can and it just isn't good enough. There is no need to tell a child he isn't as good at (fill in the blank) as someone else. He will figure it out on his own and it is a valuable lesson to learn.
Yeah, I think that if your kid becomes an entitled, special snowflake simply because he receives participation trophy once or twice a year, you've probably got bigger issues than the hardware.
Yeah, I think that if your kid becomes an entitled, special snowflake simply because he receives participation trophy once or twice a year, you've probably got bigger issues than the hardware.
My thinking too
Anyways lets think of it this way, the kids are new...new to life and situations. To us old farts, a trophy means one thing. You won! (bully for you). To our kids, if they are getting these things, it means "you participated!" (bully for them). So what if they are proud of that. You think they wouldn't have been more proud if they won.
Here's my question - does any kid actually take those participation trophies seriously? The year I did soccer, my team lost every game. I got some crappy little trophy, and I didn't think it was "hey, you're a winner too!" - even as a kid, I realized it was just a sort of commemorative memento, like the team photo and the end-of-season "banquet" where winning teams were acknowledged on stage. I've always seen those things as being more about building community and a sense of belonging than telling a kid "good job for losing consistently." Same with the ribbons for field day at my school - once you got beyond 1st, 2nd and 3rd, no one really cared.
I can't really understand why people get all huffy about it and freak out. Your kids aren't stupid. They know it's just an acknowledgement that they participated in something, and frankly there's nothing wrong with that. Cripes, you get party favors for showing up at someone's wedding.
It seems kind of mean-spirited to take away trophies from a kid and tell them they didn't "earn" it - were these children under the delusion that they were the champions of the league? I doubt it. Participation trophies say "hey, you were a part of this. Here's something to remember it by." I'd look at my stupid little soccer trophy and laugh about the ball bouncing off of my head more than once and the fun times I had with my teammates. I wasn't under the delusion that I had any significant soccer skills just because I got a little plastic memento.
Parents who get upset about participation trophies would probably be best-served directing their energies into other concerns. Like maybe how their kid is doing in school rather than on the sports field or court.
Nobody gets an award for showing up and doing what they are supposed to do. There is no reason to give a child an award for showing up and doing what they are supposed to do. Sometimes you do the best you can and it just isn't good enough. There is no need to tell a child he isn't as good at (fill in the blank) as someone else. He will figure it out on his own and it is a valuable lesson to learn.
Sometimes your best really isn't good enough.
And yet you don't have to be valedictorian to get a diploma. You don't have to be #1 in sales to get a paycheck. Only in sports is effort not good enough, and if it's a team sport, you are held responsible for the other kids involved, regardless of how good you are.
At this age, kids should be working to get better on their own skills, which can be to the detriment of winning the game.
You have practice to do that.
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Learning to play as a team is surely a benefit of children's sports, but so is improving individual skills. So, would I rather have my kid pass the ball to the kid that has advanced athletically earlier, or would I rather have my kid take more risks and improve his individual skills? I, personally, choose the later, which could lead to more mistakes and fewer wins during the season...and likely means they don't win the trophy for first place.
I come from a family of narcissists who'd predominantly agree with what you said and they are generally unpleasant, unpopular people, such that your post hits a negative chord with me. Having role-players mostly giving the ball to the best players on the team, or whoever's most open, is teaching teamwork and delegation. Also, you'll have fewer or no situations where the good athletes go off on the lesser athletes for ball-hogging.
I used to play basketball a lot and few things would be more offensive than an inferior teammate hoisting up many shots. I came to understand that I would sometimes be the dominate player on my team and our best chance of winning was them supporting me (their passing a lot, setting screens), and sometimes I'd have a few great teammates and I'd do the supportive role for them; would you agree that learning this place is good for the work place and at least sometimes in relationships?
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I don't think the medals ever really motivated my kids, but I do see kids where it seems to matter. If it keeps them engaged in athletics, that is good.
After some contemplation, I think a ribbon would be more appropriate if we're just talking participation, on the idea that participation medals won't generally be something revered years later, and only for little kids.
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I see parents of little kids WAY too focused on winning. I want my kids to win, too, but a better perspective is a focus on improving.
I think I agree with this, if you mean not getting competitive enough to facilitate arguments. I think it's good for little kids to be taught good competitive strategy (when to pass, how to defend what, etc.), but also having fun and getting along with teammates and opponents.
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