The Trophy War
There was a time when kids received participation awards based on merit. Over the years, there's been a push to make sure everyone walks away with a trophy. Which is better?
When I was in elementary school, I came to dread awards ceremonies. I would sit in the auditorium watching one kid after another walk up to get some kind of award, while I walked away empty-handed.
I don’t recall winning an award or competition until I was in eighth grade, when I won a first-place ribbon in a district-wide speech competition. The next year, I won the district championship and took second in state.
My athletic awards were even fewer. I could count them on one hand.
But you know what? I survived the disappointment of all those years watching everyone else feel the elation of winning something: a trophy, ribbon, medal, or certificate.
Was I disappointed? Of course. Who wouldn’t be? But the good memories I made participating in sports or other activities far outweigh any individual award or accomplishment. I made friends I still keep in contact with to this day. I learned how to play well with others on a team, and the importance of leadership and discipline. Trophies and medals fade over time, but memories of the experience can last indefinitely.
Which Way Is Better?
Once upon a time, youth athletes received trophies or awards based solely on merit, for winning a championship or other event.
But over the years, such selective rewarding of success has been replaced by the participation trophy, or the idea that every kid who takes part in a sport or school activity should walk away with something.
Bring up either side of the issue, and you’re likely to get a lively and often heated discussion from parents, coaches and educators. One side believes kids need to earn an award, that it takes hard work to achieve a goal. Others believe in an environment where kids are entitled to be recognized, that failing to get an award will crush their self-esteem and scar them emotionally.
Some leagues and organizations have decided the old way is better. According to an article in the Pocono Record, a rec baseball league in Reisterstown, Maryland discontinued its policy of giving out participation trophies to players ages 4 to 8 at the end of the season. Andy Paladino, the program’s commissioner, was especially concerned about the issue of entitlement when rewarding kids for simply showing up.
“I would be interested to see how some of these kids who received them in the past are doing at their jobs now,” Paladino, an investment banker, told The Record.
Former Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison made headlines in 2015 when he returned participation trophies given to his six- and eight-year-old sons. His reason was simple; they hadn’t earned them.
“While I am very proud of my boys for everything they do and will encourage them till the day I die, these trophies will be given back until they EARN a real trophy,” Harrison stated in an Instagram post.
No Child Left Behind
Not everyone believes such awards are harmful to young athletes. In a 2015 blog post for the National Alliance for Youth Sports, author Richard Greenberg believes such awards are great reminders to kids of the overall experience and their commitment to the sport they enjoyed.
Recalling his own memories as a Little Leaguer, Greenberg wrote, “I knew my trophy wasn’t about my on-field achievements. It simply reminded me that I was on a team with my school pals… My trophy was a souvenir – a physical representation of the experience – just like the medals and t-shirts people get when they participate, but don’t win, marathons, 10 or 5Ks, bike rides and many other events.”
Dan Keller, a youth coach in Huntington Beach, California, who operates the online baseball resource Dugoutcaptain.com, says everyone on his son’s team received a medal for participating. But they also had other awards players had to earn: Player of the Year, Most Improved, and a Gettin’ Better award for the best teammate or hardest worker.
“We made sure everyone got something… But then we explained that only certain kids earn the awards (with an) emphasis on EARN,” Keller told me in a 2018 interview.
There will always be polarizing views on the subject of handing out awards to kids “just for being there”, and whether they cause long-term negative damage either way. There’s also the question of when to stop, and give trophies for actual accomplishments that can only be earned, like a championship or MVP. I tend to lean toward Keller’s method: do a little of both. Give awards for being part of the group, while allowing kids the opportunity to earn others, such as a Most Improved Player or Student of the Year.
Ultimately, the decision rests with each organization and its administrators.
While there has been some pushback on his league’s decision to stop distributing trophies to all kids, Paladino says most parents are fine with the new policy. As one dad pointed out, “if you’re the champ, you get a trophy. You have to learn to take the good with the bad.”
Hot Takes and Great Reads
Congratulations to Texas Tech head football coach Matt Wells for being named honorary head coach for the 2021 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team.
Wells joins 22 football student-athletes from all three NCAA divisions and the NAIA to make up the final roster of 23 award recipients from across college football. The award recognizes the good in college football that extends beyond the playing field. The winners have made a commitment to service in their respective communities and leaving a lasting impact on their schools.
You can check out more details on the Big 12 website.
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The Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games are behind us, but the Beijing 2022 Winter Games are just a few months away. Unfortunately, COVID-19 is still an issue, and the USOPC recently issued a mandate requiring vaccination of all athletes, contractors, employees and other personnel to be fully vaccinated by November 1.
According to the mandate, a medical or religious exemption can be obtained prior to the deadline.
As of December 1, 2021, the guidelines will also extend to all Team USA delegation members or hopefuls for future Games. Everyone must meet these requirements in order to access USOPC facilities, including the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Training Centers, and all events and activities hosted by the USOPC’s internationally managed sports.
Click here to read the full announcement.
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I read an interesting article on ElPasoInc.com about how technology is changing youth sports. The advent of video analysis, apps and other technology is making athlete development a lot easier than in years past.
Like many other things, it can be an expensive investment for parents to get access to this technology. But used in the right way, it can do wonders for athletes and teams in all sports.
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I’m a big Houston Rockets fan, so I was happy to hear that Rockets guard John Wall and his foundation have undertaken an NFT project to help fund youth sports. He wants to send a message to kids that anything is achievable.
The project, titled Baby Ballers, is launching September 30. It will feature the distribution of 4,000 mints to be made available to the public. These mints depict unique babies with different traits playing sports. NFT holders will have access to giveaways of items including jerseys, courtside tickets and more.
Click here to read the full story.
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