Participation trophies, are they a good or bad thing in competitions?

[Buzz Rules]

Participation trophies, are they a good or bad thing in competitions? For example, when I was a kid playing in a local soccer league, we all received a participation trophy no matter where we finished in the standings at the end of the year. In Europe I notice they rarely do it for youth sports (correct me if I’m wrong). But in general do you think participation trophies are a good or bad thing for kids in society?

 

[Christine]

In general, without going into nuances of positives and negatives, I don't agree with them.

 

[mjkacmom]

I’m fine with them for little kids, to hand out at the end of season pizza party. After that, nope.

 

[TippyThomas]

Bad

 

[DisneyHardin]

I think they are fine for little kids. I remember when I was in about 2nd grade, I played on a Little League basketball team. We were terrible and hardly won any games. At the end of the season, we all got little trophies and I remember being so proud of that trophy - I took it to school for show and tell. Even though they are just something that will most likely get thrown away later, I think they are a REALLY big deal to younger kids.

 

[RedAngie]

After about 3rd grade, I think they should eliminate participation trophies. In my DD’s high school, there was a trophy case with all kinds of ridiculous awards. Northern Delaware Spring Band Competition, 6th place. Stuff like that.

 

[Disneylover99]

I think participation ribbons are fine. A trophy is too much.

 

[PollyannaMom]

I don't particularly like them.

1) If we teach kids when they're small that you have "win something" at an activity for it to be worthwhile, I think they may be less likely later on to try things out just for fun.

2) I feel like there are fewer and fewer opportunities in today's society for little kids to solidly develop their self-esteem. We can tell them they're great until we're blue in the face, but they don't actually internalize it without accomplishing some real things on their own. (And if everybody gets a trophy, it makes the first place one seem kind of less "real".)

3) They're mostly made of plastic, which we really need to keep reducing.

 

[Sinder]

I played little league softball throughout my entire youth. At the end of the season every kid got a little trophy. The teams that won the championship got a bigger one.
That stopped when you went on to Babe Ruth so I think around 13/14 years old.
I’m not sure getting a trophy on its own does any harm. There are other factors like how you are raised that combined with participation trophys could be bad IMO

 

[h518may]

I agree that in general participation trophies aren’t needed. My very normal son never cared for the participation trophies he got. But I also have a daughter that is special needs, intellectual and behavioral delays, she dances and she works very hard for her trophy every year. All the students in her dance classes are special needs and these trophies are very important to them. So while I think normal kids don’t really need participation trophies, I do think there are instances that trophies can be good for the kids involved.

 

[momz]

I agree that in general participation trophies aren’t needed. My very normal son never cared for the participation trophies he got. But I also have a daughter that is special needs, intellectual and behavioral delays, she dances and she works very hard for her trophy every year. All the students in her dance classes are special needs and these trophies are very important to them. So while I think normal kids don’t really need participation trophies, I do think there are instances that trophies can be good for the kids involved.

You make a very good point. I was a normal kid. Honestly, I valued the dance costume or the sports jersey much more than any trophy I ever got. The costume and jerseys meant I belonged to the group. The trophy just collected dust in my room. Even the winner trophies held little meaning for me. I just wanted to play.

It's a different culture now. A kid has to specialize in an activity, play year round, get private lessons, be picked for the right teams. It's not about just playing anymore. That's a shame in my opinion.

 

[emmybee]

Not sure if this will be a very coherent response, but here I go...I don't care, and I don't understand why anyone else cares, either. If a kid feels good about getting their trophy, great! If a kid could care less, that's fine, too. It takes nothing away from those who place 1st through 3rd. I don't think it coddles kids, ruins them for life, or whatever hyperbole people come up with as an argument against them.

The one argument I could agree with is that it feels wasteful. So if parents are dead set against participation trophies, maybe they should use that as argument for getting rid of them....Do it for the planet! lol

 

[fly girl]

Not sure if this will be a very coherent response, but here I go...I don't care, and I don't understand why anyone else cares, either. If a kid feels good about getting their trophy, great! If a kid could care less, that's fine, too. It takes nothing away from those who place 1st through 3rd. I don't think it coddles kids, ruins them for life, or whatever hyperbole people come up with as an argument against them.

The one argument I could agree with is that it feels wasteful. So if parents are dead set against participation trophies, maybe they should use that as argument for getting rid of them....Do it for the planet! lol

I don't think it takes away from the teams who placed higher, and I don't think it ruins them for life, but why I care is that I do feel that losing is a skill you need to learn. If you never fail as a kid and learn how to cope and deal with it, you won't be prepared when it inevitably happens in life. Learning it early is a good thing. Yes, as parents we hate seeing it, but it is a an important life lesson. Failure is actually a good thing to happen every once and a while. Honestly, you grow more from losing than winning.

I am ok with participation ribbons, but trophies not so much.

 

[emmybee]

I don't think it takes away from the teams who placed higher, and I don't think it ruins them for life, but why I care is that I do feel that losing is a skill you need to learn. If you never fail as a kid and learn how to cope and deal with it, you won't be prepared when it inevitably happens in life. Learning it early is a good thing. Yes, as parents we hate seeing it, but it is a an important life lesson. Failure is actually a good thing to happen every once and a while. Honestly, you grow more from losing than winning.

I am ok with participation ribbons, but trophies not so much.

I think kids are more than capable of recognizing whether they won or lost, that's why I don't think a participation trophy is either good or bad. If they lost, a kid knows it. If they have the desire to win, I don't see a piece of tin appeasing them and lulling them into complacency. Nor would it absolve me of my responsibility of giving my kid the pep talk about losing.

That's why I find the potential waste more bothersome. I can definitely see them collecting dust for a while, only to be thrown out.

 

[fly girl]

I think kids are more than capable of recognizing whether they won or lost, that's why I don't think a participation trophy is either good or bad. If they lost, a kid knows it. If they have the desire to win, I don't see a piece of tin appeasing them and lulling them into complacency. Nor would it absolve me of my responsibility of giving my kid the pep talk about losing.

That's why I find the potential waste more bothersome. I can definitely see them collecting dust for a while, only to be thrown out.

Yes, most kids are capable of knowing they didn't win. But awarding them for participation (where as playing and having fun should be the reward) has the potential to create issues down the line for expecting rewards or kudos for just showing up. Idk, just my thoughts on it. We are going to have to cordially agree to disagree on this issue.

However, I fully agree on it being wasteful.

 

[mefordis]

Kids are wise to them. My 13 yr old tossed all of hers out because she said they don't mean anything.

 

[dreamer17555]

Those kids that don’t care about them that’s fine but I promise you there are children like mine who are autistic who work really hard who will never earn anything besides a participation trophy- to them they mean the world

 

[mefordis]

A trophy can represent devoting a season to a sport. For that reason I think they serve a good purpose.

 

[Boopuff]

My DD played tennis starting at age 5. Every, single, tournament she got a trophy. At first she was thrilled, then as she grew, she began to realize that she played badly, and her trophy was for the “looser” bracket. When she hit middle school, she was in competitive tennis. She hated the “consolation“ trophy’s. Those were never displayed, she took great pride in her “winner” trophy (first in doubles) that GIANT trophy stayed with her. The rest she donated back to the park district to be re-gifted.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Well I didn't ask for them when I was a kid (although they weren't quite uber common yet). Didn't really need them either. I think I remember getting a ribbon for some things that I strictly participating in rather than winning (or getting 2nd or 3rd place) I mean that was neat and all but not necessary either. I was sorta raised that you just did your best regardless of the tangible thing at the end. Sometimes your best meant you didn't win, or flat out bombed.

I do think growing up always thought it was weird to get a certificate (that was phrased as an award) for perfect attendance as if in 2nd or 3rd grade that was something kids cared about (well..at least none of us kids cared about it).

I want to say that in little doses recognition for all is perfectly fine, I think for a while it's like they were given out for any and all things and that's where the stereotype came into play.