Participation Trophies In the debate between the authors Parker Abate and Betty Berden, the two speak about all kids getting participation trophies and how it affects each kid. Though they both make outstanding points, I am all on Betty Berden's side; no participation trophies. Participation trophies should strictly be given to the winners, not every kid who takes a step on the field. When playing sports, most kids are learning how to work with a team and how to communicate; simple life lessons. But what is not so simple is the main lesson they get from playing a sport, which is that we are all winners. In the passage “Participation Trophies Send a Dangerous Message” by Betty Berden, she states, “Showing up to work, attending class, completing homework, and trying my best at sports practice are expected of me, not worthy of an award.” By handing out trophies, we are teaching these young kids that the simple things we are expected to do should not be done without a reward. This teaches kids that they should do nothing until they are rewarded. Later, Berden also states, “Trophies used to be awarded only to winners, but are now little more than party favors.” Children are so used to getting rewards that …show more content…
As an example, they hold memories of every sport you played and all the friends you made! In the passage “In Youth Sports, Participation Trophies Send a Powerful Message” by Parker Abate, he states, “Any kind of honor can make a young kid feel as if he or she meant something to the team, and that could boost the child’s self-confidence.” I would like to argue that any kid should feel like this without a trophy; they should feel like this because they get to play their sport with their friends! In paragraph 2, Abate states, “They learn about teamwork and sportsmanship, and they learn the importance of exercise.” Children learn about the basics of ‘real life’, which will help them much more than a simple