In today’s society, more and more kids are getting participation trophies for doing nothing except showing up. Yes it is important to teach kids to do their best, but being awarded just for being as good as you already are doesn't give kids the motivation to make themselves even better. Why would they want to improve if they already have that shiny trophy? I do not believe that participation trophies should be handed out like they are.
Participation trophies are a form of rewards that give young children a reward for simply showing up to their games or meets and participating. They seem to have been created from the many complaints of parents upset over the fact that their child didn't win a trophy while another did. Many view this as a way
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While it is true that becoming a champion could be pressurizing to a younger child, wanting to be the best around at something is something that carries on even outside of sports, into life. We should be expecting kids to want to compete to win, not just to be participating. To be the winner of a sport will give you the mental mindset to be the best at other things later in life, such as being the best at their job, or being the best in school. One way that participation trophies could actually work is if each award was given to the child player with a purpose. The coach stating each players strength on the team as they hand them the award could give a powerful message to the children, showing them that they have control over their success. Sadly however, most participation trophies don't work this way. They just blatantly hand them out to the children without any explanation other than “you were a part of the team!” In the end, however, all of the lessons taught from getting a participation trophy could be taught stronger without them. Sports at a young age should be about learning about the basics of the sport anyways and not about the rewards you get from