“‘From ages 0 to 12, the goal is to help kids to fall in love with sports, to want to come back the next year, to want to go into the backyard and improve their technique,”’ Farrey said. He cautions against focusing on winning and losing in the pre-tween years. “’There is a time and a place to sort the weak from the strong, but it is not before they grow into their bodies and their minds and their interests’”(Hefferman). Participation trophies are a very controversial topic many people are discussing. Although some say participation trophies are bad for pre-teens they are actually beneficial because they keep them interested in the activity, boosts their self-esteem, and gives them a sense of pride. One argument commonly raised is that giving …show more content…
This teaches them the importance of participating in a group towards one common goal. "We want kids to participate in sports, to learn to improve their skills, to help others, to work hard and make a contribution to the team" (Hefferman). Teaching these values to children can have a positive effect on their future work ethic and success. Children will be taught the value of hard work and the importance of it. Dedication to a sport will not drive them to give up easily on a task that they have set their mind to. These values would not only teach the children these values, but would also help those around …show more content…
This way of thinking will kill any hope for children who do not win right away. It will force them to make a choice either continue on the same team and get better or quit and not face losing. The ones who are against the trophies believe that the adversity will drive the athletes to become better and improve. Some may actually stay with the game and improve, while countless others will become discouraged and give up on the sport. On the contrary, the one who recieves a trophy will have a boost of confidence. “Not everyone is a winner. It’s simply a fact, as typically 95% of all participants fail to capture a championship in any given sport or season. That’s because only one team or player can win” (Armideo). With only one team or player winning can bring the losers of the games down, those who lose may have low spirits. With a participation trophy they will still be interested in playing the