Many believe that acknowledging a child’s participation with an award is a good thing, but not necessarily realistic. Typically, giving children a trophy isn’t representative of them making it to all the practices and games or giving effort or improving, but rewarding them for having a parent capable of registering them. However, I believe if we put a new and improved meaning behind participation trophies, by recognizing a child’s effort while they are participating in the sport, it may go a long way in the psychological development of children involved in youth sports. Recognition, in this case, with a trophy.

Being an athlete my whole life, and being a current collegiate athlete at Elon, I can attest to the fact that being rewarded for my natural talents and abilities was always reassuring, but I really became motivated when I was being praised for exerting effort on the field or on the track, which I believe had a huge impact on my future successes and would always motivate me more. For example, at the end of the season when we would receive trophies, if my coach would say a few words about me, talking about me giving effort, and having grit and passion for the game, it translated into becoming a positive reinforcer for me to want to work harder, continue to make my future coaches proud, and advance to become stronger, more technically skilled, and to eventually succeed

The award would motivate young kids just beginning to develop an interest in sports, and specifically would be representative of their effort and not necessarily their achievements. There would be no MVP award, or recognition for the most points scored that season. Emphasizing participation over results early on will bring far more kids into the game. Working with a group of peers with the goal of succeeding teaches them that in life, teamwork and putting in effort is very important and should be recognized. If children recieve a trophy for showing effort by participating, it may go a long way in boosting the confidence and future success if they are lacking support or attention at home or in other aspects of their lives.

Science even says reward effort. Kenneth Barish, associate professor of psychology at Cornell University, says participation trophies are not in any way harmful to kids’ psyches. A prime example of the beneficial factors of praising effort is the study by Stanford psychology professor Carol Dweck that looked at how children are affected by praise. About 400 fifth-graders were given an easy IQ test by Dweck and her colleagues. After taking the test, some of the kids were praised for their intelligence, and would hear phrases such as, “Wow … that’s a really good score. You must be smart,” while the others were praised for their effort, and would hear things like, “Wow … that’s a really good score. You must have worked hard.”The impact of the different types of positive reinforcement was remarkable. When the same kids were asked to take another test and given the choice between an easier version that they would “surely do well on,” or one that was “more difficult but presented an opportunity to learn,” 67% of the kids praised for their intelligence chose the easier test while 92% of those praised for their effort chose the more difficult one.  

Whether it’s in the classroom or on the field, rewarding effort works. Studies have also shown that sports in particular, can positively affect aspects of personal development among young people, such as self-esteem, goal-setting, and leadership.Studies overwhelmingly show that participation in sports is linked to better grades, lower dropout rates and, particularly among girls, an increased desire to attend college. Female high school athletes are less likely to use drugs, and to suffer from depression, when compared to their non-athlete peers.

Additionally, correlation has been found between regular exercise and mental health among teenage students. Those who exercised 6 to 7 days a week, 25.1% felt sad for two weeks or more in the past year, compared to 35.7% of students who reported exercising 0 to 1 day.  Of students who exercised 6 to 7 days, 15% reported suicidal thoughts, and 6.4% reported a suicide attempt in the past year, compared to 24.6% and 10.3% of students who exercised 0-1 day. This just shows the profound impact of how participation in sports has a huge influence on youth’s mental health, which means we must keep encouraging kids to participate in sports not just because of the success, but by putting in effort and participating can benefit their mental health in the long run as well.

Both of my parents were collegiate athletes, and they consistently told me that I would always have natural athletic abilities, but what can really set you apart from others is how much effort you put into the sport you play. Being recognized for the amount of effort you exert can have a substantial psychological impact on the development of self esteem and confidence while playing your sport, charisma with your teammates and coaches, and future accomplishments as a more experienced athlete. Receiving participation trophies early on, specifically for clearly showing effort, is the first step for future success.