Wesley Smith: Participation Trophies Damages Work Ethic

Should children be awarded trophies for just participating in sports? The trophy system has gone too far in today’s generation, it seems that everyone gets a trophy for just trying. Trophies can intensify self-esteem and motivate children but if everyone receives a trophy then is it really intensifying other’s spirits? I believe that the best should receive the best. That being said there should be an emphasis of finishing first and being a true winner. That is why I think the trophy system is changing the meaning of sports. Psychological research, personal experience, and great speeches have made me reach this conclusion.

Noreen Malone, a New York Times writer, writes about how today’s out of college graduates are struggling in the real world after enjoying childhoods filled with support. It’s true, we need to teach kids early now that competition is challenging for a reason. In the world there is losers and winners and if we award everyone then kids won’t be able to see that. She writes in her New York Times piece “For me, the problem isn’t the profusion of positive reinforcement kids get nowadays, but rather the failure to distinguish the accomplishments that deserve it, from those that don’t.” I believe it is still important to acknowledge kids’ participation but not everything needs a trophy.

Stanford researcher, Carol Dweck offered her thoughts about this issue in the New York Times piece, “Too Much Praise is No Good for Toddlers.” Acknowledging children’s every day achievements, she says, will likely have negative repercussions on their motivation to work toward them. She goes on to state that, “Parents should take away the fact that they are not giving their children a gift when they tell them how brilliant and talented they are.” Relating Dweck to the subject at hand is that there needs to be a first place and that kids should learn how to congratulate those who get first so that they can find motivation that one day they might be in that position. To receive praise I believe you have to earn it.

Vivian Diller Ph.D, was once a dancer and her coaches use to always tell her practice until it is perfect, she didn’t grow up hearing that she was the best and what came out of that experience was “a fierce determination to do my best at whatever I chose to do,” as she states in her article, “Do We All Deserve Gold? Setting Kids Up To Fail.” In this case the intangibles go a lot further than the tangible trophy you receive. A trophy is a good representation of hard work but if no hard work went into receiving it then what does the trophy actually represent?

One of the most innovative minds gave an inspiring speech for a high school graduation. In the iconic ‘Rules Kids Won’t Learn in School’ speech, Gates gives a bunch of rules as a heads up for the graduating seniors of the high school. Rule number eight of the 11 rules he states, “your school may have done away with winners and losers. Life hasn’t. In some schools, they’ll give you as many times as you want to get the right answer. Failing grades have been abolished and class valedictorians scrapped, lest anyone’s feelings be hurt. Effort is as important as results. This, of course, bears not the slightest resemblance to anything in real life.” Gates delivered this harsh message but it is important for kids to understand that in the real world the best gets the best. Just because someone went through the motions does not mean they will achieve success. A recent Georgetown study found that 6.2 percent of college graduates are unemployed. Just because people go to college it doesn’t mean they are rewarded a job immediately after they graduate. This relates to the trophy controversy by saying that just because you played in the season doesn’t mean you get a trophy at the end of the day. The best get the job and the best should get the trophy.