Your kids’ trophies and accolades don’t matter (and never will)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Honestly, participation trophies are the best thing to ever happen to youth sports. Kids shouldn’t have to earn validation through arbitrary wins—building self-esteem is way more important than learning how to lose. Honestly, competition is overrated, and sports should focus entirely on fun and inclusion. Let’s stop glorifying winners and start celebrating everyone equally.

My kids love playing against your children...keep up the good work!

[Anonymous]

What everyone - parents and kids - eventually realizes is no one gives a rats rear end about whether you or your team won or lost.

The exception to this rule would be if you participated on a high school state championship team or won an individual high school state championship. Then you likely would see some school acknowledgment of that achievement. That’s it.

Think I’m wrong? The top youth soccer leagues in the US are - for girls - ECNL. For boys - the MLS division of MLSnext. Ask yourself- do you have any idea what teams won the 17-19 championships last year? Do you care? Do you think anyone on those teams cares? The reality is the teams/programs exist for individual player improvement. No other reason. Their goal is to get players going to the next level - college or pro. “Winning” at the lower level does not matter. At all. No college coach or pro coach is the least bit interested in whether you played for a winning team. They care if the individual player has the ability to play at their level.

Sure kids care about winning. They should. Leagues are mostly structured so that teams play relatively competitive opposing teams. It makes for more competitive games. But, it does not always work. You can end up “too good” or “too bad” for your league/division. So - you play in some outside tournaments to get the better level of competition. Ta dah. Then - next year - kids leave/get added and the team gets more appropriately placed, and life moves on. Last year’s bottom division 2 team is this year’s top division 3 team.

Does any of that matter to actual player improvement? No. But, individual players will start to get sorted onto teams that more closely align with their individual levels.

[Anonymous]

You do realize OP actually does not believe what they posted but just the opposite.

So many weird sports parents, OP included.

[Anonymous]

trophies are cool and you are too!

[Anonymous]

Except when it gives them $$ and access to college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Except when it gives them $$ and access to college.

Which trophies does that?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What everyone - parents and kids - eventually realizes is no one gives a rats rear end about whether you or your team won or lost.

The exception to this rule would be if you participated on a high school state championship team or won an individual high school state championship. Then you likely would see some school acknowledgment of that achievement. That’s it.

Think I’m wrong? The top youth soccer leagues in the US are - for girls - ECNL. For boys - the MLS division of MLSnext. Ask yourself- do you have any idea what teams won the 17-19 championships last year? Do you care? Do you think anyone on those teams cares? The reality is the teams/programs exist for individual player improvement. No other reason. Their goal is to get players going to the next level - college or pro. “Winning” at the lower level does not matter. At all. No college coach or pro coach is the least bit interested in whether you played for a winning team. They care if the individual player has the ability to play at their level.

Sure kids care about winning. They should. Leagues are mostly structured so that teams play relatively competitive opposing teams. It makes for more competitive games. But, it does not always work. You can end up “too good” or “too bad” for your league/division. So - you play in some outside tournaments to get the better level of competition. Ta dah. Then - next year - kids leave/get added and the team gets more appropriately placed, and life moves on. Last year’s bottom division 2 team is this year’s top division 3 team.

Does any of that matter to actual player improvement? No. But, individual players will start to get sorted onto teams that more closely align with their individual levels.

Good lord you’ve missed the entire point of the exercise. You can’t put a price on the quality time spent with your son(s) or daughter(s).

[Anonymous]

Honestly, they do. Just as much as your debate medal.

[Anonymous]

OP, someone is alleging your bitter post is because neither you nor your kids has done anything of significance worth noting or celebrating