This war on Participation Trophies is completely overblown.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just think kids don't learn how to lose anymore. Losing gracefully is a very important skill. In life you're rarely going to be #1 and that's okay. I think participation trophies take away the intrinsic knowledge that you tried something, it was fun and that that is enough.

OP here. I agree that kids need to learn how to lose. I just don't agree that participation trophies is the problem. Kids aren't idiots. They see that everyone got a trophy so they know they weren't the winner. I have a bigger issue with the fact that my kids got all the way through ES without ever racing their classmates. When dd was trying to decide whether or not to take track in MS, i found out that she had no idea if she was among the fastest or slowest in her ES class. I took track in MS because I knew that I was one of the fastest, so that was a talent I wanted to pursue. When we don't let kids compete, we don't let them discover their natural talents.

What was your child doing during recess?

Kind of hard to race in a sea of tire chips. Don't even get me started on that.

But even if she had the opportunity to race at recess, i don't even think it would have ever occurred to her or her friends to do so. Racing their peers to see who is fastest just isn't a concept they are familiar with.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To me, the focus on participation serves a valuable purpose.

Some kids are just crappy at sports -- they have lousy hand-eye coordination, fall over their feet when they run, etc. When the focus is on winning, those kids quickly learn to bow out of team sports, for the good of their teammates. They learn not to do things they aren't good at, and they are discouraged from physical activity. Is that what we want kids to learn?

I agree with this, and I suspect that the people who are most offended by trophies for effort rather than for "winning" have very athletic children or children who shine at something.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To me, the focus on participation serves a valuable purpose.

Some kids are just crappy at sports -- they have lousy hand-eye coordination, fall over their feet when they run, etc. When the focus is on winning, those kids quickly learn to bow out of team sports, for the good of their teammates. They learn not to do things they aren't good at, and they are discouraged from physical activity. Is that what we want kids to learn?

I agree with this, and I suspect that the people who are most offended by trophies for effort rather than for "winning" have very athletic children or children who shine at something.

I think it is the parent that never is satisfied with their children's accomplishments... that is either yelling from the sidelines or punishing their child for a "B" on their report card.

It is a very sad world they live in where nothing is good enough unless you are the best.

Could you imagine a workplace where every single person was trying to out do the other. It just would not work, others don't have to lose so that you can win.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just think kids don't learn how to lose anymore. Losing gracefully is a very important skill. In life you're rarely going to be #1 and that's okay. I think participation trophies take away the intrinsic knowledge that you tried something, it was fun and that that is enough.

OP here. I agree that kids need to learn how to lose. I just don't agree that participation trophies is the problem. Kids aren't idiots. They see that everyone got a trophy so they know they weren't the winner. I have a bigger issue with the fact that my kids got all the way through ES without ever racing their classmates. When dd was trying to decide whether or not to take track in MS, i found out that she had no idea if she was among the fastest or slowest in her ES class. I took track in MS because I knew that I was one of the fastest, so that was a talent I wanted to pursue. When we don't let kids compete, we don't let them discover their natural talents.

What was your child doing during recess?

Kind of hard to race in a sea of tire chips. Don't even get me started on that.

But even if she had the opportunity to race at recess, i don't even think it would have ever occurred to her or her friends to do so. Racing their peers to see who is fastest just isn't a concept they are familiar with.

If it was important to you that your kid have experience running races, why didn't you set them up in your backyard, or sign her up for track, or in some way take responsibility for her learning this? Blaming the school for the fact that your kid didn't figure out that some people run races is a little bizarre.

I'm guessing that the fastest kids in your kid's class know that they're the fastest. They don't need races in PE to figure it out. They know who gets to the ball quickest in soccer, and who looks like the wind when they run down the sidewalk at the end of the day.

[Anonymous]

For your listening pleasure:

Participation Trophy by the Not-its

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-5OApiP4nY

[Anonymous]

Last week, a FB friend posted a long rant about participation trophies/medals, and how they are ruining our kids. Yesterday, the same guy posted a photo of himself proudly wearing a 5K finisher's medal...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To me, the focus on participation serves a valuable purpose.

Some kids are just crappy at sports -- they have lousy hand-eye coordination, fall over their feet when they run, etc. When the focus is on winning, those kids quickly learn to bow out of team sports, for the good of their teammates. They learn not to do things they aren't good at, and they are discouraged from physical activity. Is that what we want kids to learn?

I agree with this, and I suspect that the people who are most offended by trophies for effort rather than for "winning" have very athletic children or children who shine at something.

I think it is the parent that never is satisfied with their children's accomplishments... that is either yelling from the sidelines or punishing their child for a "B" on their report card.

It is a very sad world they live in where nothing is good enough unless you are the best.

Could you imagine a workplace where every single person was trying to out do the other. It just would not work, others don't have to lose so that you can win.

I believe that every child can be the best/ his best at something. Our job as parents is to help them find that skill and develop it. Giving them useless "oh you were on a SOCCER TEAM" trophies when they hate sports or aren't very good at them does no one a favor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To me, the focus on participation serves a valuable purpose.

Some kids are just crappy at sports -- they have lousy hand-eye coordination, fall over their feet when they run, etc. When the focus is on winning, those kids quickly learn to bow out of team sports, for the good of their teammates. They learn not to do things they aren't good at, and they are discouraged from physical activity. Is that what we want kids to learn?

I agree with this, and I suspect that the people who are most offended by trophies for effort rather than for "winning" have very athletic children or children who shine at something.

I think it is the parent that never is satisfied with their children's accomplishments... that is either yelling from the sidelines or punishing their child for a "B" on their report card.

It is a very sad world they live in where nothing is good enough unless you are the best.

Could you imagine a workplace where every single person was trying to out do the other. It just would not work, others don't have to lose so that you can win.

I believe that every child can be the best/ his best at something. Our job as parents is to help them find that skill and develop it. Giving them useless "oh you were on a SOCCER TEAM" trophies when they hate sports or aren't very good at them does no one a favor.

Okay, yes "everybody has a talent" in gerenal, sort of....

But mostly people make it through life 'just showing up", doing their best (which is rarely "the best")... the whole being the best is really impossible anyway.

So my son won the championship of the Rockville Football League... THE CHAMPIONSHIP... so now is he the best... no because the beltway league is better, or is it. Should MD public HS students NOT get a football championship honor because they could never beat Damatha?

Somebody is always better.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just think kids don't learn how to lose anymore. Losing gracefully is a very important skill. In life you're rarely going to be #1 and that's okay. I think participation trophies take away the intrinsic knowledge that you tried something, it was fun and that that is enough.

OP here. I agree that kids need to learn how to lose. I just don't agree that participation trophies is the problem. Kids aren't idiots. They see that everyone got a trophy so they know they weren't the winner. I have a bigger issue with the fact that my kids got all the way through ES without ever racing their classmates. When dd was trying to decide whether or not to take track in MS, i found out that she had no idea if she was among the fastest or slowest in her ES class. I took track in MS because I knew that I was one of the fastest, so that was a talent I wanted to pursue. When we don't let kids compete, we don't let them discover their natural talents.

What was your child doing during recess?

Kind of hard to race in a sea of tire chips. Don't even get me started on that.

But even if she had the opportunity to race at recess, i don't even think it would have ever occurred to her or her friends to do so. Racing their peers to see who is fastest just isn't a concept they are familiar with.

If it was important to you that your kid have experience running races, why didn't you set them up in your backyard, or sign her up for track, or in some way take responsibility for her learning this? Blaming the school for the fact that your kid didn't figure out that some people run races is a little bizarre.

I'm guessing that the fastest kids in your kid's class know that they're the fastest. They don't need races in PE to figure it out. They know who gets to the ball quickest in soccer, and who looks like the wind when they run down the sidewalk at the end of the day.

I think you are missing my point. I never gave it much thought until she mentioned to me that they had never raced. I think it would be kind of strange for me to set up races with her peers in my backyard, but thanks for the suggestion...

[Anonymous]

Maybe it's a boy/girl thing, but my 9 year old son can tell you who are the most athletic boys in his class with an amazing amount of detail. They know, trust me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To me, the focus on participation serves a valuable purpose.

Some kids are just crappy at sports -- they have lousy hand-eye coordination, fall over their feet when they run, etc. When the focus is on winning, those kids quickly learn to bow out of team sports, for the good of their teammates. They learn not to do things they aren't good at, and they are discouraged from physical activity. Is that what we want kids to learn?

I agree with this, and I suspect that the people who are most offended by trophies for effort rather than for "winning" have very athletic children or children who shine at something.

+1000

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

If it was important to you that your kid have experience running races, why didn't you set them up in your backyard, or sign her up for track, or in some way take responsibility for her learning this? Blaming the school for the fact that your kid didn't figure out that some people run races is a little bizarre.

I'm guessing that the fastest kids in your kid's class know that they're the fastest. They don't need races in PE to figure it out. They know who gets to the ball quickest in soccer, and who looks like the wind when they run down the sidewalk at the end of the day.

I think you are missing my point. I never gave it much thought until she mentioned to me that they had never raced. I think it would be kind of strange for me to set up races with her peers in my backyard, but thanks for the suggestion...

I'm not the PP, but my point is that I'm seriously surprised that your child evidently went through elementary school without ever running in PE or at recess. I know who the fast runners and the slow runners are in my child's class, because she's told me. And how does she know? A lot of the PE activities involve running, and they also run races at recess, organized by themselves -- after which they have arguments about who won.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I agree.

+2. Very overblown.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn't mind if there were participation certificates given without much hoopla. The money spent on throw-away trophies is ridiculous. Leagues could fill a whole bin with that junk.

This is my issue with them. I don't need (nor my children) more junk. They go right in the trash at my house. I used to let them keep them, but the trinkets have no sentimental value to my kids and just ended up at the bottom of the toy bin or under the bed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To me, the focus on participation serves a valuable purpose.

Some kids are just crappy at sports -- they have lousy hand-eye coordination, fall over their feet when they run, etc. When the focus is on winning, those kids quickly learn to bow out of team sports, for the good of their teammates. They learn not to do things they aren't good at, and they are discouraged from physical activity. Is that what we want kids to learn?

Just because a kid isn't good at soccer - or anything with a ball - doesn't mean they shouldn't try physical activity. There are a ton of sports that do not involve as much coordination. But a child should not be forced to play a team sport he/ she isn't good at.