Participation Trophies Research Paper

CPicture this, you win a championship and for one second you feel so happy, you have worked so hard and you finally reached your goal. Then you look to your left and realize the kid that only came to 2 practices the whole year got the same exact trophy as you. The happy feeling you felt turned into anger and frustration. Kids should not receive participation trophies because getting a participation trophies does not teach kids the concept of losing, it is not fair to everyone on the team, and the cost of them could be going to better use.
Receiving a participation trophy does not teach kids to accept losing. If a child keeps getting a reward for everything they do they will start to anticipate the awards. The Keller youth association (KYA) from Keller,Texas states ´´ Trophies are something you should strive to earn. Life does not just give you a participation job or medal, life makes you earn everything you get.’ ‘Participation trophies are not sending the right message to kids. Michele Borba an educational psychologist and TODAY contributor said ´´ Kids see through it, they
know when they deserve a trophy or award. Those unearned accolades also make kids hooked on rewards, what's the point? Everyone going to get a trophy for just showing up and breathing?´´ getting a trophy unearned will cause people to anticipate a recompense for doing nothing. Also If one athlete works harder than the other and they both get rewarded it is unkind to the athlete that works the hardest.
Participation trophies are unfair for the player that tries the hardest on the team.
There might be a player that tries really hard, in contrast there could be a player that does not try at all, yet, both of those players are getting rewarded. Micah Nisley, a program director for leagues in Northeastern Tarrant county states, ´´ It is important to have a winner and a loser, but that should not be the main focus. The main focus should be learning how to play the sport, how to listen to a coach, and be part of a team.´´ This shows that being part of a team is not always about winning, Micah Nisley is showing that being part of a team, and listening to the coach is part of going to practice every day and working hard, Not every should be rewarded if they are not doing that. Not only do they send the wrong message but the money spent on participation trophies could be going to better
use.
The cost of the participation trophies could be going towards the team for better reasons. According the website Trophies Depot the cheapest participation trophy is $5.95,if a team had 11 kids on a team all participation trophies total to about $65.45, so that money could have been spent on something to make the team better. To make the team more presentable, the money going towards participation trophies good be going towards that. The CNN report and linebacker James Harrison, a three time super bowl winner, states studies say that about 40% of the money teams earn, go to useless trophies that are worth nothing.
People say that participation trophies are “self esteem boosters” but there is not enough facts to prove that theory. Trophies do not teach kids how to lose, the New York times and Betty Berdan, a junior volleyball player who has been playing since 7 years old, states “ the concept of everyone's a winner will be no good once you are an adult. When you apply for job everyones not going to be a winner and get the job. So why don’t you teach that lesson at a young age.” Also participation trophies are not teaching kids to work hard. Last participation trophies could be going towards something more appropriate for the team. Participation trophies should not be received!