Should Children Receive trophies and medals despite losing in sporting events?
Monica Stelzenmuller
BCOM/275
November 25, 2014
Maribelin Gutierrez-Davila
Debate Winner Summary
Should Children Receive trophies and medals despite losing in sporting events? In the world we call “everyone gets a trophy”, issues arise as to different opinions if children should receive trophies or medals despite losing on sporting events. My group and I decided to tackle this particular topic due to the fact that we all are parents and want to voice our opinions on how this might affect the growth of children.
Giving children award despite losing in the sporting events both have positive and negative effects to the children. …show more content…
It serves as a token of appreciation for being part of a team and lets them know that their efforts are seen and not forgotten. The trophies and medals also serves as mementos for this children that will remind them of the wonderful experiences.
Negative Effects Life is not fair. Children needs to understand this at the early age and that the world has winners and losers. By the age 4 and 5, children are not fooled by the trophies. They are surprisingly accurate in identifying who excels and who struggles. Those who are outperformed know it and give up, while those who do well feel cheated when they are recognized for their accomplishments and might give up too. (Dell’Antonia, 2013). “The science is clear. Awards can be powerful motivators, but nonstop recognition does not inspire to succeed, instead it can cause them to underachieve.” (Merryman, 2014)
Conclusion
While encouraging our children to engage in sporting events is important, learning the lessons of life are far more worth value. Trying as hard as they can is optimal and to be respected, but it does not mean they should be rewarded. Giving participation awards are not doing anyone good except their manufacturers. Giving trophies and medals isn’t necessary to show appreciation for the children and can be done differently that isn’t as