Derek Sunafrank

Mrs. Cramer
Comp. Pd. 2
7 December 2018
Battle of the Participation Trophies

Is receiving a participation trophy a good or bad thing? Participation trophies are a bad thing for

children because it unminds their potential abilities while they are growing up, to the point where it will

affect them growing into adults. These participation trophies are important because they can leave false

hope on children so young. The children become attached to being rewarded all the time and that’s not

how life is all the time.These participation trophies give the children a sense of confidence that is only a

temporary fix. The participation trophies are a bad thing for kids because it hurts them to deal with loss

in the future and it does not prepare them for the real world.

Children do not learn anything when it comes to be handed a participation trophy besides

learning how to not work hard and being rewarded for it. The children think that they received the

trophy for not doing anything, they can just go on throughout life not working their hardest. This is a

conversation between a grandson and grandfather “I want a trophy, Poppa,” my four-year-old

son declared from the backseat as I drove him to a friend’s house. “What did you do to earn

one?” I asked. “Nothing,” he replied. “I got two medals at sports camp, so now I want a trophy.”

“That’s not how it works,” I told him. 1 This shows that children feel like they deserve anything

because they have been just handed a participation medal for nothing. “Trophies signify an

achievement of some kind. You won a soccer championship. You made the best project at the

science fair. You were the last kid standing at the spelling bee. Something monumental” 2 (Nevin

1 Informal Diction- Uses informal words and conversation. Ex talking to friends or family
2 Pathos- Is a quality of an experience in life, or a work of art, that stirs up emotions of pity, sympathy, and sorrow.
Martell). This shows that these trophies are hurting kids mentally; it makes them feel as if they

deserve this and that for not doing something well besides just showing up. Another, example

is the kids will learn a lot more from losing than winning but the participation trophies take that

away and make every child a winner. Here is an example of a man saying how he learned more

from losing than winning, “Growing up, I know for a fact I learned a lot more from doing

something wrong than when I did something right. In baseball, if you don’t get in front of the

ball, odds are it’ll end up going right past you” (Sanborn). In the end, a child who doesn’t do

anything to help the cause doesn’t deserve to be rewarded with a trophy.

Another way these trophies help children is by building up their confidence. Kids that

receive participation trophies become stronger knowing that they can do the activity that gives

them confidence to take a step even further into the game or life. Children love being praised

by people around them and they will feed off it. “These children that are praised with the

trophies are more likely to have a successful life than kids that do not get praised by the people

around them” (championsway). A real-life example would be the little kids that are just getting

into a new sport and are learning how to play and don’t know if they like it or not. The

participation trophy could be the final decision if they go out the following year. The trophy

helps keeps kids in the sports because it gives children confidence and knowing if they do well,

they will be praised even more. Even though the participation trophies give children a false

sense of confidence, they didn't do anything to deserve the trophy. Then when the day comes,

and they think they can do the position or job they can't because they haven't been taught all

the skills and they figured that showing up would just be enough. Finally, children feel that
trophies give confidence, but it only hurts them more when they realize that they’ve just been

being fed a false sense of confidence.

Participation trophies make kids think that no work must be put in to win and that is

completely wrong. The trophies take away the competiviness of the sports because if one kid

receives a trophy then the rest of the children must receive one. The kid that worked hard for

the trophy gets upset knowing everyone didn’t work as hard but still got the same trophy. In

addition to that, “I remember vividly the first time I did not receive a trophy after a season of

playing soccer. It was my team’s end of the year party and the coach had finished the cliché

speech on how he had a great time coaching our team and wishes us the best in the future.

After the speech, everyone just started heading home. I immediately looked to my dad and

asked where our trophies were. His response was very blunt; he told me in a laugh, “You have

to win to get a trophy” 3 (Sanborn). Sanborn tells a real-life experience from his childhood to

reflect on the topic. Furthermore, a teenager goes to a job interview and expects to be handed

the job without showing his/her skills and talents for the job and doesn’t get the job. They feel

confused because they have been handed everything before just for showing up and now, they

show up to the job and aren't handed the job. All in all, the participation trophies make kids

think that they can win by just showing up and not putting in the work that’s needed.

Participation trophies help get kids involved in the sports and keeps them out of trouble.

They keep the kids coming back into a good environment rather than being on the streets and

selling drugs or doing drugs and other criminal acts. Kids that receive the trophies feel wanted

3 Logos- Includes any content in an argument that is meant to appeal to the logic.
and special inside which can impact them the rest of their lives. The participation trophy may

keep the kids involved but it doesn’t teach them anything important that they will use once

they get out of high school and once, they are on their own. A real-life example would be, back

in little league in Bradford, kids would receive trophies for just being on the team and

completing the season. Also, on the YMCA swim team when the race is over, the child in last

place would receive and honorable mention trophy which is also known as a participation

trophy. The participation trophies are everywhere some way shape or form kids are being

praised for not doing anything besides showing up and it is hurting society. The participation

trophies have their pros and cons more downs then pros as it seems.

In conclusion, participation trophies have changed kids' lives and have made them

unprepared for the real world and what it might throw at them. These trophies have made kids

feel that the world revolves around them. They make children unready for adulthood because

they do not teach the children anything besides to show up and be praised for it. Then the

participation trophies give the children a false sense of confidence because they receive these

trophies for not doing anything spectacular to be praised for. The participation trophies have

hurt younger children who don’t have the parents who teach them life lessons that are

important. Also, telling them the truth about the world and not caring for who they are. It is

time that adults stop treating children like babies and telling them everything will be alright.

Children need to know they must work for everything they want in life and that it won't be

handed to them.
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