Elmgrovegnome
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I do not believe in participation trophies and my son thinks they are dumb too. I am glad he understands.
James Harrison Gives Back Sons' Participation Trophies
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- Haole
Man,,, I remember when I first learned about participation trophies.
I'm 48. When I played sports at a level under High School, and I played from the time I was about 9, we didn't get a trophy unless our team won 1st place. I played football, basketball, and baseball... in all those years before HS I was able to earn 4 trophies. Two in Basketball, and one in Football and Baseball. I played some type of sport literally almost year round... and I came up with a grand total of 4. Still have them all btw. Ha...
I don't remember who it was that exposed the participation trophy to me, but I remember being at someone's house and seeing their child's trophies lining the shelves of an entire wall. I was like... "Holy Shit, your kid's teams are kicking some serious ass! WOW. " I had no idea that trophies were given out for anything other than 1st. Did Not Compute for me.
Did I mention that I still have all 4 of my trophies?
I'm 48. When I played sports at a level under High School, and I played from the time I was about 9, we didn't get a trophy unless our team won 1st place. I played football, basketball, and baseball... in all those years before HS I was able to earn 4 trophies. Two in Basketball, and one in Football and Baseball. I played some type of sport literally almost year round... and I came up with a grand total of 4. Still have them all btw. Ha...
I don't remember who it was that exposed the participation trophy to me, but I remember being at someone's house and seeing their child's trophies lining the shelves of an entire wall. I was like... "Holy Shit, your kid's teams are kicking some serious ass! WOW. " I had no idea that trophies were given out for anything other than 1st. Did Not Compute for me.
Did I mention that I still have all 4 of my trophies?
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Amitar
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He's not bragging, he is showing other people with like views it's OK to voice your opposition to this PC mindset.
LosAngelesRams
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Shit... my wall wouldn't be covered in beutiful, shiny gold trophies then.
fearsomefour
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Dieter the Brock
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Dieter the Brock
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RaminExile
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That sums it up for me. Each to their own. If I see my kid struggle to do something and work hard to do something - that is achievement itself. If on the other hand they are able to do something like play sports (because they don't have a physical or mental handicap to slow them down to do that (and forgive me if my choice of words isn't in line with whats considered politically correct this week), then the expectations for their achievements are adjusted accordingly.
I was never proud of any "participation" trophies when I was a kid. I wanted to win everything - a failure to do that was considered by me to be a failure. I think my dad couldn't care less to be honest - he was just glad I was out of the way for a few hours, but it never changed my competitive nature. I think you either have that or you don't.
Life hands out enough lessons as you grow up to give you a chance to realize that sometimes it just ain't fair - that you don't always win or get everything you deserve. Should a kid be mollycoddled with a "participation" trophy when they lose despite trying their best? I don't think so. It could give them an unreasonable expectation that they'll always be rewarded - or worse, that trying doesn't matter because they'll get a trophy anyway.
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I get what you're saying though, man. Sometimes enough is just e-damn-nough with some of these people.
http://www.myfoxorlando.com/category/233752/good-day
fearsomefour
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So, a couple of quick things....
Young gets getting participation trophies I have no issue with. In fact, an argument could be made that this helps teach them the reward of work. As they age and get more advanced in their understanding of the game they will no longer value the participation trophy. These leagues that don't allow shut outs (I football team I assistant coached on had to let the other team score, other wise the HC would be suspended the next game) or don't keep score are just pathetic. Not because it is all about winning, but, because the adults who put these rules in have such little respect for kids. A 10 year old knows who sucks on his team and who is good. Believe me, they are keeping score in the dugout or in their heads in a "no score" baseball league. To me, beyond the trophies for a young kid trying something new, this born out of some sickness the adult have.
My son has a drawer full of trophies. He got trophies for every sport he played growing up and he did most of them. All them ended up here or there or thrown away except three. One was a Babe Ruth State MVP award. One was an award for Pitcher of the Year in high school and one was a summer baseball championship ring from this summer. Those meant something to him for various reasons and represented something he accomplished. The trophies for being the #8 guy on the bench in middle school basketball found their way to the trash or the back of the underwear drawer.
As for Harrison the only thing I would take exception to is him saying there is no reward or trophies for trying. Who determines what a real trophy is? Him I suppose. Does he think HE earned a Super Bowl title or two? He did his part. When he missed games due to injury did he return the pay check? I am sure he tried his best to get out there but just couldn't.
The problem with drawing such a hardcore line in the sand is it will always lead to being a hypocrite.
Young gets getting participation trophies I have no issue with. In fact, an argument could be made that this helps teach them the reward of work. As they age and get more advanced in their understanding of the game they will no longer value the participation trophy. These leagues that don't allow shut outs (I football team I assistant coached on had to let the other team score, other wise the HC would be suspended the next game) or don't keep score are just pathetic. Not because it is all about winning, but, because the adults who put these rules in have such little respect for kids. A 10 year old knows who sucks on his team and who is good. Believe me, they are keeping score in the dugout or in their heads in a "no score" baseball league. To me, beyond the trophies for a young kid trying something new, this born out of some sickness the adult have.
My son has a drawer full of trophies. He got trophies for every sport he played growing up and he did most of them. All them ended up here or there or thrown away except three. One was a Babe Ruth State MVP award. One was an award for Pitcher of the Year in high school and one was a summer baseball championship ring from this summer. Those meant something to him for various reasons and represented something he accomplished. The trophies for being the #8 guy on the bench in middle school basketball found their way to the trash or the back of the underwear drawer.
As for Harrison the only thing I would take exception to is him saying there is no reward or trophies for trying. Who determines what a real trophy is? Him I suppose. Does he think HE earned a Super Bowl title or two? He did his part. When he missed games due to injury did he return the pay check? I am sure he tried his best to get out there but just couldn't.
The problem with drawing such a hardcore line in the sand is it will always lead to being a hypocrite.
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You aren't all winners but everyone in this thread gets a trophy!!!!!!!
Thanks for participating.
On behalf of the other posters I wish to thank you for acknowledging all the hard work posting we've done.
And I want to tell James Harrison he will get this trophy from me if he can pry it from my cold, dead fingers.
JUMAVA68
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It's just sad how much of a following they have and all because two people were viciously murdered.
BadCompany
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For me, growing up and now as a parent, participation trophies weren't and aren't rewards for playing. They are souvenirs for playing. Which is an important distinction. It's like getting some chintzy flag from Niagara Falls, or a coffee mug from the Grand Canyon or something. A little memento that you can look at and say "I was there."
There is a difference between a participation trophy and a "real" trophy, for lack of a better word, and everybody knows it. Including the kids. If you ask them which one they are most proud of they'll ALL trot out their MVP medal, or championship trophy. Then they'll point to the participation ones. I think this is a non-issue really. I doubt that Harrison's kids learned any valuable lesson from him sending the trophies back, and if anything they probably think he's a jerk for throwing out something that wasn't his, for no discernible (to them) reason. Much like most people would be p*ssed at their wives for throwing out their coffee mugs because "just because you were there doesn't mean you deserve a souvenir". It's "solving" a problem that doesn't really exist, in my opinion.
There is a difference between a participation trophy and a "real" trophy, for lack of a better word, and everybody knows it. Including the kids. If you ask them which one they are most proud of they'll ALL trot out their MVP medal, or championship trophy. Then they'll point to the participation ones. I think this is a non-issue really. I doubt that Harrison's kids learned any valuable lesson from him sending the trophies back, and if anything they probably think he's a jerk for throwing out something that wasn't his, for no discernible (to them) reason. Much like most people would be p*ssed at their wives for throwing out their coffee mugs because "just because you were there doesn't mean you deserve a souvenir". It's "solving" a problem that doesn't really exist, in my opinion.