Participation trophy
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A participation trophy is a trophy given to participants in a competition, usually children, regardless of their success. One of the first known mentions of participation trophies occurred on February 8, 1922, in a Massillon, Ohio newspaper, The Evening Independent, in an article announcing a high school basketball tournament.[1] The Olympics issue participation medals to athletes and support staff, event officials, and certain volunteers. Military equivalents are the service medal, the campaign medal, and marksmanship qualification badges.
Justification
[edit]Defenders argue that participation trophies teach children that trying their best is good enough, even if they do not win.[2][3] They assert that providing participation trophies raises children's self-esteem, and ensures they do not feel left out, or inferior to their peers who won. It also increases the likelihood that a child will want to return to play other sports in the hope of getting another trophy.[4]
Such trophies are relatively inexpensive, and encourage egalitarianism and continued striving towards a goal; according to Mother Jones, working class families tend to favor them as they "tend to think everyone should be recognized".[5] They cited a 2014 poll by Reason, which found that Americans with incomes of under $30,000 a year were more likely to support participation trophies than those with higher incomes.[6] Mother Jones pointed to ribbons given by the US government to all personnel involved in surface combat as an example of participation awards.[5]
Critique
[edit]Critics argue that such trophies promote narcissism and an entitlement mentality among recipients, and are based on incorrect assumptions regarding supposed psychological benefits of self-esteem. Critics also note that some children do not value them as much as they do trophies given only to winners.[7] A backlash against participation trophies intensified in the 1990s.[8]
Jordon Roos and Brad Strand hold that participation trophies do not allow children to learn from failures; losing enables them to learn a lesson from their loss, such as that losing is a part of life.[9]
According to the 2014 Reason poll regarding children's sports, 57 percent of Americans believed that only winning players should receive a trophy, while 40 percent believed that all team participants should receive a trophy."[6] White Americans believed by a 63% to 34% margin that only winners should receive trophies, while black and Hispanic Americans believed by a 56% to 42% margin that all participants should receive trophies.[6] There were also differences by political affiliation, with Republicans opposing participation trophies by 66% to 31%, and Democrats evenly divided at 48% each.[6]
See also
[edit]
References
[edit]- ↑ "Many Trophies For Tossers In State Tourney". The Evening Independent. February 8, 1922. Archived from the original on April 28, 2021. Retrieved April 28, 2021.
- ↑ Wallace, Kelly (2015-08-17). "Debate: Does sports participation deserve a trophy?". CNN. Archived from the original on 2018-02-20. Retrieved 2018-02-20.
- ↑ "The NPR Ed Mailbag: The Participation Trophy". NPR. 2014-08-14. Archived from the original on 2018-02-20. Retrieved 2018-02-20.
- ↑ "Participation Trophies – "Special" or "Harmful" The Participation Trophy". characterandleadership.com/. 2017-09-18. Archived from the original on 2024-01-24. Retrieved 2024-01-24.
- 1 2 Drum, Kevin (August 20, 2014). "What's in a Word: Trophy vs. Ribbon Edition". Mother Jones. Retrieved February 8, 2025.
- 1 2 3 4 Ekins, Emily (August 29, 2014). "57 Percent of Americans Say Only Kids Who Win Should Get Trophies". Reason. Retrieved February 8, 2025.
- ↑ Johnson, Heather Beth (2010-03-23). Children and Youth Speak for Themselves. Emerald Group Publishing. p. 326. ISBN 9781849507356.
- ↑ Fink, Candida. "The Power of Participation Trophies". Psychology Today. Retrieved 30 October 2023.
- ↑ Roos, Jordon; Strand, Brad. "The Conundrum of Participation Trophies in Youth Sports". PHE America. Archived from the original on 11 September 2024. Retrieved 11 September 2024.
