Participation Trophy? (Page 2)

Judging from the people I supervise these days, that's absolutely NOT true.....In my mind it's not even arguable. 

"I've been here 5 years, 5 years is the minimum for promotion, I deserve to be promoted".......here's your trophy, stupid.

Where else would that attitude come from?  You really can't deny where.....it's simple. 

Sure, but society has bought in to a large degree.  If you want to raise kids who know what "earn" means you have to fight it.  It's easy for too many parents to go along with that crap......."my kid is a winner, he played".  No.

So your frustration is with the parents not the kids.  I thought this thread was about whether participation medals, trophy's etc., mislead young athletes into thinking they "won" or achieved something just for showing up.  When they're too young to know the difference they're just happy to have something, kinda like believing in santa claus.  

Budding athletes will have a hunger to compete and have success, regardless of whether they get a participation trophy or medal. Conversely the kids who will never be competitors, regardless of mom or dad's intensity and desires, won't become any MORE hungry because of the same trophy or medal.

So to those who are anti-participation medals, do you think by only giving a trophy to the champion, achieving said trophy is the only incentive for them to succeed?  Sure they will associate the trophy with the championship but it's not the trophy they strove for...

"Hey John I heard you won the state championship in soccer your senior year of HS."  "Yup, unfortunately I can't find my medal so it's like it never happened..."

I don't think we are talking about kids who become athletes.......at least I'm not.  I'm talking about the kids who get told they are winners and deserving of a trophy just because they showed up and played.  It even carries over to school.  When was the last time you heard of a kid flunking a grade?  Nobody flunks anymore........it's apparently bad for your ego or something.  Then that carries over into the workplace, and now to the point where people want a "living wage" for flipping hamburgers......because, you know, they have a job, right?  They work, right?  They show up, right?

My problem is with our new idea that you don't really have to earn anything......just show up, do the minimum, pick up your prize.  Nah.

"You didn't suck. You are just as valuable as everyone out there. You were just as big a part of the effort as anyone else on the field. No one on the team is more important than anyone else.  Here's your certificate, great job!!"  Sound familiar?  I bet it doesn't.....because you never heard it.  Kids today hear that crap non-stop.

I don't think I want to hear how "kids know the difference"........I can't even work with the self-entitled goofs that seem to make up  the overwhelming majority of the new workforce.  And heaven forbid you tell them they suck.  HAHAHAHA!!!

"You didn't suck. You are just as valuable as everyone out there. You were just as big a part of the effort as anyone else on the field. No one on the team is more important than anyone else.  Here's your certificate, great job!!"  Sound familiar?  I bet it doesn't.....because you never heard it.  Kids today hear that crap non-stop.

I don't think I want to hear how "kids know the difference"........I can't even work with the self-entitled goofs that seem to make up  the overwhelming majority of the new workforce.  And heaven forbid you tell them they suck.  HAHAHAHA!!!

There hasn't been a single student held back by the school district where I live in 15 years. (not sure if any parents have held their kids back) That comes form the principal's mouth.

I don't know how anyone can argue that we don't live in a "everyone's a winner" society.  Hell, even the sports where my kids go to school are "no cut".

It appears the school systems are very different, but education is a priority here in Minnesota I teach at an Elementary and coach at the HS where my wife is a guidance counselor and am connected with all the coaches, AD, principals and teachers. It is a top 20 public HS in the state, so standards are high when it comes to behavior, academics and extracurriculars, but comparable to what fellow colleagues around the state describe. Kids are held back at every elementary school is the district. Every year kids don't graduate, fail classes, etc. if they don't do the work in HS. Cuts are made with Girls VB, Boys Hockey and basketball, Kids who don't make varsity, can play JV or C team or ride the pine in football, soccer, Girls basketball, baseball, soccer, cross country, track, dance, show choir, skiing, tennis, swimming. There is competition in each, whether it is making the team, making varsity, or making the starting line up. A good friend is the volleyball coach and the hardest day of the year is telling a senior who had done everything you could ask, works hard, is a great leader and teammate, had been a part of the program for the last 3 years, but just isn't quite good enough "sorry, you didn't make it" We have very successful HS programs and a foundation of that success are good youth programs. I have been fortunate to see the development of these programs as a coach and parent. What I see from our perennial state contenders is a focus on participation, building confidence, and having fun at an early age. None of these programs ever gives out participation trophies or medals, but I would say there is a very strong emphasis on being positive and encouraging. It is a lot of rah-rah and praise but what we are trying to do is help every athlete find success and recognize it. The emphasis isn't on winning and keeping score, but on development, doing your best and having fun no matter their competitive level. We want them to enjoy it, feel good about playing and comeback and play again next season. Of course the focus becomes more about competition as they get older, but the foundational philosophy remains. I get that there are entitlement issues. I see it with both players and parents. In my experience, it isn't really coming from a participation trophy they got from some camp or tournament. As always there will be some who can overdo it and create and make it onto everybody is a winner thing. Over the last 18 years we have gotten a few participation trophies and it is usually the same thing--the tournament director says "thanks for coming. You guys played hard. Good luck this season"