Trophies or awards just for participation and Is it damaging the youth of today?

MayDay10 said:

like I said before though. We got trophies and we still wanted to win, even at a young age... to the point of getting really disappointed/tears plenty of times. It was never a case of "we got these trophies coming our way anyways, why did we waste our time even trying?"

I don't think that is an issue. I don't think kids go through the season solely to obtain the trophy... nor do I think it goes through their heads after the fact that 'its OK I guess I don't need to win at anything anyway". I think those thoughts are way overblown and projected by the TPOA crowd.

It was just kind of a souvenir of the season we would get at the post-season pool party or whatever. Should we not have a pool party either because we were losers? Those were way cooler than trophies anyways and more of a reward.

totally agree...i think people read way too much into it. My kids wanted to win...they didn't give a damn about the trophy even when we played travel sports.

Last-12-Exit said:

Gern Blansten said:

Last-12-Exit said:

We didn't get a trophy unless we won our division in little league. The coach would typically throw a end of year party for the team and hand out ribbons. I think there is a huge difference in ribbons and trophies. My wife is a youth soccer coach for the YMCA. She gives trophies for all the kids. I've told her several times that I disagreed with that. If that team didn't win a game, they would get a trophy. To me, the trophy is for a season played well. At some point before high school, children need to be taught about winning and losing. Kids need to know how to do both.

so you don't

MayDay10 said:

like I said before though. We got trophies and we still wanted to win, even at a young age... to the point of getting really disappointed/tears plenty of times. It was never a case of "we got these trophies coming our way anyways, why did we waste our time even trying?"

I don't think that is an issue. I don't think kids go through the season solely to obtain the trophy... nor do I think it goes through their heads after the fact that 'its OK I guess I don't need to win at anything anyway". I think those thoughts are way overblown and projected by the TPOA crowd.

It was just kind of a souvenir of the season we would get at the post-season pool party or whatever. Should we not have a pool party either because we were losers? Those were way cooler than trophies anyways and more of a reward.

totally agree...i think people read way too much into it. My kids wanted to win...they didn't give a damn about the trophy even when we played travel sports.

I don't what?

that wasn't my verbiage...quote function must have screwed up

rr165892 said:

pjhawks said:

Last-12-Exit said:

Btw, I started wrestling my freshman year because I got cut from the basketball team and wanted to stay busy between football and baseball. Best move I could make. To me, wrestling is the best one on one sport there is. I was in the best shape of my life. My wrestling coach was a huge influence in my life.

"so you wear tights" - always good for a Breakfast Club quote.

and not to get off topic but i don't see how starving yourself to make weight is a good thing. the wrestlers at my school would do crazy shit to make weight. no thanks.

My kids high school made national news when the wrestling team ,thanks to some boosters and coaches got busted for juicing.lots of failed tests,many kids lost rankings and the program went on super secret probation.Huge investigations followed.They were state champions at the time.oooops

My school is an astounding wrestling school. A twin city with only 5,000 people and we compete with the number one school in the nation Lakewood St Edwards, and we are a public school. Public schools have a very tough time against the private schools that recruit from all over the nation.
We do it with moxie, no roids, no plastic suits, no biddy program!

We don't recruit, we don't rebuild, we just reload!

I would agree with Mr Harrison however the thing I'm at odds with him is......the returning of the trophies to whomever gave his sons their trophies. In our American youth sports too many of our children feel entitled, I feel they should earn them instead.

That said my daughter was into just about every sport there was. She was a star competitive swimmer so participation trophies were never an issue. However in soccer, softball and basketball they we're participation trophies, she never had much interest in them. We had so many of those they were put out in the shed. Her favorites were the gold/silver, all star medals for swimming given to her like they do in the Olympics.

I coached her in softball and basketball....in softball I think I pushed her hard. She played in the Catholic School League being a 4th grader she made and started with 6th graders. I would take her out to fields and hit hundreds of balls to her, situational plays, catching, throwing etc. Now that I think I don't know how she didn't lose teeth and braces as hard as I hit those grounders. Anyway, we made it to the championship game against a far better team and pitcher. They jumped out ahead of us and started to talk trash....we came back with a hit from my daughter and she fielded and made the last out for our St Mary's to win the championship. To this day she still keeps that championship medal and team photo. One of my proudest days with her....it's still hard to believe we won that game.

Point is she worked hard in practice for swimming and softball and it paid off. She had no interest in just participating, she wanted to win and be the best. I in no way influenced her in this way of thinking.....she just didn't want or liked to lose.

Peace

Since when does an award for participation = winning?

FWIW, I wasn't thinking about participation ribbons. The issue goes WAY beyond that now, to the point where some schools won't even fail students who fail. Yes, participation ribbons have always been around on Sports Day.

We got a team photo to commemerate being on the team. No trophies except for 1st through 3rd place. I don't think this has anything to do with right wing or left wing but is a bunch of parents thinking their kids are special and rewarding them for that feeling. This is the same as the parents who post every little thing on facebook showing the world how special their kids are. Rewards are earned. Its common sense. When you are training your dog do you reward them when they didn't do it right? No you don't, otherwise the dog doesn't learn. If you want to give a most improved trophy to the kid who practiced the hardest and got better great. If you want to give a trophy for the kid that best showed sportsmanship fine. But you earn it just like in real life. No one is going to just go and hand you things. You work for them.

In my day we had no such thing as partIcipating trophies or ribbons or medals. Back then never knew of such things we would go home heal our wounds and come back the next year more determine to win something.

I could possibly see giving out participating awards up to a certain age say 6-8. To build some youth vigor and self esteem...not all will grow to become an athlete or high school player much less a pro athlete. After that, it's around the time to earn those awards and the effort to practice hard to make that difference to get ahead one's opponents.

Peace

Yes, Thirty! Also teaching children that they will (must?) fail at some or even many times - but to try to do so with grace, and learn from the experiences.

you know what is bad for kids, tablets, phones, tv, netflix, hulu, constant movies playing in cars, at home, standing.....playstations, xboxs, dressing like little GQ models (remember when one tshirt and one pair of shorts lasted you a summer) So many bullshit things. Not to mention the truly fucked up issues like school shootings, wars, pedo's, etc.

You know what is not bad for kids? getting a freaking particiaption ribbon/certificate/trophy for actually doing things......


get a grip people. You are not tough as nails now because as a youth you weren't coddled with a freaking ribbon.