I find this debate very interesting because I am an athlete myself, and I was once a little child starting AYSO soccer just like any other young athlete. However, it is actually quite debatable on whether or not all young athletes should get a trophy for participation.
Some debaters, such as Parker Abate, believe that participation trophies send a good message in youth sports. Also, it will give the young athlete some recognition, and they will feel some sort of accomplishment. Furthermore, it can boost their confidence, and it teaches them that teamwork, exercise, and good sportsmanship are great things to learn in their young lives.
On the other hand, others, like Ashley Merryman, will argue that parents should forget about awards and let their kids know it is okay to lose. Also, children need to learn that it takes time, dedication, and hard work to become good at a sport or some other talent. Children need to understand that as humans, we learn the most through our mistakes and failure.
This is a difficult argument, but I agree more with Ashley Merryman that there should not be any participation awards. It seems sad to think that not giving a kid an award would discourage them. However, it could give a kid false hope and by giving them awards they will not push themselves to be better or to try harder. They will end up thinking they are the best and will not try because they know they will get an award. It will be good for the new generation of young athletes to learn from their mistakes or from failure. Besides, failure could get them into training more to make themselves a better player.
What are your opinions? :)
-Alexis Pendleton
I can most definitely agree with the points you stated, but at the same time I believe that younger kids should get a participation award. Yes, I understand that by giving them an award you aren't necessarily teaching that failure is fine. I just believe that rewarding kids at a younger age could possibly be beneficial to them, because kids love to feel accomplished and perhaps by rewarding them with something minimum it can make them want to strive for something better and create a passion for something.
ReplyDeleteAnd of course when they get older they'll be able to learn that failure is normal and you can only learn from it and continue to preform efficiently.
As an athlete myself as well, in my opinion, not everyone on a sports team should get an award or trophy. Not everyone on a team does as good as others, and it's important to distinguish that.
ReplyDeleteThe excellent players that step up to the plate and bring in wins for the team deserve awards. Not those who do the bare minimum for the team.
Players that don't receive awards will realize their faults and mistakes, and hopefully work even harder next season to improve. If everyone were to be given an award/trophy, there would be no effort or hard work done.
Regardless of what age athletes are, it's important to have them learn early on that the world isn't fair. For the strong minded, they'll prevail and soar.
I think participation trophies are good for little kids for them to understand what they are doing. However, once you get to middle/high school level, I think they become unnecessary.
ReplyDeleteAs Emily Chang pointed out, the lack of a trophy for everyone gives a sense of accountability. If you do well you earn an award, if not you try harder next time. It teaches important life skills for later in life. In adult life, not everyone gets a promotion or a pay raise. It's better to do it now then have teens learn the hard way later in life.