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Poll

In youth sports, should all kids that participate get a trophy, or just the winners?  

Everyone deserves a trophy
4 (7.1%)
Only the winners
52 (92.9%)

Total Members Voted: 55

Author Topic: Trophies for all kids participating? Or just for the winners?  (Read 14384 times)

Coleman

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Re: Trophies for all kids participating? Or just for the winners?
« Reply #50 on: August 27, 2014, 10:08:31 AM »
Guess it depends on your school, but we didn't just get a varsity letter for making the team, you had to earn it.   No JV letters were given, in fact you didn't get a letterman's jacket until you actually had the varsity letter.  As an example, for Track you had to actually place and earn a certain number of points to get your letter.  If you rode pine the entire season on your team, you didn't get your letter, etc.  I'm sure other schools are different, but that was the deal at our school.

The other difference, you have to make your high school team, where many kids related sports you sign up and you are on it.

Our school you got a letter for Varsity, if you played in X number of games (it was usually like 75% of the games in the season). Just had to make an appearance. Could be 10 seconds of garbage time, but it would count.

For freshman participation, you got your numbers (graduation year), to be sewn onto the jacket. For JV you got the school logo patch.

I agree...these are pretty much participation trophies. Making the varsity team is one thing, but for getting garbage time on a JV squad, not so much.

Canned Goods n Ammo

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Re: Trophies for all kids participating? Or just for the winners?
« Reply #51 on: August 27, 2014, 10:23:11 AM »
It was an interesting bit of data, nothing more and nothing less.  We've had conversations galore on here over the years about when it's appropriate to have a banner, have a trophy, etc, etc.  I'm going through massive data inputs right now on all kinds of things around attitudes and behaviors, mostly around millenials.  This one was rather interesting since we have some millenials on this board as well as a lot of mid age or older folks and tying it in with topics of the past around rewarding achievements...I thought it would be interesting to get folks opinions.



I think I read more into the question than I was supposed to, and actually, I think that's the problem with the survey.

Do I think that all kids who play a sport should receive a trophy?

No.

BUT...
 
Do I think participation trophies are a problem for a generation? (as some people imply)

No, probably not.

reinko

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Re: Trophies for all kids participating? Or just for the winners?
« Reply #52 on: August 27, 2014, 10:47:57 AM »
Interesting results on this board....here's what the study found....basically the more money you make, the more education you have, the more right leaning you are, and the older you are means only the winners should get a trophy.  Those that favor capitalism, only the winning players






I wish I could layer on the likelihood of parents getting in a physical altercation with a coach about playing time of their son or daughter.  Methinks it might follow the line that is not blue.
« Last Edit: August 27, 2014, 10:49:52 AM by reinko »

Galway Eagle

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Re: Trophies for all kids participating? Or just for the winners?
« Reply #53 on: August 27, 2014, 11:00:41 AM »
Apparantly the letter system my school uses is different.  Didn't know that each school would have it's own.  or maybe I was too self involved to notice if the bench warmers didn't receive letters. 
Maigh Eo for Sam

jsglow

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Re: Trophies for all kids participating? Or just for the winners?
« Reply #54 on: August 27, 2014, 11:02:30 AM »
I am in my 50s and everybody was getting trophies when I was in little league, so this isn't a recent phenomenon.  When my oldest brother played in little league, there were no league fees, kids had to try out and a lot of kids didn't make a team.  I'm only 7 years younger, but when I played, everybody made it and everybody paid a league fee.  Once that happened, everybody got a trophy, because that was part of what you were paying for.  Also, once you start paying for your kid to play, you expect certain things, like a reasonable amount of playing time.  When I was a kid the weakest players would get 2 innings in RF and didn't always get an AB.  Now everybody who shows up is in the batting order and has to play at least half the defensive innings.  In a lot of ways, I think the way they do it now is better.  

My son played youth sports throughout his childhood, and got trophies for every team, but even when he was very young he knew the difference between a meaningful trophy and a "Daddy paid the league fee" trophy.  The ones that meant something to him were the all-star teams and first place trophies (which around here were much bigger than the others, though 2nd though last place were all the same size)

As a coach, it sometimes I'd have a kid who signed up but hardly ever showed up and then I would have the ridiculous task after the league banquet of driving to the kids house to deliver a trophy even though the kid hadn't showed up for the last month of the season.

I think CT is spot on.  My kids knew the difference between the participation trophy they got each and every season and the big honkin' Conference Champ or Tourney Winning trophy they occasionally earned.  That said, I personally believe participation trophies for grade school kids are just fine.  As adults we want them to participate and enjoy the benefits associated with youth sports regardless of their God given ability.  Just my view.
« Last Edit: August 27, 2014, 11:07:20 AM by jsglow »

4everwarriors

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Re: Trophies for all kids participating? Or just for the winners?
« Reply #55 on: August 27, 2014, 11:23:50 AM »
I'm all in for gettin' trophies, hey?
"Give 'Em Hell, Al"

jesmu84

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Re: Trophies for all kids participating? Or just for the winners?
« Reply #56 on: August 27, 2014, 03:32:39 PM »
Interesting results on this board....here's what the study found....basically the more money you make, the more education you have, the more right leaning you are, and the older you are means only the winners should get a trophy.  Those that favor capitalism, only the winning players



Makes sense. Of course, those same people would probably be all for participation trophies if their kids' spot was threatened. Or they'd change the rules governing the teams/sports to make sure their kids' spot was safe.

Aughnanure

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Re: Trophies for all kids participating? Or just for the winners?
« Reply #57 on: August 27, 2014, 03:38:08 PM »
Why are there only 2 options? It doesn't have to be an all or nothing type thing here. 8th graders should maybe not have the same trophy rules as 5 year olds?
“All men dream; but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity; but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act out their dreams with open eyes, to make it possible.” - T.E. Lawrence

ChicosBailBonds

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Re: Trophies for all kids participating? Or just for the winners?
« Reply #58 on: August 27, 2014, 04:21:11 PM »
Makes sense. Of course, those same people would probably be all for participation trophies if their kids' spot was threatened. Or they'd change the rules governing the teams/sports to make sure their kids' spot was safe.

That's a pretty good reach, don't think it is supported by evidence.  More than likely they would have the kid try something else that he/she could excel in.  If pride in success was so key, which is what you are implying, then they wouldn't want to see little Johnny sucking it up in front of everyone for fear or being mortified.  Sports exposes weaknesses pretty darn quickly.


jesmu84

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Re: Trophies for all kids participating? Or just for the winners?
« Reply #59 on: August 27, 2014, 04:23:00 PM »
That's a pretty good reach, don't think it is supported by evidence.  More than likely they would have the kid try something else that he/she could excel in.  If pride in success was so key, which is what you are implying, then they wouldn't want to see little Johnny sucking it up in front of everyone for fear or being mortified.  Sports exposes weaknesses pretty darn quickly.



it was a joke.

brandx

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Re: Trophies for all kids participating? Or just for the winners?
« Reply #60 on: August 27, 2014, 04:33:11 PM »
Why are there only 2 options? It doesn't have to be an all or nothing type thing here. 8th graders should maybe not have the same trophy rules as 5 year olds?

Get with the program. Everything is black and white. We don't need no stinkin' nuance.

ChicosBailBonds

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Re: Trophies for all kids participating? Or just for the winners?
« Reply #61 on: August 27, 2014, 07:02:27 PM »
it was a joke.

I can't tell here anymore...my apologies. 

Benny B

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Re: Trophies for all kids participating? Or just for the winners?
« Reply #62 on: August 28, 2014, 09:53:19 AM »
My son (5 years old) started fall baseball yesterday.  He finished summer baseball a couple weeks ago and received a small participant trophy.   When practice was over I gave him a high-five and told him he did a great job.  His response: "do I get a trophy."

I told him no because a) it was practice, b) you don't get credited with a hit when you reach on a fielding error, and c) he botched the pop-up that was hit right to him (he wasn't paying attention and the ball actually hit him square enough in the chest that it actually almost fell right into his glove -- he was mere millimeters from a once-in-a-lifetime catch).


Wow, I'm very concerned for Benny.  Being able to mimic Myron Medcalf's writing so closely implies an oncoming case of dementia.