Participation Backwards

Words: 494
Pages: 2

When I was younger, I played in my first tennis tournament. I won the tournament and I got a huge trophy. My opponent’s trophy for runner up was the same size as mine. This made me really upset. I worked extremely hard to win that match yet my opponent got the same prize as me. I didn’t feel like I won, it didn’t seem fair. Participation trophies started in the sixties to motivate kids. This boosted the self esteem in the inner city youth. The popularity of participation trophies spread like a wildfire. Trophies should be a reward for winning. Winning is a goal that requires hard work, a good attitude and effort, and a lot of encouragement along the way.
“A trophy stands for something” says the article, “Should Everyone Get a trophy?”. The reason to play a game is to win. Winning is a goal. Achieving the goal and winning means you beat all of your opponents and you got first place. The trophy is the reward for winning. When participation trophies came around, trophies lost their meaning. For example, when a child plays in a soccer tournament, and loses but still gets a trophy, it rewards the loss. The child may think there is no room for improvement, but there is.
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In the article, it states that giving everyone a trophy might be sending the wrong message. Kids should understand that winning isn't all that matters, it’s the effort and attitude that goes into winning that means more. “A child doesn’t just get an A for showing up for class”, states the article. Just showing up doesn't mean you should be rewarded. Just showing up doesn’t require effort and good attitude, so it shouldn’t be rewarded with a