Do Kids Deserve To Lose?

If you take a visit to a youth sports competition, you’ll probably find kids of all ages with heavy medals strung across their necks and gilded trophies filling up the trunks of their cars. But here’s the catch; most of these plastic prizes were probably awarded just for participation. Starting in the sixties, these trophies gained traction, and a once small trade grew into a multibillion-dollar industry. With so many kids receiving praise for minimal effort, some wonder if this could have a negative impact. Trophies should not be awarded simply for participation because trophies lose their meaning when everyone gets one, kids aren’t motivated to succeed, and kids need to learn how to lose. When every child gets a trophy, they lose their value. For example, in the article “Should Everyone Get a Trophy” by Lauren Tarshis, Dr. Michelle Anthony, an author and psychologist, and Karen Coffin, a youth sports coach, agree that, “trophies can lose their meaning when everyone gets one.” In essence, if

For instance, in the article by Lauren Tarshis, Coffin makes the claim, “Receiving a pat on the back, a thumbs-up from the coach, any show of appreciation is what keeps kids coming back.” Kids won’t stick with sports because they are bestowed with a deluge of shiny medals, but they will do it if they feel acknowledged and supported for their hard work. Furthermore, in the article “Losing is Good for You” the author Ashley Merryman states, “If children know they will automatically get an award, what is the impetus for improvement? Why bother learning problem-solving skills, when there are never obstacles to begin with?” She asks valid questions. Kids who are given awards think they’ve already won, so why should they try to improve? They have lost the will to succeed, to push themselves to improve. In short, participation trophies deprive children of the drive for