Should Kids Playing Sports Be Rewarded For Doing Nothing?

435 Words1 Page
bulb-icon

Recommended: The affect of participation trophies on young children

Kids should not be rewarded for doing nothing. Kids playing sports should get participation trophies, they should earn their trophies and rewards, by putting in the effort and hard work to win it, in my experience with this is in middle school when i did track and field some of the kids would miss days or weeks of practice and show up at the end of the season to get pizza and trophies. While everyone else was working hard and putting in the work a few wasn't, they get the same amount of rewards we did. i did track and Field for 3 years straight, and every year i used to get upset about this, how everyone gets a trophy at the end of the season, despite their amount of effort they put in . Stanford University psychologist Carol Dweck has "said our society has gone overboard in giving kids praise, particularly when it focuses on an innate ability - “you’re smart” or “you’re a natural at this sport” - rather than on effort."(The Mercury News. 25 Sept. 2015, www.mercurynews.com/2015/09/25/should-kids-in-sports-get-trophies-for-just-participating/.) There are two reasons why we get trophies in the first place. One is to recognize something special; especially a championship or a new record, or achieving greatness. …show more content…

The Most Improved award is often given with the hope that the recipient will work harder before the next season. It is meant to encourage the person who wins it. There are also special trophies which are often subjective, not based on statistics, and are ones we use to acknowledge actions that make the team better. A Coach’s Award is usually given to that great kid who may not have a lot of talent, but who works hard in practice. Team spirit is another award give to recognize the person on the team who played a respectable game and avoid trouble and did good things that will improve your teammates and your

Show More
Related

  • Argumentative Essay: Should Kids Get Participation Trophies?

    311 Words  | 1 Pages

    Children shouldn't be given participation trophies, this can cause false sense of confidence and it can make them expect to always be a winner in life. This can affect them every day not everyone will nail that job interview or win the game and it will be hard on them not being able to except that they lost or couldn't do it. You don't get paid to just show up at a job, you have to work. You don't win by showing up to the hockey

    Read More

  • Essay On Participation Trophies

    725 Words  | 2 Pages

    Our society has shifted its beliefs in how we should treat competition in young people. The question is asked, should all kids get a participation trophy? As it may seem to be an unanswerable question, it honestly isn’t. Thought that the participation trophies may send the message that “coaches” value the kids’ efforts despite their abilities, trophies do not need to be given out. Your words mean just as much when you remind an athlete that you value them in more ways than one. Some may think trophies are a great idea because it shows that everyone’s a “winner.” However, I disagree with that idea. I believe that kids should know that they need to work their hardest in order to be rewarded and understand that not

    Read More

  • Review Of Ashley Merryman's 'Losing Is Good For You'

    856 Words  | 2 Pages

    Every kid on the football field has a trophy. Even the kids who are on the losing team. Kids’ and parents’ faces are bright with smiles, and laughter echoes throughout the field. Kids are showing off their miny trophies, each with a bronze football on them. No one is paying attention to the two feet tall, gold, first place trophy that is in the winning team’s coach’s hand. Everybody is focused on the miniature trophies. Why are these trophies so special? These are participation trophies. Every kid gets one just for participatcuing in a game. Kids started getting participation trophies in the 20th Century. They got the trophies to feel more confident about themselves. Trophies should not be given to every kid because of narcissism increase,

    Read More

  • Cheerleading Accomplishments

    381 Words  | 1 Pages

    This recognition I received in 2015 sets me apart from other cheerleaders. Cheerleading is my passion and something I hope to never stop doing. I hope that once my time comes to an end, as a cheerleader I have the opportunity to be a head coach. Since been awarded I have noticed that more cheerleaders regardless of age, or level have come to me as their mentor seeking out advice on cheerleading. I am glad that others see me as someone they can come to, to seek advice, because I have been in their positions before at one time or another. I love to help out others in any way possible especially when it comes to something I am very passionate about. Recently, I have been able to become an assistant coach and I feel that being looked at as a mentor helps me tremendously, because they know that I am there to help them in as much as possible and that I know what I am talking about when it comes to cheerleading. I hope that by the time I graduate I will have impacted in a positive way all of their lives as

    Read More

  • Participation Trophies Analysis

    420 Words  | 1 Pages

    Handing out participation trophies does not teach kids about the real world. O’Sullivan says, “We reward them for having a parent capable of registering them for a sport.” Participation trophies are for registering and showing up the day they hand out trophies, they are not for hard

    Read More

  • Should Colledge Athletes Receive Compensation for Playing?

    757 Words  | 2 Pages

    athletes attending a university this year. Its a debate that has been going on for the last twenty years,

    Read More

  • High School Success

    638 Words  | 2 Pages

    Success isn’t given, it’s earned on the track, on the field, and in the gym with blood, sweat, and the occasional fear” -Unknown. This is relevant because it is hard for students to want to play sports but also to do well in school. If high school students can’t find the time to keep their grades up or to keep a certain GPA, they should not be allowed to play sports. Students need to prove themselves to be able to play any sport and still be able to do well in school. Also, having good grades shows the coach maturity and may earn them more playing time if they are working hard in school and in practice.

    Read More

  • Essay Young Athletes Should Not Give Out Participation Trophies

    585 Words  | 2 Pages

    First, it teaches young athletes you need to earn rewards. In the article “Should Young Athletes get Participation Trophies” by A. Pawlowski it states, “If everyone gets a trophy it would not teach kids to earn or strive for something.” ( Today.com Nov. 2013) In another part of this article it

    Read More

  • The Importance Of Field Hockey

    1056 Words  | 3 Pages

    Someone who worked harder and played faster than me. However, I always loved to inspire my team, to lead them in the right directions. Before games, I would always start a little pep talk, not just me giving speeches but everyone participated. One person would start out saying a goal they had for someone else that game, an example would be picking up a ground ball. Then that person would continue with a goal for someone else, all until everyone had a goal in mind for the game. At the end of the game, whoever completed their goal would get a little gift, most of the time it would be something like candy, but there were a few times girls got sentimental gifts. One girl made bracelets for everyone on the team, something to always wear. These goals were not meant to just get prizes but to inspire the girls to work for

    Read More

  • An Old Champion Athlete

    709 Words  | 2 Pages

    As most athletes, who are dedicated to their sport, practice harder than athletes who just play sports for fun. However, there are disappointments in the sport. Many in which involve record holders (mostly in individual sports). Or some in which involve how state standings and/or championships are viewed. As stated by A.E. Housman, “The time you won your town the race we chaired you through the marketplace; man and boy stood cheering by, and home we brought you shoulder-high.” (Prentice Hall Literature [page 1092 lines 1-4]). As newer generations come into the sport, some are born with a gift unimaginable with great potential, people who set the school/state record cause a sadness in the record holder from the past.

    Read More

  • Persuasive Essay On Student Athletes

    2310 Words  | 5 Pages

    Student athletes live very busy lives. A typical school day runs from 8:00-2:30, add in a two- hour practice or game, score a part time job, dive into some family time, a grand slam of homework and catch a little bit of sleep. Students are more stressed due to the many activities they are a part of. This issue affects a lot of people not only in this school district, but most other high schools throughout the country. All student athletes exercise more than other children who are not involved in an extracurricular sport. In school athletics, the players are called “student athletes” meaning that school activities come first. There are strict rules for student athletes, not only on the field but in the classroom as well. In physical education

    Read More

  • What Is The Leadership Challenge?

    962 Words  | 2 Pages

    This involves recognising contributions and celebrating wins. Having high expectations for your team shows a leader believes in the abilities of his team, which increases the likelihood of a higher performing group (p. 282). It is imperative at this stage that the group are rewarded in some way for their effort; this could be as simple as a “thank you”, a “half-day off”, a “celebratory coffee & cake”. When leaders commend individuals for achieving the values or goals of the organisation, they give them courage, inspiring them to experience their own ability to deliver-even when the pressure is on. When we recognize women and men for their contributions we expand their awareness of their value to the organization and to their co-workers, imparting a sense of connectedness that, being social animals, all humans seek. While we may all be connected, leaders make sure that we're in touch (Kouzes & Posner, 2003).

    Read More

  • School Sports Should Fund Youth Sports

    641 Words  | 2 Pages

    Every school year, kids look forward to playing youth sports. Every year, 5 million participate in these sports. Many have debated that school sports should stop getting school funding. Others love to disagree, saying sports are important, and should keep funding. Youth sports have many advantages such as positive effects on adolescents, and provides educational benefits. Some people might say that youth sports have a high risk of inquires, but with the right knowledge, anyone can prevent them. By reading this, you should understand that you should continue funding the sports.

    Read More

  • The Drawbacks of Pushing Children in Sports

    1588 Words  | 4 Pages

    According to statistics gathered by youth sports organizations, “Up to 50 million kids play youth sports in America, and 73 percent who begin playing a sport quit before they turn 13” (Binns). The children could have quit because they did not like the disappointment of losing, or because they are exhausted from their parents pushing them too hard. But parents have their reasons for pushing their children into sports. “Studies show that kids who play sports are less likely to become obese, abuse drugs or alcohol or to perform poorly in school” (McCormick). If children are not active, then they will most likely become overweight, and if they have nothing to do in their pastime, they may turn to drugs and alcohol, which usually leads to a decrease of grades in school. A parent putting his/her child in sports gives the child something to do and keeps them fit. Parents also put their child in a sport hoping that he/she will get success out of it “Eager to nurture the next A-Rod or Michelle Kwan, parents enroll their 5- or 6-year-olds in a competitive sports league or program” (Stenson). While not all parents are pushing for future Olympians, the fight for a sports college scholarship is competitive and parents may feel that their child will have a better chance of gaining one if he/she starts competitive sports early. Parents push their children to succeed, and children--not wanting to disappoint their parents--push themselves, sometimes harder than they should. If done right, pushing a child into sports can have a positive effect on the child’s interaction with other children while teaching them commitment and healthy competition. However, focusing on winning and earning a scholarship versus having fun may backfire, because the cons...

    Read More

  • Behavior of Olympic Athletes

    936 Words  | 2 Pages

    In sports there is a lot of achievements and a lot of disappointments. If we look at the 2014 Olympic winter games in Sochi we can definitely see the disappointment in the US women's hockey team after winning second place to Canada (Wharton, 2014). The US women found it difficult to deal with the fact that they came in second place especially after all the hard work and effort they put into winning gold both before and during the Olympic games (Wharton, 2014). According to Wharton, most athletes are happier with a bronze medal rather than a silver medal (2014). That being said, it can be concluded that if and athlete wins a bronze medal they can be happy due to the fact that they are officially an Olympic medalist but with silver athletes often regret not pushing that extra mile to win gold, even though they may have gave it there all (Wharton, 2014). If we take a look at American gymnast McKayla Maroney in the 2012 Olympic games, she came in second place because she fell on her vault and her smirk of dissatisfaction has now gone viral (Wharton, 2014). However, this is not the case for all athletes. Some athletes are very disappointed with third place or very happy with second (Wharton, 2014). All in all, winning a medal is great no matter what colour it is but sometimes athletes are left with a sense of dissatisfaction with the fact that that medal wasn't gold.

    Read More

More about Should Kids Playing Sports Be Rewarded For Doing Nothing?

Open Document