Is it Time to Reconsider Participation Awards?

Participation awards— some love them, others despise them. For years now, youth sports associations have handed out trophies to all athletes regardless of their success. Some people believe that these trophies and awards are teaching children the wrong lessons about success and hard-earned victories; others think they’re a good way of keeping kids interested in sports while they’re still young. 

Wayne Valley guidance counselor, Mr. Imperatore, supports participation awards. “The trophies are a great way for kids to stay interested in the sport or activity they are participating in,” he said when asked if the awards are teaching kids the wrong lesson. He also believes that participation is acknowledged fairly, and that “we are in a very good place when it comes to acknowledging participation.” As a parent of two boys, Mr. Imperatore believes in the awards, and that they should eventually fade away at a certain age. 

As someone who also participated in sports at a young age, I also am a fan of participation trophies. I think they motivate kids to keep playing, and also remind them that they earned something in return for their hard work and growth on the field. When I see my trophies sitting together on a shelf at home, I’m reminded of the great memories I had playing sports and also the effort it took to earn those. 

However, some people don’t believe in participation trophies–and believe that they teach children the wrong message. Famous writer Betty Berdan believes that the trophies are meaningless since they’re handed out to everyone. “Identical awards sit in other children’s rooms all over town and probably in millions of other homes across the country,” she stated when asked about the issue. “The truly exceptional players are slighted.” Berdan takes note of how participation awards are harmful to the winners who accomplished more. 

Most people have a definitive stance on the topic–whether they do or do not support the awards. Some believe that they teach children the importance of hard work, while others think that the real winners are undermined. The overall verdict seems to be that participation awards are fair for young children, but at a certain age, they should be put aside.