Are participation trophies really a bad thing?

It’s that time of year again. Summer is quickly approaching and the end of the school year is nigh upon us.

Extra-curricular activities for children has become a year-round thing for many but as schools ready to let out for the season it’s usually a transition period for activities. Time to enroll in swimming lessons, summer camp, tennis, T-ball, and more. It’s time for a new batch of summer fun memories to be created.

With all that, it reminds me how common it’s become for derisive comments on how “kids these days”  get trophies just for showing up.

That always irks me a bit. Has it really become standard that whether a team or individual finds themselves in first place or last, they get the same exact prize? If so, that’s definitely wrong.

It is quite important for winners to get the best reward. It is important to teach children that the more effort you put in, the more dedicated you are, the bigger the return on what you get out of it.

That's the way the world works and they shouldn't be denied learning and preparing for that.

However, I think at the end of the season or a competition, everyone should get a small trophy or ribbon or some recognition just for showing up because that is an accomplishment.

Getting out there in the world and participating in things is a positive behavior and should be encouraged. We are recognizing more and more issues children are having like anxiety disorders, social phobias, general stress, introverted personalities as well as obstacles caused by autism or Asperger's or other conditions.

Just getting out there and playing sports or learning ballet, karate, a musical instrument, etc. is an achievement, a great achievement for some.

Participation trophies can still be part of life lessons too.

People who gets a job, consistently show up on time, and are reliable employees, that means they get a steady paycheck: Participation trophy.

If they put in extra effort, be the best they can be, they may end up with employee of the month, a bonus, raise or promotion: Winner trophy.

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Maybe they apply for a job but don’t get it, they still leave with the experience of trying.

If a child is raised being positively encouraged with participation trophies, wouldn’t that possibly help with having a good attitude and less anxiety about continuing to put themselves out there and to keep at it?

However, if they learn the lesson that only the best ends up with the prize, if they aren’t confident they can be the best, could it maybe have an effect of learning the bad habit of being unmotivated?

The winners still get the best and biggest trophy or prize. The scholarship money, the trip to Disneyworld, the new computer, the big pizza party, etc. You want to teach that that’s what you always want to shoot for.

But if you show up, you at least get a ribbon or a small trophy that says you were there, you were a part of something.

If nothing else, maybe sometime later in life you come across this little memento while sorting or cleaning and all of a sudden you are flooded with fond memories, maybe you didn’t win the gold medal, but you have this ribbon and it reminds you of good times and good friends.

The kids, the trophies, I think they're all worth it.

Carlo DiSalvo is a resident of Hebron, Maryland