In starting and running a trophy and awards company for over 20 years, you can imagine that I am often asked about the ubiquity of participation trophies and jokingly (at least I hope jokingly) blamed for the moral and intellectual decline of our younger generations. And I am not alone. Memes about the issue pepper social media feeds and even the former governor of my former state of New Jersey, Chris Christie, identified participation trophies as the root cause of a very real and serious social disruption caused by isolation from COVID.
So to all those who blame participation trophies for our moral and social decline, please think a bit deeper.
I don’t mean to cast any moral indignation toward those who dislike participation trophies. And as the guy who sells them, I suspect I am prone to bias. But as someone in the trophy industry, I have a perspective on this debate.
Specifically, my perspective is that everyone should chill out. Perhaps in assessing the very real issues surrounding our younger generations, we should focus on other issues: guns in school, childhood poverty, limited access to mental health resources, underperforming schools, over prescribing drugs, etc. I get it, criticizing participation trophies is fun, easy, and requires no deep thought. I just don’t think it should distract from more meaningful discussions. So let me try to put this one small issue to rest.
The first reason to relax is that it is important to reward children for both effort and outcomes. According to a study (summarized well in this HuffPost article) by Stanford psychology professor Carol Dweck, rewarding kids solely for outcome can teach them to cut corners in the future. And rewarding them for effort improves self-confidence and incentivizes them to seek new challenges. If you have spent time with early educators or youth coaches lately, you have likely heard them refer to this concept as a “growth mindset.” By rewarding children for effort (with a trophy, praise, or anything else) and not just achievement, you are reinforcing a growth mindset.
The second reason to chill out is that kids understand context. According to Hilary Levey Friedman, PhD, of Brown University and author of Playing to Win: Raising Children in a Competitive Culture, kids young enough to believe in Santa Clause and the Tooth Fairy appreciate participation trophies the most, and “see them more as symbols and remembrances of experiences.” But “as kids get older, [participation trophies] lose their meaning.” Participation trophies keep the youngest kids engaged in sports by reinforcing positive experiences. And they do not erode the appreciation for competition as kids age.
So if you find yourself charged with ordering trophies for every participant in your child’s little league, first off, visit k2awards.com. But more importantly, take advantage of the opportunity to teach kids about effort and a growth mindset. And then absolve yourself of any guilt that you are subtly eroding the moral bedrock of our country. Hand out the trophies and have fun.
Leave a Reply