Oh...you want a trophy? Here. Have this one for participating.

I want to talk about participation trophies.  I remember way back in elementary school at Jacksonville Elementary School in Walnut Bottom Pa. we would get participation ribbons for field day.  I hated them.  I think it was a cruel joke they played on the kids.  They knew it wouldn't make us feel good for participating, they knew it would be laughing at us constantly for not doing better and it would inspire us to train harder.  But lets be honest...nobody trains for field day.

I don't remember any other time I've gotten any other award for participation.  I'm not saying I didn't get any, I just don't remember.  I do remember the trophy I got for the Whirlybird rocket race in the 1st grade.  Number one baby.

There seems to be a big fuss about them though.  All these kids getting these awards today just for participating.  Lets just be careful not to blame this on the kids.  The kids aren't responsible for handing out the trophies.  The adults are.  Why?  Why do the adults think their kid should get a trophy just for participating?   I have a few theories.  Maybe those adults parents never congratulated them of affirmed them for the effort they put forth.  Fail or succeed.  Maybe their is a great hole inside that adult that needs filled, a hole that screams to be told they are enough.  And that even in their best attempts, their parents are proud of them for the effort they put forth.  Even if they didn't "win".  

If you aren't a fan of participation trophies, that's fine.  But I challenge you to reframe what you think about them.  Because in the game of life, we need people to participate.  Without participants, nobody would win.  Right?   Please, somebody show me some stats that say participation awards make kids unmotivated and lazy.  Maybe you ought to participate in being a parent and stop letting society raise your children.  I'VE NEVER MET A KID THAT WAS SATISFIED WITH A PARTICIPATION AWARD OR FELT ENTITLED TO ONE.   I've met several adults that have felt entitled.  You should see their office, filled with teeny trophies that said thanks for playing.  No.  Not even close.

Reward people for the value they have to the organization.  If all you did was participate, great!  Thank you!  Have a gift card! We need participants, otherwise none of us would be here!  But if you win, and you excelled, you should be rewarded for that too.  A much bigger award.  Create incentive.

What about the kid that's a competitor and gets a participation award.  Use that award to motivate them.  Ask the child what they think about the award.  Most likely they will say they wanted to win the big one.  So proudly display that participation award on the mantle and use it as motivation the next time your little champion wants to be lazy.

Don't bring your baggage from your parents into your childrens lives.

I got a little sticker this year that says "I voted".  Ok, I lied.  I didn't take one.  But I voted.  Almost 50% of registered voters didn't get a participation award sticker.   You might say your non vote was participating.  Was it?  Do tell.  Because I don't really think anyone in the gov't really gives a shit about your non vote.  The only thing that shakes things up, is voting for someone the gov't doesn't want in their offices.  That would require participation.  Seriously.  Are we still hearing about the 50% that didn't vote?  Has the government stopped and considered the non votes of those 50%?

Anyway, I'd like to see the winners get their trophies.  But if they didn't have anyone to compete against, they wouldn't be a winner would they?  So give participation awards.  Small ones.  Just as a thank you for playing.  I have yet to meet a child bitch and moan because they didn't get an award for playing.  So remember...next time you get a paycheck from your hard work to make someone else a shit ton of money, that's your participation award.