Is participation worth a trophy? I believe, that for young children, it is. The fact that they are trying is showing effort, and a young child should be rewarded for doing so. Receiving a trophy can be a very motivational thing for a child, and there’s no reason to take that away from them.
When a child receives a trophy, they feel a sense of pride and accomplishment. A trophy recognizes the work that they put into that activity, and it encourages them to continue to do so. A trophy should be seen as a motivational factor, not something negative.
By singling one kid out for a trophy, that causes tension among the other children. They will become jealous of the child who received the trophy and that can lead to violence and lack of motivation.
Trophies are especially important for young kids who aren’t as talented at the certain activity. They may not be the best, but they will have learned about teamwork and sportsmanship.
Giving trophies to kids also improves their self-esteem. When a child receives a trophy, they feel that they are important and special. Self-esteem is something very valuable to have throughout life, and by simply giving a child a trophy, you can provide them with that confidence.
When a child doesn’t receive a trophy and others do, that undoubtedly makes said child feel very poor about themselves. In extreme cases, feeling left out and like they’re not worth anything can lead to depression.
One may say that by giving children trophies that you’re providing them with the fantasy that life is easy and that things are handed to you because you participated. I agree that the world isn’t like that, but that’s not something you should be telling young children. You should be encouraging them to do well; rewarding them when they try hard or accomplish something.
When I was younger, I felt much more accomplished and proud of myself if I received a trophy. I would’ve much rather had everyone receive a trophy than have felt left out for not receiving one.
I think that, for young children, getting a trophy is something special that should be shared with everyone, not just one person. I was much more willing to try harder tasks if I was rewarded for doing well on an easier one.
I think that it’s easier to do something difficult if you have praising from others. When I did gymnastics, my coach started me out with easy skills and progressively worked up to the harder ones. When I would complete the easy tasks, she would congratulate me for doing so. Having that praise motivated me to do the harder tasks. The same thing works for trophies- they work as motivational items.
Giving a child a trophy doesn’t change the result of the activity, so I don’t see what the harm is. Whether or not a child wins shouldn’t be the determining factor for a trophy. Maybe for adults, but certainly not for children. A child should be recognized for the hard work that they put in, regardless of the result.
Trophies don’t prevent children from trying, in fact, they do quite the opposite. Children like to have trophies to have something to remind them of their experience or to have something of their own that they can feel proud of, not to give them an excuse to slack off.
To conclude, giving kids trophies is not a bad thing, and it doesn’t reduce their want to keep displaying effort.
