James Harrison returns sons' "participation" trophies

[LoneLaugher]

I'm still looking for evidence that young people are less competitive as a result of our handing out participation awards.

What sport.....or what field of study is this supposed lack of competitiveness rearing it's ugly head?

It's a false meme.

Sad that you were provided exactly that - the evidence you have been screeching about - and consequently ignored it because it does not fit your preconceived notion.

Go back and deal with reality - celebrating participation is moronic.

I was given an opinion piece.

Tell me how fucking lame American athletes are. Go ahead. Tell me how issuing participation trophies to toddlers has fucked up the competitiveness of American athletes.

We are talking about how awarding young people for doing nothing affects the overall culture and the future of those children. We were talking about the reasoning that next generation is going to be the most confident in their abilities and the least competent. We were talking about the harm that awarding everyone that shows up does.

YOU are the only one idiotic enough to demand that we look at the top 0.00001 percent in athletics and reject the obvious.

Bullshit. Take a trip down to your local HS and watch some baseball or softball or soccer games. Every one of those kids got participation trophies when they were playing rec ball. And every one will take your fucking head off if you are between them and a victory.

Learn first.....then type.

Also....Mac's theory about overconfident yet incompetent young people is not supported. The dude found a couple of studies that confirm his hypothesis......and he's been posting them for years.

Bullshit....This is a new fangled new age thing that has been going on for about 20 years.
its all done by parents who think their little cupcakes should be perpetually happy.
Oh, don't go thinking this is a discussion.
You have your view. I have mine. Done.....

You had trouble dealing with little Billy's mommy didn't you? Poor guy.

 

[SassyIrishLass]

Participation trophies ruin the competitive spirit.

Nonsense. Kids aren't idiots. They understand the difference between participation and achievement.

You don't reward mediocrity with trophies. You're simply teaching a child just showing up is good enough and it's not

Again, you don't think kids recognize the difference between acknowledging participation and rewarding achievement? This is just silly guys. There's nothing at all wrong with giving kids a memento to remember their experiences, and they know such a "trophy" isn't a reward.

I really think a lot of you are missing the point with the "participation trophies". I know there are some dweebs out there opposed to any kind of competition, but it's fine and valid to recognize good faith participation, even if the participants didn't excel. It's a silly thing to get upset about in any case.

So give a kid a participation banner or memento but don't give a kid who just showed up the same awards as the kids who practiced hard, competed and won. You are just teaching that hard work, dedication and excelling means nothing because the under achievers are rewarded the same way. Those same under achievers will grow up expecting to be rewarded the same as the producers in school, careers and in life.

Our girls are in gymnastics and each of those kids know they will only receive medals or trophies if they finish 3rd or better, they practice hard and are dedicated because they want to reach that podium, if everybody gets to go to podium it takes away from what the real achievers accomplished. I don' want that for our children, I want them to realize that the hard work and dedication reaps rewards and they are not going to get a "good feeling" type award because they showed up. It defeats the spirit of the competition

Let's start all over.
I understand that you are doing what is best for your girls grow up as a good person and successful.
But my argument with you is totally different. I keep giving you an example but we are not connecting.
I never mentioned about 2nd or 3rd place getting a trophy. I never mentioned giving a trophy for kids just for the heck of showing up.
I'm talking about giving trophy that won the championship first place. Can you please tell me where is the disconnection here?

My understanding is the father in the article had his sons return the trophies because they were participation trophies. Everyone got one or that's what it implies. I don't have an issue with all team members that participate on a team and that team winning a championship receiving awards, that is a team effort. When I was in HS our football team won state two of the four years I was a student, the better athletes had letter man jackets but all the team members were given a patch signifying they were on a championship team, the ones with jackets put them on the jackets and I suppose the ones that didn't displayed them like an award.. Gymnastics is different, it's more of an individual sport (although they do compete as a team in certain meets) that is where I disagree with everyone competing receiving an award. I've watched these kids practice and I've seen the agony and tears as they strive to be the best and I also see some of them staring off into space, laughing and just basically showing up, it's not fair to the ones giving 100% for the ones giving 50% to get the same awards. Plus I see the pride on their faces when they go to podium, they know they have done it, all that work and practice paid off. That's their moment to shine and be that brightest burning flame, if everyone gets an award it tarnishes that.

 

[thereisnospoon]

Sad that you were provided exactly that - the evidence you have been screeching about - and consequently ignored it because it does not fit your preconceived notion.

Go back and deal with reality - celebrating participation is moronic.

I was given an opinion piece.

Tell me how fucking lame American athletes are. Go ahead. Tell me how issuing participation trophies to toddlers has fucked up the competitiveness of American athletes.

We are talking about how awarding young people for doing nothing affects the overall culture and the future of those children. We were talking about the reasoning that next generation is going to be the most confident in their abilities and the least competent. We were talking about the harm that awarding everyone that shows up does.

YOU are the only one idiotic enough to demand that we look at the top 0.00001 percent in athletics and reject the obvious.

Bullshit. Take a trip down to your local HS and watch some baseball or softball or soccer games. Every one of those kids got participation trophies when they were playing rec ball. And every one will take your fucking head off if you are between them and a victory.

Learn first.....then type.

Also....Mac's theory about overconfident yet incompetent young people is not supported. The dude found a couple of studies that confirm his hypothesis......and he's been posting them for years.

Bullshit....This is a new fangled new age thing that has been going on for about 20 years.
its all done by parents who think their little cupcakes should be perpetually happy.
Oh, don't go thinking this is a discussion.
You have your view. I have mine. Done.....

You had trouble dealing with little Billy's mommy didn't you? Poor guy.

No, she ran off with your wife

 

[thereisnospoon]

LL, All levels of play should be competitive. Anything else teaches that games can be focused on things other than winning which is a loser mentality.

Are you saying that only winners compete?

Only winners are rewarded.

 

[thereisnospoon]

What a bunch of idiots.

My son ( baseball, basketball ) and my daughter ( fastpitch, volleyball, soccer ) each received participation trophies when young. They got them as a memento of good times with their teams.

As they grew....they moved into competitive levels of play. They both ended up being team leaders and earned the respect of teammates, coaches and opponents for their fierce competitive spirit.

This entire meme is a failure.

LOL what a load

What's a load, dummy?

It comes as no surprise some limp wristed lefty like you would be in favor of rewards for having a pulse.

 

[thereisnospoon]

None of you know what you are talking about.

Let's examine this subject a bit, shall we?

When did we, as a nation, begin giving participation trophies to young athletes?

When we started allowing these sniveling politically correct helicopter parents have their way....Because they could not bear to see their kids disappointed

 

[thereisnospoon]

Side question, SassyDummy......when your kids get a 2nd or third place "trophy" do you refuse to accept it? They didn't win.

Umm, who here objected to an Olympic Bronze or Silver medal?...Ass clown

 

[thereisnospoon]

The question remains unanswered. When did we begin coddling young athletes?

You're obviously sitting on some kinda answer, so spill?

If it wasn't W, Bush, or Reagan, it HAS to be Nixon

It was sometime in the 70's. Won't you agree?

By the way....stop whining. I'm not talking politics here. You fucking professional victim.

No..I was a kid in the 70's...We NEVER received participation trophies.

 

[LoneLaugher]

I was given an opinion piece.

Tell me how fucking lame American athletes are. Go ahead. Tell me how issuing participation trophies to toddlers has fucked up the competitiveness of American athletes.

We are talking about how awarding young people for doing nothing affects the overall culture and the future of those children. We were talking about the reasoning that next generation is going to be the most confident in their abilities and the least competent. We were talking about the harm that awarding everyone that shows up does.

YOU are the only one idiotic enough to demand that we look at the top 0.00001 percent in athletics and reject the obvious.

Bullshit. Take a trip down to your local HS and watch some baseball or softball or soccer games. Every one of those kids got participation trophies when they were playing rec ball. And every one will take your fucking head off if you are between them and a victory.

Learn first.....then type.

Also....Mac's theory about overconfident yet incompetent young people is not supported. The dude found a couple of studies that confirm his hypothesis......and he's been posting them for years.

Bullshit....This is a new fangled new age thing that has been going on for about 20 years.
its all done by parents who think their little cupcakes should be perpetually happy.
Oh, don't go thinking this is a discussion.
You have your view. I have mine. Done.....

You had trouble dealing with little Billy's mommy didn't you? Poor guy.

No, she ran off with your wife

Weeeeeeeee! No need for anyone to run off....there is plenty of room in the jacuzzi. If you had game,,,,you'd know what that's like.

 

[Papageorgio]

I never got participation trophies and I wouldn't want one. They mean nothing, they mean you were there. It's like a ticket to the Super Bowl. Sure you were there but so was 60,000 and it didn't mean a damn thing.

 

[Ravi]

The question remains unanswered. When did we begin coddling young athletes?

You're obviously sitting on some kinda answer, so spill?

If it wasn't W, Bush, or Reagan, it HAS to be Nixon

It was sometime in the 70's. Won't you agree?

By the way....stop whining. I'm not talking politics here. You fucking professional victim.

No..I was a kid in the 70's...We NEVER received participation trophies.

Prolly because you never participated.

 

[thereisnospoon]

All you're doing when you give participation trophies is encouraging a kid to be lazy, creating a sense of entitlement and

Side question, SassyDummy......when your kids get a 2nd or third place "trophy" do you refuse to accept it? They didn't win.

They did their best, clown. They are not going to win every time, on any given day one gymnast can beat another but at least they walk away knowing they gave 100% and didn't get some meaningless hunk of junk for showing up. They laugh at the notion everyone gets a trophy and will be the first ones to tell you if you can't run with the big dogs stay on the porch. There is nothing wrong with a second or third place finish when the field is usually made up of 30 or more gymnasts. All you are doing by handing participation trophies out is creating a sense of entitlement, promoting laziness and you do nothing for a child's self esteem. They know when they look at the medals and trophies they have won they did it with hard work, practice, dedication and they earned them. Nobody gave them a damn thing , that pays off later in life

You don't know anything about this subject. But you sure are good at making excuses for your kids when they don't win. The did their best! Wow! That's awesome.

Answer the question please. When did we begin giving out participation trophies and ribbons to all young participants in youth sports?

You'll give an answer that is self serving to you.....So why bother.
You've already been told anyway.....

 

[LoneLaugher]

The question remains unanswered. When did we begin coddling young athletes?

You're obviously sitting on some kinda answer, so spill?

If it wasn't W, Bush, or Reagan, it HAS to be Nixon

It was sometime in the 70's. Won't you agree?

By the way....stop whining. I'm not talking politics here. You fucking professional victim.

No..I was a kid in the 70's...We NEVER received participation trophies.

Sure we did. Every player got some kind of memento to remember the team by. Maybe they didn't like you enough to give you one.

 

[thereisnospoon]

All you're doing when you give participation trophies is encouraging a kid to be lazy, creating a sense of entitlement and

Side question, SassyDummy......when your kids get a 2nd or third place "trophy" do you refuse to accept it? They didn't win.

They did their best, clown. They are not going to win every time, on any given day one gymnast can beat another but at least they walk away knowing they gave 100% and didn't get some meaningless hunk of junk for showing up. They laugh at the notion everyone gets a trophy and will be the first ones to tell you if you can't run with the big dogs stay on the porch. There is nothing wrong with a second or third place finish when the field is usually made up of 30 or more gymnasts. All you are doing by handing participation trophies out is creating a sense of entitlement, promoting laziness and you do nothing for a child's self esteem. They know when they look at the medals and trophies they have won they did it with hard work, practice, dedication and they earned them. Nobody gave them a damn thing , that pays off later in life

You don't know anything about this subject.

Answer the question please. When did we begin giving out participation trophies and ribbons to all young participants in youth sports?

What difference does it make when it started? The fact is it does nothing for a child. My guess is it started when you left loons realized your loser kids couldn't compete with ours and decided that wasn't "fair". Take "fair" and shove it, we raise champions, kids that will rise to the top while the ones who show up and get rewarded will go nowhere in life

Now LL is going to tell us how "excellent" his kids are......ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ....

 

[LoneLaugher]

All you're doing when you give participation trophies is encouraging a kid to be lazy, creating a sense of entitlement and

Side question, SassyDummy......when your kids get a 2nd or third place "trophy" do you refuse to accept it? They didn't win.

They did their best, clown. They are not going to win every time, on any given day one gymnast can beat another but at least they walk away knowing they gave 100% and didn't get some meaningless hunk of junk for showing up. They laugh at the notion everyone gets a trophy and will be the first ones to tell you if you can't run with the big dogs stay on the porch. There is nothing wrong with a second or third place finish when the field is usually made up of 30 or more gymnasts. All you are doing by handing participation trophies out is creating a sense of entitlement, promoting laziness and you do nothing for a child's self esteem. They know when they look at the medals and trophies they have won they did it with hard work, practice, dedication and they earned them. Nobody gave them a damn thing , that pays off later in life

You don't know anything about this subject.

Answer the question please. When did we begin giving out participation trophies and ribbons to all young participants in youth sports?

What difference does it make when it started? The fact is it does nothing for a child. My guess is it started when you left loons realized your loser kids couldn't compete with ours and decided that wasn't "fair". Take "fair" and shove it, we raise champions, kids that will rise to the top while the ones who show up and get rewarded will go nowhere in life

Now LL is going to tell us how "excellent" his kids are......ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ....

You seem jealous.

 

[thereisnospoon]

The question remains unanswered. When did we begin coddling young athletes?

You're obviously sitting on some kinda answer, so spill?

If it wasn't W, Bush, or Reagan, it HAS to be Nixon

It was sometime in the 70's. Won't you agree?

By the way....stop whining. I'm not talking politics here. You fucking professional victim.

No..I was a kid in the 70's...We NEVER received participation trophies.

Prolly because you never participated.

Yeah, right....You know everything.

 

[LoneLaugher]

Did they have all star teams when you were a kid, loser boy?

 

[SassyIrishLass]

All you're doing when you give participation trophies is encouraging a kid to be lazy, creating a sense of entitlement and

Side question, SassyDummy......when your kids get a 2nd or third place "trophy" do you refuse to accept it? They didn't win.

They did their best, clown. They are not going to win every time, on any given day one gymnast can beat another but at least they walk away knowing they gave 100% and didn't get some meaningless hunk of junk for showing up. They laugh at the notion everyone gets a trophy and will be the first ones to tell you if you can't run with the big dogs stay on the porch. There is nothing wrong with a second or third place finish when the field is usually made up of 30 or more gymnasts. All you are doing by handing participation trophies out is creating a sense of entitlement, promoting laziness and you do nothing for a child's self esteem. They know when they look at the medals and trophies they have won they did it with hard work, practice, dedication and they earned them. Nobody gave them a damn thing , that pays off later in life

You don't know anything about this subject. But you sure are good at making excuses for your kids when they don't win. The did their best! Wow! That's awesome.

Answer the question please. When did we begin giving out participation trophies and ribbons to all young participants in youth sports?

You'll give an answer that is self serving to you.....So why bother.
You've already been told anyway.....

That one is a moron and I hope he/she isn't a parent. I don't make excuses for our children, I know they are not going to win every meet, no kid is. Moronic reply from a complete moron

 

[Ravi]

I never got participation trophies and I wouldn't want one. They mean nothing, they mean you were there. It's like a ticket to the Super Bowl. Sure you were there but so was 60,000 and it didn't mean a damn thing.

Super Bowl losers get rings.

 

[LoneLaugher]

The answer is yes. How many kids got selected to play on the all star team?