James Harrison returns sons' "participation" trophies

[saintmichaeldefendthem]

You must not have played sports as a kid.

Sure I did, I also understood that striking out was disappointing, but I was still just as good a person as anybody else.

Not in sports you weren't.

Little kids don't need a trophy to figure out who was good or not so good at sports. That isn't what the trophy is about for little ones anyway. A kid is not the same as a college athlete. You can't understand that?

You cant understand that children are very impressionable at that age.
Teach em losing is winning at that age and you get what we got here...a bunch of confident punks that dont know shit.

Three Huge Mistakes We Make Leading Kids and How to Correct Them

Confidence or Stupidity Fastspot

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/10/29/are-kids-getting-too-much-praise/

I can keep going if you'd like....

Yes giving trophies for participation is not a good idea. However taking away those trophies is even worse.

I take away things from my kids all the time, especially when I think it's bad for them. Just how fragile do you think children are?

 

[saintmichaeldefendthem]

Little kids don't need a trophy to figure out who was good or not so good at sports. That isn't what the trophy is about for little ones anyway. A kid is not the same as a college athlete. You can't understand that?

You cant understand that children are very impressionable at that age.
Teach em losing is winning at that age and you get what we got here...a bunch of confident punks that dont know shit.

Three Huge Mistakes We Make Leading Kids and How to Correct Them

Confidence or Stupidity Fastspot

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/10/29/are-kids-getting-too-much-praise/

I can keep going if you'd like....

Yes giving trophies for participation is not a good idea. However taking away those trophies is even worse.

I disagree. Taking them away opens up a teaching moment that can't be beat.
The kid will remember,that you dont win when you're a loser.
Call it harsh but it does more for a kids future than feeding em lies.

Yeah, they might remember, they might remember that their dad's an A-h*le.

I don't believe everything a kid does should be competitive.

I work with kids and I do competitive stuff. I have scoring systems and there are consequences to their actions. However I don't make it uber competitive because some kids don't like that. It makes them uncomfortable. Some kids get too competitive and they then start acting like A-h*les because they won, or they cry because they lost and then you've lost the kids.

I'm one of those not so competitive people. I never got participation trophies, I did sport that was competitive. The worst was running the 200 metres at a new school. This was a trial event where the winners went through to a higher level. I won, they then said "this event doesn't count" and I was like "fuck you".
I like to play cards, I like the competition, but there are only certain types of games I like. Those games which require reflexes and being alert all the time I won't play because I simply get turned off. No matter how competitive I just won't care. So then it looks bad for me.

I also deal with adults in my line of working, if we're doing training or whatever I try and make it interesting. I had one guy who was so competitive. I did an activity which gave points. Then I read out the answers and saw how many points. This guy was getting irate because he he wasn't winning and he didn't really understand the answers so he thought he was right when he wasn't.
So he went to my boss and complained. I just laughed. Then he left, thank whichever god you like.

Competitive spirit can be good. It can also be bad. It's how you use it. This guy is using it in a negative way. He's taking something away from the kids. He's suggesting that they didn't win AND also that they needed to lose something. That's wrong. Not getting something is different to losing something.

This guy's "competitive spirit" is liable to harm his kids.

You typed a whole bunch of shit for nothing and I stopped reading after the first few sentences because your shit sounded like a article from womens weakly.
I grew up around sports(The NBA)and I learned a lot about competition from my father and the players.
Never be satisfied with second place in sports...and it'll carry on in your quest for cash and success in the real world.

Womens weakly

 

[dblack]

Participation trophies ruin the competitive spirit.

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

 

[frigidweirdo]

Yes giving trophies for participation is not a good idea. However taking away those trophies is even worse.

I take away things from my kids all the time, especially when I think it's bad for them. Just how fragile do you think children are?[/QUOTE]

But I'm not just talking about taking things away here. Taking things away because of behavior. Not allowing things in the first place. Taking away stuff because it's dangerous, whatever.

But we're kids going to an event, then being given something for participating, then taking it away for a seemingly weird reason that doesn't make much sense to me, let alone to a kid, just doesn't seem right.

 

[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

 

[saintmichaeldefendthem]

Yes giving trophies for participation is not a good idea. However taking away those trophies is even worse.

I take away things from my kids all the time, especially when I think it's bad for them. Just how fragile do you think children are?

But I'm not just talking about taking things away here. Taking things away because of behavior. Not allowing things in the first place. Taking away stuff because it's dangerous, whatever.

But we're kids going to an event, then being given something for participating, then taking it away for a seemingly weird reason that doesn't make much sense to me, let alone to a kid, just doesn't seem right.[/QUOTE]
It's just different parenting styles. I'm not condemning anyone and I don't think you are either. But some of us want our kids to learn correct values. What I told my kids is this: "Do you know what reward I get each day for just showing up for work? I don't get fired." They've also seen my trophies and ribbons for first place in many competitions. Anything other than first place I threw away decades ago. This is what I want them to learn, that striving for best is better and when it's achieved, then you bring home a trophy.

 

[JOSweetHeart]

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

I do agree with this. People that I have worked with are like that. They think that being there at all is enough when it isn't. What they obviously do not get is that they must be a team player by contributing what they can to the picture.

God bless you always!!!

Holly

 

[dblack]

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.

 

[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

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

You cant understand that children are very impressionable at that age.
Teach em losing is winning at that age and you get what we got here...a bunch of confident punks that dont know shit.

Three Huge Mistakes We Make Leading Kids and How to Correct Them

Confidence or Stupidity Fastspot

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/10/29/are-kids-getting-too-much-praise/

I can keep going if you'd like....

Yes giving trophies for participation is not a good idea. However taking away those trophies is even worse.

I disagree. Taking them away opens up a teaching moment that can't be beat.
The kid will remember,that you dont win when you're a loser.
Call it harsh but it does more for a kids future than feeding em lies.

Yeah, they might remember, they might remember that their dad's an A-h*le.

I don't believe everything a kid does should be competitive.

I work with kids and I do competitive stuff. I have scoring systems and there are consequences to their actions. However I don't make it uber competitive because some kids don't like that. It makes them uncomfortable. Some kids get too competitive and they then start acting like A-h*les because they won, or they cry because they lost and then you've lost the kids.

I'm one of those not so competitive people. I never got participation trophies, I did sport that was competitive. The worst was running the 200 metres at a new school. This was a trial event where the winners went through to a higher level. I won, they then said "this event doesn't count" and I was like "fuck you".
I like to play cards, I like the competition, but there are only certain types of games I like. Those games which require reflexes and being alert all the time I won't play because I simply get turned off. No matter how competitive I just won't care. So then it looks bad for me.

I also deal with adults in my line of working, if we're doing training or whatever I try and make it interesting. I had one guy who was so competitive. I did an activity which gave points. Then I read out the answers and saw how many points. This guy was getting irate because he he wasn't winning and he didn't really understand the answers so he thought he was right when he wasn't.
So he went to my boss and complained. I just laughed. Then he left, thank whichever god you like.

Competitive spirit can be good. It can also be bad. It's how you use it. This guy is using it in a negative way. He's taking something away from the kids. He's suggesting that they didn't win AND also that they needed to lose something. That's wrong. Not getting something is different to losing something.

This guy's "competitive spirit" is liable to harm his kids.

You typed a whole bunch of shit for nothing and I stopped reading after the first few sentences because your shit sounded like a article from womens weakly.
I grew up around sports(The NBA)and I learned a lot about competition from my father and the players.
Never be satisfied with second place in sports...and it'll carry on in your quest for cash and success in the real world.

Womens weakly

I was wondering if anyone was going to catch that...

 

[frigidweirdo]

It's just different parenting styles. I'm not condemning anyone and I don't think you are either. But some of us want our kids to learn correct values. What I told my kids is this: "Do you know what reward I get each day for just showing up for work? I don't get fired." They've also seen my trophies and ribbons for first place in many competitions. Anything other than first place I threw away decades ago. This is what I want them to learn, that striving for best is better and when it's achieved, then you bring home a trophy.

I understand that and perhaps competitive people have competitive children. However many people aren't that competitive, they don't want their kids to be ruled the whole time by looking over their shoulder with envy, they're fine earning not so much money and doing their job and going home.

The issue here, I'd say, is about society in general. Participation trophies. I don't have a problem with them, I don't like them. We had some competition for kids and one kid, about six years old, was ecstatic with his medal. The other kids knew they'd lost. This kid didn't care and it made his day to go home with one.

So the giving of participation rewards isn't so bad, even if I don't understand it. What I find strange is that kids didn't win, and then the parent went and did something so negative that it makes no sense. The kids went to a competition, they did what they did and they got what they got for that. To then say "oh, sorry kids, you did this and received what you deserved to received but now I'm taking it away" is just weird.

I'd bet the father is UBER competitive and pushing his kids so much that he's causing all sorts of issues. Maybe I'm wrong. But I doubt it.

 

[FA_Q2]

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.

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

^^^^ coming from someone who claims to own multiple businesses but doesn't know how a business operates. You also don't know shit about sports because real athletes treat it as a competition. Is there anything about your life that's real?

From a truck driver? I challenge you last week. Send me an email here and I will prove it to you idiot.
So I will challenge both you assholes Sassy and Truck driver. Send me an email here and I will prove it to both of you. I don't want to see your faces but you will meet anyone of my executive assistant depending what states you are located. I'M WAITING....

Truck driving is honest work, nothing like pretending to be a business owner while displaying rank ignorance about how a business operates.

And I'm not sending you an email. Whatever you have to say, you can say right here in front of God and everyone.

Blah blah blah blah. Instead of keep babling. Why don't you take the challenge. Give it a shot asshole. I'm sending you here right in front of GOD.

It's "babbling", not "babling"...LMAO

So?? That all you got? Keep BABLING you might impressed me.

It's one mistake after another with you isn't it?

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

I have to ask..why are liberals throwing away the idea that there is such a thing as the informative years?
Child rearing experts all agree that children learn life lessons at an early age.
Why are liberals anti science?

Who has said that there aren't informative years? I agree totally.

However I've seen both sides of this. I've seen kids grow up into useless adults because their brain is so messed up that they can't hold down a job.

Just because you're teaching a lesson, doesn't mean the lesson is a good one.

As opposed to teaching them that they can mail it in and still succeed in life?
WTF is wrong with you?

 

[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.

 

[charwin95]

For some reason a lot of people here are totally confused.
I never mentioned about awarding a trophy to a second place. I never mentioned about giving award to kids for just showing up.
I'm talking about a team that WON a championship. So let me repeat it again as an example. The Golden State won the 2015 NBA basketball championship. Only 8 players played the final game 6.
So based from argument of participation. Only 8 will get trophies the 4 should not. That's absurd and not acceptable. Don't you think?

 

[thereisnospoon]

Good man!!!

Not everybody deserves a trophy


James Harrison rejects sons participation trophies

“I came home to find out that my boys received two trophies for nothing, participation trophies! While I am very proud of my boys for everything they do and will encourage them till the day I die, these trophies will be given back until they EARN a real trophy. I’m sorry I’m not sorry for believing that everything in life should be earned and I’m not about to raise to boys to be men by making them believe that they are entitled to something just because they tried their best…cause sometimes your best is not enough, and that should drive you to want to do better…not cry and whine until somebody gives you something to shut u up and keep you happy. #harrisonfamilyvalues“

Good for him....This liberal clap trap is ruining the country and creating generations of whiny little brats.
A friend once coached baseball for 10-12 year olds.
After the tournament season was over, the best players were rewarded for their outstanding performances with trophies.
One of the boys on the team absolutely LOST IT....This kid started sobbing. And once the ceremony was over. He burst into a fit...
So what did his parents do? They found out which shop made the trophies and BOUGHT ONE one for HIS kid.....Unreal....

 

[charwin95]

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?

 

[thereisnospoon]

Excellent. Good for him. HBO's Real Sports did a segment on this. That's a lousy thing to do to a kid, all in the name of phony "self esteem". .

You're not helping a child by doing this, in fact it's the complete opposite. They learn to be complacent and have no competitive drive and later in life they will suffer for it

We pump our kids full of phony "self esteem" and the results are predictable: Confident Idiots American Students Growing More Confident Less Capable - The College Fix
.

I despise this notion of self esteem....It has helped create a couple generations of self absorbed self involved narcissistic little brats who feel entitled to anything because they want it.
Their parents have sheltered them from any notion of disappointment. Told them how great they are. The term "helicopter parents" applies to a T...

 

[thereisnospoon]

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.....