Discussion » Questions » Education » Are participation trophies really a thing?
Livvie

Are participation trophies really a thing?

This was inspired by the discussion of community service in this question: https://answermug.com/forums/topic/139919/if-i-were-to-lock-you-in-the-dungeon-and-make-you-homework-chall

When I was in high school, community service was a required course.  My parents never had it.  My husband, who is older than I am, never had it.  However, some older people associate people in my age group with participation trophies. I never got one, but then again, my friends and I just didn’t do participation.

I‘ve never even seen a participation trophy in real life.  Are those for real or are those just made up right-wing memes?

Posted - March 6, 2023
Tags : None

Responses


  • 34431
    Yes, I have seen participation trophies. I had one child recieve one while on a basketball team in grade school. 
    Usually it was the parents of the team who got together and bought trophies for everyone on the team. 
    That was the only team any of my kids were on that did it. 
     
    As for Community Service as a class...no, I never had that. Neither did any of my kids. 
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
      March 7, 2023 5:51 AM MST
    3

  • 5451
    If the parents all got together and decided to buy trophies for everyone on the team, then I don’t see how it’s a big deal.  I never got one, nor did any of my friends.  Then again, I’m terrible at being a millennial.  I think I’m supposed to have a glass case showing off all of my participation trophies or something like that. This post was edited by Livvie at March 8, 2023 7:49 AM MST
      March 7, 2023 7:10 PM MST
    4

  • 34431
    But as you said in your question...you did not participate.  
      March 8, 2023 7:19 AM MST
    1

  • 3124
    I don't know if I will like to compete things to the participation trophy award.
      March 7, 2023 6:12 AM MST
    3

  • 5451
    I didn’t do any sports or extracurricular activities after school unless you use the NFL sportscaster’s definition of extracurricular activities.  In that case, I participated in extracurricular activities once after school.  I won, but I didn’t get a trophy.
      March 7, 2023 6:52 PM MST
    3

  • 11150
    I think all the public schools in Canada have to give all the kids on a  team the same participation ribbon or trophy. Even a kid that did nothing but get hit in the head with a dodge ball. I can kind of understand why they do (so everyone feels equal  and part of the team. But I also think it the MVP and better players should get a special ribbon or trophy because it gives them something to try harder for.  I don't think community service was a required course in Canadian public schools. Cheers! 
      March 7, 2023 7:32 PM MST
    2

  • 5451
    That’s interesting.  In elementary school, my best friend couldn’t throw a ball if his life depended on it but he could dodge the ball.  Every time we played it in gym class, he was always the last kid in the court.  Everybody else on the side just got tired of trying to get him out of the court so they just gave up and walked off, lol.
      March 7, 2023 7:43 PM MST
    1

  • 11150
    He must of been one of those kids that knew - if you can dodge a wrench you can dodge a dodge ball. Dodge ball is one of my favorite movies. Cheers! 
      March 7, 2023 7:49 PM MST
    1

  • 13277
    He must HAVE been…
      March 7, 2023 8:28 PM MST
    1

  • 11150
    Who are you to say how I should word my posts?
      March 7, 2023 11:16 PM MST
    1

  • 13277
    I was correcting your English, not your wording. “Must of” is not an actual expression. It is a bastardization of “must have.” I was just clarifying that to help you understand it.
      March 8, 2023 4:04 AM MST
    1

  • 11150
    Don't care. And the reason I don't care is because my post are usally interesting, creative  and humorous. And that's the important part.
      March 8, 2023 7:25 AM MST
    4

  • 13277
    You obviously don’t care. What you fail to understand is that correct grammar and spelling would make your posts even more interesting because they would be clearer and easier to read. But I suppose you don’t care about that either. This post was edited by Stu Spelling Bee at March 8, 2023 12:42 PM MST
      March 8, 2023 10:07 AM MST
    1

  • 11150
    Say's you.
      March 8, 2023 10:14 AM MST
    2

  • 5451
    You’re getting Asker’s Pick for replying to someone who corrected your grammar with “say’s you”.  That’s hilarious.  I can’t tell if the humor was intentional or not.  This post was edited by Livvie at March 8, 2023 3:33 PM MST
      March 8, 2023 12:46 PM MST
    1

  • 11150

    Maybe its intentional or maybe my fingers are under a Pee-wee Herman spell. And he forces them to type childish but witty things. I use the old "I know you are but what am I" a lot on SW. Cheers!       

    This post was edited by Nanoose at March 9, 2023 6:12 AM MST
      March 8, 2023 1:42 PM MST
    1

  • 3819
    Unfortunately, when everyone gets the same award, it stifles a child's determination to try harder to win.  Why should a kid make that much of an effort if he's going to get an award anyway?  It also fails to teach kids how to handle disappointment.  I think that's one of the reasons young adults today have so much difficulty navigating real life.  They are so used to being coddled that when things go wrong, they can't handle it.
      March 8, 2023 7:53 AM MST
    2

  • 11150
    After scoring every goal in a field hockey game they tried to give our son the same participation ribbon that they were giving all the other kids. He tossed it over his back and said - participation ribbon -
    I don't need no stinking participation ribbon. Cheers!  
      March 8, 2023 8:37 AM MST
    2

  • 3819
    Good for him.  In trying to make the losing team feel better about losing, they minimize the accomplishments of the better athletes.
      March 8, 2023 11:15 AM MST
    1

  • 11150
    I forgot about the part about the losing team getting the same participation ribbon as the winning team. I wonder how the Olympic champions would feel if at the end of the games they all got the same participation ribbon. Cheers! 
      March 8, 2023 11:55 AM MST
    2

  • 3819
    They would feel disrespected.
      March 9, 2023 5:57 AM MST
    1

  • 3124
    I had played dodge ball at the gym-it probably was a fun game but might be really hard to throw at the target & to not get hit by a ball!
      March 8, 2023 10:16 AM MST
    1

  • 11150
    I loved Dodge ball. Cheers!
      March 8, 2023 10:19 AM MST
    1

  • 13277
    No. Participation trophies are plural THINGS. Grrrrrrr.
      March 7, 2023 7:39 PM MST
    0