Essay On Sports Participation Trophy

Controversial Issues in Society: Does Sports Participation Require a Trophy? Trophies were once infrequent in society. You would have to go to your local jewelry store and spend top dollar on a shiny piece of sterling silver or gold. Thus, you didn’t see a whole lot of children running around with new trophies every week. However, with the arrival of the 1960s, many factories that had been once used to produce military goods during WWII would now be available for mass-production consumer goods. Trophies would now be marketed and sold to coaches and athletic departments, or available at your hometown sporting goods store (Merryman). In modern day society, sports participation trophies are almost guaranteed, ensuring every child is a “winner” at the end of the day. These participation trophies are extremely harmful to our youth and should only be given out when deemed necessary. For example, I threw away two garbage bags full of trophies after high school graduation. While none of these trophies were given for simply participating, the lesson learned is the same. I didn’t need to see awards every single day when I wake up to know what I’ve accomplished, I lived it. These plastic memorabilia pieces are just that, something to attach a memory too. The sooner children are able to let go of their

In certain instances, schools won’t allow a child to get lower than a “C” average. We are handing out degrees to these children without them even being aware of it. I’ve had some of my own friends who did not pass all their required classes in middle school and still were allowed to receive their high school diploma on graduation day. This national trend needs to be reversed and it starts with allowing our children to receive awards with no worth. Once children accept the fact that life is not always fair, they will be better prepared to face the challenges and obstacles ahead in the real