Persuasive Essay on Participation Trophies

When I was in 4th grade I received a participation trophy, then I decided to throw it away because I felt that I didn’t do a good enough job to be rewarded. Participation trophies are not good for children or parents because they tell parents to teach their children that everyone is a winner, giving them a false sense of accomplishment. This can then cause children to not be ready for what life throws their way. A parent's job is to prepare their child(ren) for the world, even if that means they have to let their child learn something that may be difficult for them. Participation trophies will give children a false sense of hope that could hurt them more when they get older. 

Kids will not be prepared for the real world if they get rewarded for everything. Kids will therefore not be prepared for life. Cobi Jones said “But today, kids get a different message. Losing? No big deal. Showing up? That deserves a trophy. Wow. What an awful thing to tell a kid. Glad my parents or coaches never said it to me. If they had, I’m sure I never would’ve become a pro soccer player.”, showing that he would not be where he is today if he hadn’t worked hard. When a child receives a participation trophy they think that they have done all that they needed and they don’t have the want to do better.

Parents have failed their children by giving them participation trophies, saying that the bare minimum is all you’ll need to do. Cobi Jones said “They’re bad for kids. Bad for parents. Bad for society.”, by doing this he shows that participation trophies are not only bad for children but parents as well. A parent’s job is to prepare their child or children for life but giving a child participation trophies shows the parents that they shouldn’t let their child experience the pain that they need to succeed in the real world. By them giving participation trophies they instill a sort of entitlement, so then the child will expect something when they do the bare minimum. 

Participation trophies will give kids a sense of false hope. Cobi Jones says “This belief – that showing up is an accomplishment – is self-destructive. Because the pain of losing is part of what drives one to improve.” this shows that when you give a child a participation trophy it doesn’t give them the want to do better. Once kids get into the world they will realize that the world isn’t what they were taught that it was and be disappointed. Kids may feel lied to and start to question other things their parents taught them. Kids may feel that every time someone said a good job that it was a lie so they might quit something that they enjoy.  

Participation trophies can keep children motivated to play a sport or do something they like. One of the major downfalls of participation trophies is they give a false sense of success. Giving a young child a participation trophy versus a teenager is that a young child will see it as a token of doing something well and a teenager might see it as this is all that they have to do to succeed.    

Participation trophies are bad because they are teaching parents to non-intentionally give their kids a false sense of hope and achievement. Kids will not be prepared for life making it more painful and difficult to deal with. Parents shouldn’t reward their children every single time they do something good.