Steelers Linebacker Returns Sons' Participation Trophies

Devil Ledbetter · Aug 24, 2015

robeiae said:
For my part, I've never had such a conversation with any of my kids. They all seemed to understand what the participation trophies were from the get-go and--as I said previously--simply didn't care about them, one way or the other. Though as a dutiful parent, I did congratulate them on the trophies and their "successful season" or some such thing. But for them, that was the end of it. The trophies/medals just went into the closet or a drawer and were never heard from again ('til a future Spring cleaning event).

'Course, kids--like people--are different, so who can say what the best approach is in this regard.

Same here. Though I feel qualified to say that an announcement of your kids' undeservedness to your 190k Instagram followers is not an act of healthy, appropriate parenting. If he wanted to have that public discussion, it would not have been that hard to leave his kids and the assertion that "their best isn't enough" out of it.

robeiae · Aug 24, 2015

Devil Ledbetter said:
Same here. Though I feel qualified to say that an announcement of your kids' undeservedness to your 190k Instagram followers is not an act of healthy, appropriate parenting. If he wanted to have that public discussion, it would not have been that hard to leave his kids and the assertion that "their best isn't enough" out of it.

Yeah, I think you're probably right about this. Good point.

Diana Hignutt · Aug 24, 2015

Amadan said:
As rob said, your links were not "evidence," they were, at best, speculative essays. Against that, I would weigh the evidence of all of recorded history.

It's not an either/or, cooperation or competition. We obviously, as a species, have the capacity for both and can benefit from either depending on the circumstances. Neither one is unnatural or something that only happened once we invented farming.

Recorded history is the story of what happened after we abandoned our evolutionary niche. You keep saying things and not backing them up. Read The Chalice and the Blade, read Against Civilization, or read Walden. The point is well made in many places, much more strongly, than the denials you offer as though they were obvious.

Robert Dawson · Aug 24, 2015

In Scouts Canada, we do embroidered patches for practically everything. Everybody gets one. Kids collect them, put them on campfire blankets, etc. They don't (obviously) look like trophies, and nobody pretends they are. They're souvenirs.

Some things have trophies as well. They look like trophies. Only the winners and a few runners-up get them.

This works pretty well, as far as I can see.

regdog · Aug 24, 2015

I played sports and wasn't very good. I tired my best, showed up and worked hard at practice, and games. Never stood out, was never tops at anything, no awards.

My sister won many ribbons, awards, trophies and medals.

Most of us who play sports will never be the best at, we won't win awards, and will always watch others get the trophies. What is so wrong with getting a little something in recognition of the fact we showed up, practiced our hardest and played our best.

robeiae · Aug 24, 2015

Diana Hignutt said:
Read The Chalice and the Blade...

Really? Might as well read some Graham Hancock, imo.

Diana Hignutt · Aug 24, 2015

robeiae said:
Really? Might as well read some Graham Hancock, imo.

That's not fair. But, it is funny.

robeiae · Aug 24, 2015

It's more than fair. I've read the book. Well written and compelling in some ways, not unlike Hancock's stuff and Holy Blood, Holy Grail. But ultimately based on assumptions and theories that cannot be supported in the least with cold, hard facts.

Samsonet · Aug 24, 2015

It's not the lack of a trophy that gives kids low self-esteem. It's when their parents treat their participation awards as "loser trophies."

If my dad had done something like this when I was little, it'd be very hard to forgive him.

Jcomp · Aug 25, 2015

RichardGarfinkle said:
My daughter was on her chess team in Middle School. The kid's chess tournaments give trophies to everyone, but the trophies aren't all the same. The better one does in the tourney, the larger and fanicer the trophy. There's no everyone is equal in this (especially given that the tournaments counted for their actual ratings as chess players).

I'm late to this, but just want to add that the idea of smaller, less fanciful trophies for lesser players and larger, more fanciful trophies for greater players on a chess team is brilliantly apropos.

Steelers Linebacker Returns Sons' Participation Trophies

Which Trophy Should James Harrison Get?

Father of the Year

Meanie of the Year

Devil Ledbetter

Come on you stranger, you legend,

robeiae

Touch and go

Diana Hignutt

Very Tired

Robert Dawson

Getting The Hang Of It

regdog

The Scavengers

robeiae

Touch and go

Diana Hignutt

Very Tired

robeiae

Touch and go

Samsonet

Just visiting

Jcomp