Childrens/teen team sports...Every team gets a trophy?

[edgeburner]

Back in my day (and that's going back a little while) every team in a children's sports league did not get a trophy. My little league baseball league gave out trophy's to the first, second and third finishing teams.....the others got a 'certificate of participation' (and a free invite to an awards dinner). Now, there are well meaning (i'm sure) folks that want to give trophies to ALL teams, regardless of their performance.

Is this wise...to reward mediocrity and/or failure?

Does this promote mediocrity.....lessen motivation and striving to be the best that you can be?

Personally, I don't approve of all inclusive trophy (or whatever) rewards. I think you should be rewarded for excelling, whether it be in an individual sport, or a team sport. I just don't see how rewarding folks for mediocrity can help child or a teen. Not to say you should degrade those who don't excel....just that you shouldn't reward them.

Your thoughts?

[HeyYou]

That goes with the whole "everyone is a winner", and "no one fails" mentality that has come about in the last decade or so. Seems it 'damages' a childs psychological development if someone else is rewarded, and they are not. Doesn't seem to matter that one rates it, and the other most certainly does not...... Of course, that works just fine, right up until the 'child' is introduced to the adult world, in which there are indeed winners, and losers..... That has GOT to be a pretty shocking experience...... I think we are doing our children a disservice by treating everyone the same.

[kvnchrist]

To be fully prepared for life a person needs to know how to loose, as well as how to win, this doesn't teach that. Self esteem and egos need to be developed but not so much that they eradicate the importance of others and their contributions.

[Aurielius]

Sports are supposed to teach you how to co-operate as a team, excel as an individual and pick yourself up and try again when you lose. It theoretically is a metaphor for life, handling defeat is at least as important as handling victory. Without the specter of defeat victory is meaningless. The losing side should be given a good pep talk and maybe some pizza but no trophy.