Kid’s Participation Trophies

Calfgrit7 is in his fourth season of playing soccer. His age group doesn’t have tournaments or championships, or anything like that. They don’t even officially keep score during the games. (Although everyone knows the score — especially the kids.)

At the end of each season the kids get a little trophy. This is not a bad thing — a simple, little plastic trophy to congratulate for practicing and playing on a team for the first time. But really, such things shouldn’t be big and fancy. Save the big and fancy for real achievements, like winning a tournament or championship.

These are the first two trophies Calfgrit7 got for his first two seasons:

Nice, basic. Calfgrit7 was quite proud to receive them, and I think it gave him a tangible reward for going to all the practices and participating in all his team’s games.

But then, last season, he got this:

Really? This is a bit much. A lot much. Too much for just basic participation. This is not for any kind of competition or victory.

I can understand the coach’s thought and desire to give the kids something special, but this is just unnecessary. Compare them together:

These awards sit on Calfgrit7’s bookcase, and the scene is just hilarious. You’d think he was a master soccer player seeing that thing towering above everything else in the room. At least it’s still just a plastic thing, and not metal and heavy.

If he continues his interest in playing soccer, what will he think when he actually wins a league tournament or something, and that trophy isn’t as big or as impressive as the basic participation trophy he got at six years old? Or worse, what if he doesn’t win anything and doesn’t get a trophy at all? This is just setting the kids up for disappointment.

Come on coaches and parents. A little plastic thing for first participation is not a bad thing, but going over the top with a grand trophy for no real accomplishment is just not right.

Bullgrit