There’s a term I never remember hearing until a few years ago, and it seems to irk a lot of people: “Participation Trophies.” It’s the idea that some kids get trophies for participating in sports regardless of their individual performances.
I don’t know how things work now, but I played baseball for ten years as a kid, and remember well how it worked back then. At the end of the season, the coaches held a cookout and gave out trophies to the entire team. I’m pretty sure the coaches and maybe a few of the parents paid for the food, drinks, and trophies.
All the trophies were the same and everyone on the team got one: the star pitcher, the one with the most homeruns, and the ones who rode the bench most of the year. It seemed right; baseball is a team sport and everyone contributes in some way. The trophies read something like, “Sylvania Little League 1977 * First Place.”
We might have gotten the same trophy, but individual achievements were still recognized in the form of the All-Star game. The team who finished in first place got to send their five best players. The team who came in second sent four; third place sent three, and so on. I made the All-Star team every year, but coming from the team in first place helped.
I don’t remember ever being on a team that didn’t finish in first place. But it makes sense considering we had the same players from T-Ball, through Pee-Wee, Farm League, Little League, and Pony League. We played the same teams every year who also had the same players. Had we ever finished in last place, I’m not sure if we would have received trophies or not, but I’m sure we would still have the cookout.
I guess I don’t have a personal perspective to say whether or not the players of a team who finished last ever got trophies at the end of the season, or whether or not they should have. Personally, I think they should. I never viewed my team trophies as an achievement, but rather as a memento of a fun year.
After high school, I got into more individualized competitions like arm wrestling and powerlifting. Only the top three in each division won trophies. There were no participation trophies. But again, these were not team events and we were adults.
If I were to coach a kid’s baseball team, even if we came in last, I would still have a cookout and hand out trophies. Would the trophies be deserved? Who cares? If you ask me, kids deserve a trophy just for being kids.