Running head: Trophy 1

A Trophy for Everyone-No Way

Erik M. Lamb

Arizona State University

M1: Learning Activity

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A Trophy for Everyone- No Way

Handing out participation trophies does far more harm than it does good. Parker Abate wrote in

his article about how participation trophies help to bolster self-esteem and helped to show how

teamwork and collaboration is any good thing. What Mr. Abate failed to recognize was that,

while it may motivate those who achieve less than the “superstars” of the team it, lessens the

accomplishments of those who have put forth an extraordinary effort. Speaking from personal

experience when I put forth an extraordinary effort within the sport of tennis during my middle

school years and managed to prevail over other schools, which created great intrinsic motivation

for me. I felt my accomplishments less rewarding because everyone was receiving the same

trophies (a minor but important extrinsic motivator to a middle schooler), despite their actual

efforts and abilities. As an adult I recognize that not everybody is good at the same things, by

denying this momentary self-gratification of participation trophies it allows failure to be a

motivation to find something that a person truly excels at. For example, had I received a

participation trophy in hockey, which I played for a few years in middle school as well, I may

have believed that I was good enough to continue to pursue it in the high school and may have

become seriously injured. Thankfully I did not receive such a trophy and was able to reallocate

the time I spent practicing for hockey on other skills like learning a musical instrument. Because

of this I am now I am quite talented at playing the trumpet and have a rudimentary understanding

of how to play guitar (both give me great intrinsic motivation in the form of pride). Ashley

Merryman put it best in her article when she stated that it is best to teach children that it is

acceptable to make mistakes and even lose for it is through this that people, especially children,

end up learning more than if they are praised for minor or insignificant accomplishments. This is

true not only for children but also for adults many times when I am working it is the mistakes
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and the guidance, I get to correct these mistakes that spark the greatest learning and promote

motivation for a better job.

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Reference

Abate, P. (October 6, 2016). In Youth Sports, Participation Trophies Send a Powerful Message.

The New York Times. Retrieved from

https://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2016/10/06/should-every-young-athlete-get-a-

trophy/in-youth-sports-participation-trophies-send-a-powerful-message

Merryman, A. (October 6, 2016). Forget Trophies, Let Kids Know it's O.K. to Lose. The New

York Times. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2016/10/06/should-

every-young-athlete-get-a-trophy/forget-trophies-let-kids-know-its-ok-to-lose