The controversy around participation trophies stems from debate on whether they are helpful or harmful for child development. The trophies are self-explanatory; any child that participates in a game, league or competition will be granted one. The goal of participation trophies is to boost confidence and encourage participation, but in the future, the awards may have a negative effect on a child’s life. 

Many encourage participation awards because they believe that every kid is a winner, in some aspect, and should be praised for any event they participate in. Supporters of the trophies argue that the prize emphasizes the value of hard work over winning, which encourages good sportsmanship. 

In contrast, critics argue that these trophies devalue one’s achievements by diminishing the importance of winning and discrediting hard work. Children that have the experience of feeling like a winner without earning it will have no desire to improve. The meaning of being a “winner” is diluted when everyone around you also receives a prize.

The most detrimental effect of participation trophies is ignorance of failure. Failure is an important lesson that everyone must experience at some point in their lives. The experience of failing forces kids to evaluate their performance and creates a drive to succeed. By creating a false sense of achievement, children are prevented from learning how to cope with setbacks. Overprotection from failure can lead to long-term harm and dissatisfaction in life. 

Similarly, a child who is consistently awarded and praised for participating may gain a sense of entitlement, believing they are owed a reward for slight participation. Suggesting to kids that a small amount of participation is notable of a reward blurs the distinction between genuine effort and attending an event. Entitlement may cause children to avoid hard work and lack motivation to perform to the best of their ability. It will also create an unrealistic expectation that being present grants the children a prize. When faced with real world experiences, this will cause them to experience disappointment and frustration. 

Participation trophies may seem like a good idea for younger kids, but are actually setting them up for failure. Removing participation trophies from recreational activities will set realistic expectations for the future, teach adolescents a lesson of failure and motivate them to develop a work ethic. If these lessons are taught from a young age, children will be prepared to take on the real world as they grow up.