# Participation trophy

A participation trophy is a trophy given to participants in a competition, usually children, regardless of their success. One of the first known mentions of participation trophies occurred on February 8, 1922, in a Massillon, Ohio newspaper, The Evening Independent, in an article announcing a high school basketball tournament. The Olympics issue participation medals to athletes and support staff, event officials, and certain volunteers. Military equivalents are the service medal, the campaign medal, and marksmanship qualification badges.

## Justification

Defenders argue that participation trophies teach children that trying their best is good enough, even if they do not win. They assert that providing participation trophies raises children's self-esteem, and ensures they do not feel left out, or inferior to their peers who won. It also increases the likelihood that a child will want to return to play other sports in the hope of getting another trophy.
Such trophies are relatively inexpensive, and encourage egalitarianism and continued striving towards a goal; working class families favor them, according to Mother Jones, citing a Reason poll, as they "tend to think everyone should be recognized". For example, "the US military has awarded ribbons to anyone who participates in surface combat. This is a very egalitarian award." The poll cited found that "a majority (55%) of those making less than $30,000 a year want all kids to get trophies and 42 percent want only the winning players to receive them". Also, this "desire for 'every kid to get a trophy' strongly correlates with political beliefs. Fully 66 percent of Republicans want only the kids who win to receive trophies, while 31 percent say all kids on the team should receive them. In contrast, Democrats are evenly divided with 48 percent who say all kids, and another 48 percent who say only the winners should receive a trophy."

## Critique

Critics argue that such trophies promote narcissism and an entitlement mentality among recipients, and are based on incorrect assumptions regarding supposed psychological benefits of self-esteem. Critics also note that some children do not value them as much as they do trophies given only to winners. A backlash against participation trophies intensified in the 1990s.
Jordon Roos and Brad Strand hold that participation trophies do not allow children to learn from failures; losing enables them to learn a lesson from their loss, such as that losing is a part of life.
A 2014 poll by Reason magazine found "that when it comes to kids and their trophies, 57 percent of Americans think only the winning players should receive them. Another 40 percent say all kids on a sport team should receive a trophy for their participation." "Gender and race/ethnic differences also emerge when it comes to trophy allocation," the same survey found, adding "more significant differences emerge among race/ethnic groups. Fully 63 percent of Caucasians say only the winning players should get trophies, while 34 percent say all kids. Conversely, 56 percent of African-Americans and Hispanics say all kids should get a trophy, while 42 percent say only the winners."