Participation trophy
A participation trophy is a trophy given to children (usually) who participate in a sporting event but do not finish in first, second or third place, and so would not normally be eligible for a trophy. It is frequently associated with millennials, those of Generation Y. The use of participation trophies has caused some controversy: One of the earliest known mentions of the term "participation trophy" occurred in a newspaper in Massillon, Ohio, United States, called the "Evening Independent", on 8 February 1922.