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What were we thinking there?

I am not sure where it happened; but some time between our first child starting pee-wee every-sport-and-program-available and our third child following in his two sisters’ footsteps, someone, somewhere got concerned about “self-esteem” and how fragile children are if they don’t win the tournament and thus was born….

IMG_2893                                                                    The Participation Trophy

And I am just not sure about the whole concept.

On several levels.

One being the obvious dilemma of what to do with all of this hardware that doesn’t really mean anything except your kid played on a team and the year he or she played.

I thought I could box them up and ship them off to all of their new homes…but alas…no room, no interest….millennial = minimalist, I guess….

It also seems that the whole thing was born out of a concern that we didn’t want any child to feel less-than. And to be honest, once one coach bought his team trophies; we parents all wanted our little tykes to have one.

So let’s give them all a trophy so they feel like a winner.

But a trophy doesn’t make a winner.

I know awards are well-meant…but perhaps always seeking to build the self-esteem of children by presenting trinkets undermines the development of a work ethic that doesn’t need external rewards.

I don’t think these things have done permanent damage…our children all three matured into understanding that the greatest rewards are not the ones handed to you by someone on a platform or at a banquet.

They understand that it is the accomplishment when we finish a task or a calling. The hard work, persistence and discipline to complete something and a job well-done; that is the true reward.

So I will be googling places that accept used trophies..

but will be keeping this one…

IMG_3845

Because some achievements…IMG_3844

just deserve to be preserved…IMG_3831in trophy cases and a mother’s heart  <3

 

 

 

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4 Comments

    1. Not even their name…just the team and the year…and thankfully, we have all their shirts somewhere as well.

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