Giving Out Participation Awards Essay

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Self-esteem boosters or motivation killers? Kids should not be given a participation awards because in giving a kid an award just for participating they won’t learn the importance of trying their hardest and try to be the best. Although others (particularly parents) may argue that it is a good thing to give every kid a trophy, because if you don’t some kids may feel left out or not appreciated. There are many positive effects that giving out participation awards give to children. But, there are just as many if not more negative effects to it as well and giving out these awards can affect the kind of person the child will become as they grow older. “Although psychologists have offered a variety of definitions of self-esteem, most agree that it is a trait referring to individuals’ degree of liking or disliking for themselves” (Brockner 11). For most, childhood can be a difficult chapter of life, and a period where positive reinforcement is important. Knowledge and other skills that a child will be able to use for the rest of their life are continually put into practice through trial and error. A large part of whether someone will have high or low self-esteem throughout their life will be determined by their sense of competence and the appreciation shown for them by others in their childhood. …show more content…
Giving trophies to a child can have lasting positive effects on their achievements, confidence, and sense of self-efficacy. A child’s self-image is strongly dependent on whether or not they feel accepted and appreciated. We all sometimes fail to recognize our own strong points no matter how obvious they may be without recognition from others. With the pressure many kids feel to succeed in school, sports, music, and personal relationships, children have an especially difficult time seeing the qualities that make them so great. Trophies serve as an acknowledgement of a particular skill or aspect of a child’s personality, which helps them to see themselves in a more positive light. These awards also encourages kids to play. By offering that they end up happier and don’t show up to compete for the top stop. They can just enjoy the game and not have to worry about who will get a trophy since they all get one anyway. The children that aren’t particularly good at sports may start to break from their shells and start participating because now even if they don’t do well they will still get a trophy, and who knows, maybe these kids with a bit of encouragement and practice they could actually end up being allstars. By saying “You get a trophy just for showing up” you activate a change in these kids and get them outdoors and have them take part in a team sport, make friends, and they won’t have to worry about not getting something for playing and all around just get to enjoy the sports. The encouragement the kids get from these trophies also helps. Kids need to be encouraged to play sports because they can build communication, critical thinking, and help them become more sociable.I say the encouragement they get because they won’t have to compete with their teammates for the top spot and can just play to their hearts desire. With the awards kids will be able to just have fun and not have to worry about being better than everyone else. This is important

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