Why Do Athletes Require Participation Backwards?

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“We must focus on process and progress, not results and rewards” (Merryman). Somehow everyone agrees on it, but society must find a way to make it happen. Participation trophies are only good when given to younger children, but with older athletes they should not be given. Even though some people say that participation trophies need to be given to all athletes, they should not. Ashley Merryman argues, “ children need to know that we learn the most through failure and mistakes.” Merryman is saying that children and people can learn the most through mistakes and failure. She also says, “ If children always receive a trophy- regardless of achievement- were teaching that losing is so terrible we can never let it happen” (Merryman). Athletes need to learn that losing is not the worst thing in the world, people can learn more from losing than winning. People need to understand that children and adults can learn from failure and that athletes don't always need to receive a trophy. Participation trophies can send an alarming message. While people are saying that participation trophies should be given,¨ Trophies should be given out for first, second, and third; participation should be recognized, but celebrated with words and a on the back rather than a trophy¨ (Berdan). Participation trophies …show more content…
According to Priceman, “ Instead of focusing with everything wrong with giving with a child receiving a participation award, let's think about what might happen if we never rewarded accomplishment.” Accomplishment should be awarded to children to keep them playing through the years. If people never reward accomplishment then kids will think that they suck and do not want to play. However, participation trophies should still not be given because they are making people soft and not working hard. ¨Trophies used to be awarded only to winners, but are now little more than party