Trophies are for Winning | 5 Minute Video
Should kids be given trophies for playing sports, even when they don’t win? Are participation trophies a good or bad thing for young athletes? Former Olympian and LA Galaxy soccer star Cobi Jones shares his thoughts.
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Script:
Participation trophies.
I’m not a fan.
They’re bad for kids. Bad for parents. Bad for society.
Other than that, they’re okay.
Don’t get me wrong. I love any kind of organized competition for kids. I lived and breathed baseball, basketball, football and soccer growing up. If there was a sport to be played, I played it. And never once did anybody ever tell me that winning was not important or that showing up was all that mattered.
But today, kids get a different message. Losing? No big deal. Showing up? That deserves a trophy. Wow. What an awful thing to tell a kid. Glad my parents or coaches never said it to me. If they had, I’m sure I never would’ve become a pro soccer player.
Let me tell you why.
In high school, I was a good soccer player. I thought I could play soccer in college. Looking back, though, I just wasn’t good enough in those college coaches eyes.
I tried out for the UCLA team as a walk-on. I made it! I was vindicated. I had arrived…on the bench. The coach hardly ever looked at me. I’m not even sure he knew my name. I know he didn’t care about my feelings. I wanted to be a starter, I wanted to be a winner. Shouldn’t I have been satisfied just for making the team? Of course not. That’s absurd.
But isn’t that what kids are told today? You’re a winner. Even if you’re not. Even if you come in last. And we’ll give you a trophy…just for showing up, just for participating.
This belief – that showing up is an accomplishment – is self-destructive. Because the pain of losing is part of what drives one to improve.
The frustration of going to game after game and sitting on the bench drove me nuts. I had to practice more. I had to work harder. Or, I had to give up. And I didn’t want to give up.
This taught me an important lesson: If you don’t put in the work, you won’t get ahead. And not getting ahead? Well, that feels awful. So, put in the work. Or go home.
So, I put in the work. I pushed myself, not to do my best – because who can possibly know what “their best” is? – but to be better. And better.
And one day, my chance came. Coach put me in the game. Not because I wanted so badly to play, but because he needed me. I played well. Well enough to start the next game where I scored a goal, and had an assist. After that I started every game.
The road to victory – in sports, in business, in life – is paved with losses, painful losses. Losses that can hurt so much it’s hard to breathe. Any professional athlete or successful entrepreneur will tell you that’s true.
For the complete script, visit https://www.prageru.com/videos/trophies-are-winning
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Losing also shows you what you are good at and what you need to give up on. You only have so much time, money and energy and losing shows you what isn't worth your while to continue to pursue.
Another hard reality not covered in this video – there is a not insignificant chance that “victory” may never come, and you will lose forever…no matter how hard you work/study/practice.
We never got participation trophies in the marching band
Participation Trophies have absolutely nothing to do with the Leftist agenda. You think we’re that stupid? Yes we advocate for Universal Healthcare, but not trophies as a human right!
The comments here are kind of kneejerk, but I don't think people are actually thinking about this the right way. Participation SHOULD be rewarded and encouraged. especially in this day and age, when prying young people away from gadgets and so forth has become a real chore. And everyone knows these trophies aren't for "winning" or being the "champion." No one is being deluded or deluding themselves. No one is being hoodwinked. But you know what kids DON'T get trophies? And never will? The kids who sit at home and choose, for one reason or another, NOT to participate. And there has never existed, in the history of the world, a champion who didn't first make the very deliberate decision to actively participate in something–"actively" being the key word. And that active participation in social activities SHOULD be encouraged and rewarded. There's always been more to sports than simply WINNING, but the road to winning begins with participation.
OKAY. You can all start screaming at me and my "radical views" now. Thanks!
everyone being nice to spare feelings does NOT breed bettering ones self when they are not doing the right thing
Some people need to take the pain to drive them to be better
If all people got a trophy, the free market would choose trophy selling as a legit business
It really depends on how you take a loss. Losing actually fuels that fire to become better. It’s kind of like when you die in call of duty, sometimes you become even more motivated to play and get better.. when you respawn you want to just go even harder.
"The world is full of winners and losers, lets hope you're one of them" – Sam Malone (Cheers).
This is basically their only take I agree with
You don't deserve a trophy for participation, but participation is better than non-participation, which is what too many people do.
Trophies are for winning
This is such B.S. Trophies are great no matter what. Here’s the view of a real athlete and why participation trophies are great! https://youtu.be/mSLHktoJbVk. Marcellus Wiley if you’re wondering who I’m talking about! Step!
You should never get a trophy for loosing. I’m not even happy when you get a trophy for second or third. you should only get a trophy for finishing first place. That’s it.
And even better is when you dont get participation awards it makes victory feel so sweet you could have your teeth fall out
Apparently, they are also for whiners…
Weird to see a soccer player in a prager video, most conservatives in Usa hate soccer 🤔👀
the perfect kobe bryant mentality and attitude in one video
What you think of 2nd and 3rd place?
It's to keep kids content with never going anywhere, or doing anything in life.
"What's important is not winning but participating", that summarizes Latin American mentality.
Sprinkles are only for winners
It dosent profit anything to get somthing by not working.
I firmly believe participation trophies started all the crap that's going on today. People not being told no!
Then why do the Olympics have gold silver and bronze. Doesn't coming in second and third mean you're a loser.