Roger Thomas
   Staff Writer 

Not everyone agrees with the idea of receiving trophies or awards that were not deserved or earned, but were given just for showing up and participating. James Harrison of the NFL, outside linebacker for The Pittsburgh Steelers, also believes that participation trophies should not continue. Harrison came home last week to find out that his two sons were given trophies that they did not earn with a win, but were participation trophies given just for showing up. Harrison gladly took the trophies from his sons, as he wanted them to receive trophies that they earned. Harrison stated on his Instagram profile, “While I am very proud of my boys for everything they do and will encourage them till the day I die, these trophies will be given back until they EARN a real trophy.”                                        Personally, I also disagree with the whole idea of giving kids trophies that they did not deserve. I would rather see a kid do their best in anything they decide to do and be rewarded for the work they put in, which may not include a trophy, than simply receiving a trophy for just showing up.  As I was growing up, my parents always taught me the method of hard work. My dad would not let me accept anything that I did not work hard to receive. My opinion is that planning to give someone an award from the very start, no matter what they might do, causes the athlete to become complacent. I always tell myself, “be on 120,” which means give a 120 percent in everything you do, no matter if the environment is school, sports or a job.  After doing some additional research on a website called debate.org, I found a poll was conducted about this very debate: should kids get participation trophies? I was not surprised by the outcome of the study, with only 25 percent saying yes and 75 percent saying no. The people that agreed in giving participation trophies, likely did so in order to make younger athletes feel good and to give them some sense of accomplishment.

However, I believe a child should feel good about a trophy or reward if they put in the work to receive that acknowledgement. In an on the street interview, UNCG junior Jared Hardin commented on the debate. “I am against [participation trophies] because kids are not going to give their best effort if they know they are getting something already.” Hardin is a Recreation Community and Therapist Major and also works at the UNCG Recreational Center as a Fitness Assistant. Though, Hardin also said that he would let his child keep a trophy if they ever got one, even if it was for participation. “I would let them keep it if they earned it and as long as they know to not just settle for that” Hardin said.

In another interview with a UNCG student who had the same perspective as Hardin and I, Seth Simmons, a senior Media Studies major said,“I agree with James Harrison because he is teaching his kids that they have to work for everything” Simmons stated. “Just because they have everything, does not mean that things are just going to be given to you that easy.”

One student had a different opinion about participation trophies from my previous interviews. Joshua Williams, a senior Kinesiology major believes that participation trophies should only be given, up to a certain age. “Ages from 10 to 12 should receive them, after 12 they should no longer be awarded” Williams shared. Williams also disagrees with Harrison’s decision to take the trophies away from the kids “I did not think he should have taken the trophies away from them, but should have talk to them about earning them.”