Either you win or you lose. Participant awards teach people that it is okay not to work, hard or even try because you are going to be rewarded anyway. In certain sports, athletes are given awards even if they didn’t show up the entire season. How do participant awards affect people now?

Studies have shown that if you reward kids for just participating in a sport, or event it can have a negative impact on them. They can end up as self-obsessed, irresponsible, or unmotivated people. Even though these trophies or awards have lots of negative effects on people, there are some positive sides to them. Not everyone’s a winner, but kids can become more confident from receiving an award. Another pro could be that now they have something to play for, but that is beside the point because most don’t try if they know they are going to receive a prize. Participant awards can also make great athletes not live up to their potential, because they are not being rewarded for their goals and achievements.

In conclusion, we should reward people for their success in life, not for just showing up. Some people really work hard to achieve their goals and provide themselves a better future, and others get it handed to them. People who become too dependent on receiving things on demand will eventually become completely helpless.

By Nina Barry