Non-MSU: Steeler's James Harrison returns his kid's participation trophies.

[Outside Dawg]

Saw this yesterday and liked the quote.

"I came home to find out that my boys received two trophies for nothing, participation trophies! 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. I'm sorry I'm not sorry for believing that everything in life should be earned and I'm not about to raise two boys to be men by making them believe that they are entitled to something just because they tried their best...cause sometimes your best is not enough, and that should drive you to want to do better...not cry and whine until somebody gives you something to shut u up and keep you happy. #harrisonfamilyvalues"

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/13...-awards-earned

[THE Bruce Dickinson]

I love James Harrison. The guy is a total bad ass. I really like his stance on this subject as well. Just because you do your best doesn't mean you are entitled to anything. Competetion is a good thing and it is slowly being phased out in this country.

[Jack Lambert]

Aren't those trophoes paid for by the parants? If so he didn't know.

[starkvegasdawg]

Freeze just doesn't understand that line of thinking.

[BrunswickDawg]

While I do think the "award for everything" mentality has gone overboard, I think this is a reach. Participation awards in youth sports have been around forever. I'd really like to know how many people on here didn't get a year end trophy in their sports leagues. I got them every year in rec ball starting with t-ball in 1977. My grandmother had a box full of my Dad and my Uncles' trophys from the 1950s and 60s. A cousin of mine posted a "participation award" certificate from a community baseball league in our hometown from the 1930s. It just seems like he's being an ass because his kids didn't come in first.

[Johnson85]

I don't understand how the participation trophies took off. I can understand thinking it's fun to hand out trophies to 5 or 6 year olds, but after that, don't the kids realize that just being on a team isn't much of a reason to have a trophy? You'd think parents wouldn't want that stuff cluttering up their house.

[Homedawg]

While I do think the "award for everything" mentality has gone overboard, I think this is a reach. Participation awards in youth sports have been around forever. I'd really like to know how many people on here didn't get a year end trophy in their sports leagues. I got them every year in rec ball starting with t-ball in 1977. My grandmother had a box full of my Dad and my Uncles' trophys from the 1950s and 60s. A cousin of mine posted a "participation award" certificate from a community baseball league in our hometown from the 1930s. It just seems like he's being an ass because his kids didn't come in first.

I never got a participation trophy. If we won the league, I got a trophy. I hate participation trophies.

[Coackjek]

I never got a participation trophy. If we won the league, I got a trophy. I hate participation trophies.

Same here, starting back in 1984. Might have started as a regional thing. Small towns vs big city.

[BrunswickDawg]

Same here, starting back in 1984. Might have started as a regional thing. Small towns vs big city.

Maybe - guess growing up in Metro Atl just coddled everyone going back to the 1930s

[Bama_Dawg]

Participation trophies empower our entitlement driven country. Its one of the reasons current kids from 6-18 are the way they are. They get a trophy for everything and strive for nothing. If you do something great, sure, but not just for showing up.

Had this same argument on local talk radio today. Host said it was mainly the parents of the kids that weren't any good that wanted the trophies.

I've got a kid, he's 2, don't know if he'll be a good athlete or not, but if he gets a participation trophy, I'll tell the league to take it back and give me 5 bucks of my registration money back.

[starkvegasdawg]

I got one one year in little league. We won one game that season. I remember, even then, not being able to believe we got a trophy. We sucked, I knew we sucked, and was just questioning the sanity of the practice at 9 years old.

[Shooter McGavin]

Exactly. While I agree with the premise, at the end of the day we are talking about trophies for little kids. It doesn't matter one bit in the long run. I got participation trophies for little league and (Gasp) I am a productive member of society who doesn't think he's entitled to anything.

[BulldogBear]

I'm okay with the participation trophies as long as the league winner gets something special. But that's just it. Many times they no longer keep standings and such. When my son played youth baseball there were no standings, no league winner, etc. But get this: The kids knew anyway. My Dad still says that winning isn't everything, but it's not nothing. What about the kids that do excel and win? How can it be right not to give them credit for accomplishment?

[BrunswickDawg]

I'm okay with the participation trophies as long as the league winner gets something special. But that's just it. Many times they no longer keep standings and such. When my son played youth baseball there were no standings, no league winner, etc. But get this: The kids knew anyway. My Dad still says that winning isn't everything, but it's not nothing. What about the kids that do excel and win? How can it be right not to give them credit for accomplishment?

I do agree with that. My youth league had a big trophy day ceremony with all the teams on the field. First and 2nd place got big trophies. They also announced All-Star selections and they got trophies. During the season the park published a weekly newsletter with standings, top 5 for major stats, and game results. And this was the early 80s before anyone had easy access to computers, etc. Led to a lot of great smack talk.

That's why I have no problem with the participation awards. But I do have a problem with taking the competition out of it.

[Lumpy Chucklelips]

The folks who started it are the people who sell the trophies. Another example is school pictures. When I was in school we had one school picture for the year. My now 15 year old has three during the year. I've heard other friends in other towns claim they have more. There are probably several other examples out there.

[Homedawg]

The folks who started it are the people who sell the trophies. Another example is school pictures. When I was in school we had one school picture for the year. My now 15 year old has three during the year. I've heard other friends in other towns claim they have more. There are probably several other examples out there.

So the people who sell trophies are to blame? Haha. Bs. Someone has to BUY the trophies. That's like trying to blame the gas station on people buying cigarettes!! I refuse to buy a trophy for playing. (My son's league doesn't provide them, thank goodness). I get at least 3-5 parents per year that ask about a trophy before we play a game!!! If you just want a trophy for your kid, I wish they would do me a favor and just save themselves the registration fee and buy the kid a damn trophy! It would be cheaper on them and less stress on the coach of the flower picker waiting for his trophy and "good try Johnny speech" from his parents.

[quickstrike2]

I have never received a participation trophy. The trophies received were for winning a league or a contest, I do not understand the thinking on participation crap. Even hear about basketball leagues that doesn't keep score. Kids are missing out on valuable life lessons with this, you have to learn how to deal with losing if you play sports.

[Coach007]

Freeze just doesn't understand that line of thinking.

What does this story have to docwith,ol? miss and freeze. Did they get them from ol? miss?

[Interpolation_Dawg_EX]

What does this story have to docwith,ol? miss and freeze. Did they get them from ol? miss?

Peach bowl participation rings...

[BulldogBear]

When I played Dixie youth I remember getting trophies, but also remember our league having an actual championship game and making a bigger deal out of the winners. A trophy for each kid is okay. Failing to keep up with standings, score, not having a champ and crap like that is where it's gone way overboard. Seriously, kids can handle it and as someone said, you've got to learn how to lose. I would add that you've got to learn how to win also. That includes learning to both lose and win with honor, sportsmanship, and grace.