I'm not disagreeing with what you've written, I honestly get what you're saying.
But as a general whole I always find it a little funny that we adults look at things this way but really if we think about it most of us don't think this way for ourselves. How many of us see "incentives", "bonuses", and all the alike at work? Are most of us ok with getting that once a year standard trophy raise, or do most of us truly think we should we see those incentives for our individual efforts (meeting numbers, reaching goals, etc) It's not always about "the big win" but the overall steps that make a good team or participant. Just another way to see kids as little people in this world
I think the word
mediocrity itself is terrible to use when reffering to kids. No kids should be called 2nd rate if they show effort, heart, and enthusiasm.
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Originally Posted by OakShannon
I'm clearly in the minority here, but I agree with the "not praising mediocrity." In my mind, that doesn't mean that you don't praise a kid who's trying hard just because he's not the best player. But I think we're not doing our kids any favors by giving them trophies just for showing up. The trophies don't end up meaning a whole lot. And I don't think kids are so fragile that they can't handle realizing that another team played better.
If we want to praise their good efforts, we can make it specific. "Boy, you really hustled out there today! I was impressed with how you went after the ball!" We don't need to hand out constant rewards just because they showed up. After all, isn't the fun of playing a game with your friends a reward in itself? Do they really need a trophy too? |