Your basketball team spent weeks preparing for the tournament. All your hard work paid off when your team finished the season in first place! But at the awards ceremony, everyone in the league got a trophy—even the team that didn’t win a single game.
Some people say it’s not fair for everyone who participates in a sport or an activity to get a trophy. They argue that awards should be handed out to only those who rise above the rest.
Gina Pantuosco is a youth soccer coach in Longmeadow, Massachusetts. She thinks participation trophies prevent kids from learning an important life lesson.
“Losing isn’t the end of the world,” Pantuosco says.
But others say participation trophies reward teamwork, sportsmanship, and trying hard. And, they say, building those skills is more important than becoming a superstar. Many coaches also point out that getting a trophy can help motivate kids and keep them interested in an activity.