# I Pit Awards For Every School Kid! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [March 16, 2009, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-awards-for-every-school-kid/489688 "2009-03-16T23:10:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![ClintPhoenix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b9bd4f/32.png) [@ClintPhoenix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ClintPhoenix)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2009, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-awards-for-every-school-kid/489688/41 "2009-03-18T19:12:25Z")
I agree with the OP _in general_, but specifically for the age group that is being spoken of, I don’t. If we’re talking about the best blue colorer, I’m assuming that this is kindergarten or earlier. At that age kids really do feel like they did something special when they get that award and I think that giving that taste of what success and recognition feels like can encourage them to try and achieve recognition later in life when it actually means something. If my 4 year old son won some award at his pre-school for best colorer, I might put that in my status on FB, but not in some, “wow my son is great” sort of way, but an “isn’t it cute how my son is excited about this minor award” sort of way. But beyond that, and especially in sport, you can’t have every team winning the league - and kids need to learn that. ---
**Author:** ![Katriona](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/katriona/32/113_2.png) [@Katriona](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Katriona)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2009, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-awards-for-every-school-kid/489688/42 "2009-03-18T19:38:13Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > In _my_ era, that was the point of Dodge Ball. That was the one sport that didn’t make me cry. I was actually good at Dodge Ball. (and little else, PE and athletics-wise) ---
**Author:** ![Chase\_Ransom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9de0a6/32.png) [@Chase\_Ransom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chase_Ransom)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2009, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-awards-for-every-school-kid/489688/43 "2009-03-18T20:33:40Z")
> [@MandaJo](#): > > While these specific awards are insane, I think they are a symptom of a sea-change that I approve of, overall–that it’s a good idea for adults in positions of influence over kids to make a point of noticing and encouraging all of them. Facile awards are pointless, but I’ve seen other things like that that really are effective–so many kids that are totally competent but that are neither the best of the best nor inherently charismatic end up falling through the cracks for most of life, and that represents a lot of waste, because those kids sometimes could have been more–more skilled, more happy, more productive–if they’d been encouraged more. > > When people set out to encourage all kids, they sometimes miss the mark and descend into silliness. But the goal’s a worthwhile one, and I think it’s worth a little silliness. I agree with your intent, but I disagree with the method. Handing out BS trophies (which the kids themselves realize are BS), doesn’t boost self-esteem in a constructive manner. There is a basic equation that kids many times don’t learn throughout their lives, for many different reasons (remember, not all kids are the same). Instruction + Effort = Results. Those results THEMSELVES, are the reward. If you teach kids that instruction + effort = reward (in the form of a damn trophy), you are raising a generation of “hey, I did my bare minimum, where is my pat on the back?”. It is a setup, if taken to an extreme. Like I frequently say to others: “A good idea is always a good idea, until you take it too far”. This here is one of those ideas that is good, but it is being taken too far and we are diluting these kids (in some cases, not all), into thinking that all efforts will produce the same results, and that we all get to be (despite our shortcomings and what not) super stars worthy of acclaim and attention. Real life is much different. I agree school shouldn’t be a stress filled environment, but it should be a pre-face to what life will be like someday for these kids. At some point, they will be rudely awakened to the truth, and then we will have a hoard of disgruntled adults who are disappointed in life and ungrateful of what they have. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2009, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-awards-for-every-school-kid/489688/44 "2009-03-18T20:51:04Z")
The local suburban rag periodically contains lists acknowledging academic achievement at area schools. Recently one school had a list for “Dean’s List” and another list approximately the same length for “Commendable Effort.” I thought that a tad odd. ---
**Author:** ![begbert2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/begbert2/32/3357_2.png) [@begbert2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/begbert2)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2009, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-awards-for-every-school-kid/489688/45 "2009-03-18T21:28:00Z")
> [@Chase\_Ransom](#): > > Like I frequently say to others: “A good idea is always a good idea, until you take it too far”. This here is one of those ideas that is good, but it is being taken too far and we are diluting these kids (in some cases, not all), into thinking that all efforts will produce the same results, and that we all get to be (despite our shortcomings and what not) super stars worthy of acclaim and attention. If your kids are getting diluted, you should tell them to concentrate more. And if your goal is to raise a child’s self esteem, verbal praise should be sufficient, in my opinion. Printed certificates to take home…are for the _parent’s_ self esteem. ---
**Author:** ![DianaG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7ab992/32.png) [@DianaG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DianaG)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2009, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-awards-for-every-school-kid/489688/46 "2009-03-18T21:40:48Z")
> [@Miss\_Woodhouse](#): > > I’ve seen award ceremonies where every kid who competes gets something. I’ve also watched the faces of the kids as they’ve gone up to get the award. Very few of them seem to value that award any more than the paper it’s written on and sometimes quite a bit less. > > Kids know when the awards are a big pile o’ crap. And what’s more, that their entire evening or Saturday is going to be wasted by the time it takes to give every single kid their bullshit award individually. But hey, I used to date a guy who played rec baseball, in an over 30 league, and I’m pretty sure nearly every one of those guys got a trophy for \*something \*at the end-of-season banquet. I’m also pretty sure most of them would have preferred to spend the two or three hours handing out the awards took actually drinking and dancing and enjoying what was supposed to be a freakin’ _party_. ---
**Author:** ![Rand\_Rover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/db5fbb/32.png) [@Rand\_Rover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rand_Rover)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2009, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-awards-for-every-school-kid/489688/47 "2009-03-19T01:04:59Z")
> [@czarcaztic](#): > > And how does one achieve said GPA? 😕 I’m not the person you quoted, but at my high school, you got a GPA bump for taking honors classes and the like. So get lots of As in honors classes and you’re over 4.0. ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2009, 8:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-awards-for-every-school-kid/489688/48 "2009-03-19T08:47:05Z")
> [@Locrian](#): > > Last place received the “Best Sportsmanship” trophy. Coming last doesn’t mean you displayed the best sportsmanship. It might just mean you suck at cheating. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2009, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-awards-for-every-school-kid/489688/49 "2009-03-19T12:55:46Z")
You people just reminded me that I won an award on the first Little League baseball team I ever played on. It wasn’t a trophy or anything, although they did eventually start giving out small trophies for participation. It was a sheet of paper printed out form one of those old dot matrix printers. I was MOST TALKATIVE PLAYER Well, whaddaya want? I was maybe six and I was never any good at baseball. The awards cited in the OP and many of the others discussed here are stupid, although the goal of encouraging kids isn’t a bad one - you don’t do them any favors when you shield them from the idea that sometimes you fall short and have to improve. It’s worth noting, though, that even when they gave us participation trophies in Little League, everybody still knew the difference between winning and losing. Kids can be stupid but they’re not _that_ stupid. We knew who won more games, who the best players were, who won the championship trophy and the big game at the end of the year, how disappointing it was to lose… it’s not like you can cover that up by giving kids a littler trophy. Maybe children have gotten stupider, but I doubt it. Probably it’s just one more empty ritual. > [@ivylass](#): > > When everyone is special…no one is. I continue to not believe this. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Marienee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@Marienee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marienee)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2009, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-awards-for-every-school-kid/489688/50 "2009-03-19T13:38:47Z")
> [@Iggins](#): > > Wait, what? They have full on ceremonies for those too? I’m floored. In the south at any rate, an 8th grade graduation ceremony has been traditional for some time. This is because particularly in rural communities and for blue collar workers high school was long regarded as optional. My memory is that sixth grade was the last mandatory grade for my grandfather´s generation (in his case in California) so I don´t know where the fifth grade thing comes in. ---
**Author:** ![Student\_Driver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3da27b/32.png) [@Student\_Driver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Student_Driver)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2009, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-awards-for-every-school-kid/489688/51 "2009-03-19T14:00:00Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > I was > > MOST TALKATIVE PLAYER > > Well, whaddaya want? I was maybe six and I was never any good at baseball. Was this in the sense of being the kid who’d chant “heybatterbatterheybatterbatter_SWING!_” like my old coaches always wanted us to do, or were you the kid who’d be at bat, and would be chatting with the catcher instead of watching the ball? I was the latter. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2009, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-awards-for-every-school-kid/489688/52 "2009-03-19T14:05:14Z")
> [@Student\_Driver](#): > > Was this in the sense of being the kid who’d chant “heybatterbatterheybatterbatter_SWING!_” like my old coaches always wanted us to do, or were you the kid who’d be at bat, and would be chatting with the catcher instead of watching the ball? The way I remember it, I gave our batters a lot more encouragement than they actually needed, and when I wasn’t in the field I probably gave our pitchers and catchers that kind of ‘way to go’ stuff, too. I couldn’t talk to the catcher instead of watch the ball. They can’t hear you from the outfield. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2009, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-awards-for-every-school-kid/489688/53 "2009-03-19T17:37:23Z")
> [@Locrian](#): > > Last place received the “Best Sportsmanship” trophy. Let’s not forget the individual trophies-- over 15 MVP trophies for players, and each team received at least one. … > Anyone else have stories about this claptrap? I have googled and googled, to no avail. > Please share any stories, cites, articles, etc. If I learn enough about this, I might receive an award for Best Complainer. > > [grinding teeth…] I was in a bowling league a few years back. We sucked. We knew it. We didn’t care. We were there to eat too much, drink too much, and have a good time. I’d say we were wildly successful at that. There were some trophies. First place, second place etc. We set our sites on the joke trophy for last place. It was the back end of a horse, all gold and shiny. We WANTED that Horse’s Ass trophy. The whole thing was a joke, and we rightly took it that way. Unfortunately there was a team even worse, and they got it 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2009, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-awards-for-every-school-kid/489688/54 "2009-03-19T22:17:22Z")
> [@Locrian](#): > > I’ll bite: What is Snowflakedom? (I’m already smiling, AND laughing thinking kids are saying, “Dude, your a snowflake. Loser.” Ha!) It’s from **Fight Club**. > [@](#): > > Originally Posted by **Tyler Durden** > _Listen up, maggots. You are not special. You are not a beautiful or unique snowflake. You’re the same decaying organic matter as everything else._ So when an ordinary kid is treated, or regards himself, as something way special when he’s not, he gets mocked as a “precious little snowflake.” ---
**Author:** ![Foxy40](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a9a28c/32.png) [@Foxy40](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Foxy40)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2009, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-awards-for-every-school-kid/489688/55 "2009-03-19T22:47:18Z")
In my daughter’s school they traded the \*My kid made honor roll at blah blah school \*to \*at Blah Blah school we honor ALL our students. \* I refuse to put that on my car and I haven’t seen many of them on bumpers during drop off in the morning. The honor roll sticker meant something was achieved. I see this one as free advertising for the private school. ---
**Author:** ![bengangmo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@bengangmo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bengangmo)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2009, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-awards-for-every-school-kid/489688/56 "2009-03-20T03:29:02Z")
> [@cerberus](#): > > Actually, in some places, there are multiple valedictorians - or none, so as not to offend. > > This behavior does set these kids for Snowflakedom, and I find that classifying the very last place as “most sportsmanlike” to be unintentially funny. At least they could give the worst team a trophy - an antitrophy for being the “best of the worst” or “best loser.” I’ve “won” one of those - for worst net in the (golf) club championships. Was called the 'Dumb Bumb Cup" and made from an old piston with a golf ball mounted on it…took pride of place on my mantle for a year. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-awards-for-every-school-kid/489688.md?page=2)