What’s The Harm? Should Washington State Ban Participation Trophies?
So I heard rumblings of this in late March, which made me laugh out loud. North Carolina State Senator Timothy Moffitt proposed a bill (SB 430) that would ban participation trophies in North Carolina (at least those in State-sponsored youth sports). The bill did pass the first initial phase of becoming the rule of the land, a participation trophy in its own way for the Senator.
I’m now at the age where I can say “back in my day,” and it actually means something. So, back in my day, we didn’t get trophies for just showing up. That being said, I have plenty of Ribbons that I cherished for most of my adolescence.
Should Washington State Follow North Carolina’s Example?
What’s the harm in the trophy? Some say it’s teaching the youth to be entitled. Others say it’s helping boost their self-esteem. I can see both sides of the coin. Maybe we should set the age range. Under 10, you get a participation trophy, at age 16; you can drive. At 18, you’re an adult; you can vote and smoke! Age of 21, you can buy alcohol, and at the age of 25, you can finally rent a car! It makes perfect sense to me!
North Carolina’s bill does not specify an age range, but if there were one for Washington State, I’d be in favor of it. Let the little kids have their victories; life will be challenging enough as they get older.
The one thing that hits me the most with this topic, and the fact that it has gotten this far in North Carolina, is that tax dollars are being spent in government for this type of action. I guess that means everything else is going great in NC. But since tax dollars are already being spent on this, why not talk about it?
Where do you stand? Should Washington State go and ban participation trophies? Do the benefits outweigh the potential problems with them? Tap the App and drop us a mention letting us know.
QUIZ: Can You Name All 10 of Washington State’s Famous Symbols
Got a news tip? Email us here.