[From my December 17 column in the Colchester Bulletin]
In the latest issue of Parks & Rec Business, one of the professional trade magazines that I read on regular basis as a way to keep up on current trends in the field, I was captivated by the monthly column by Fred Engh. Fred is the founder and CEO of the National Alliance for Youth Sports, which among other things provides the youth sports coaching training that our department offers.
In the column, Fred was summarizing the ongoing debate regarding the philosophies behind giving trophies to youth sports participants. Essentially there are two opposing beliefs: give every child a trophy as recognition of their participation, regardless of their skills, effort or commitment; or award trophies only to the top teams/achievers.
Of course, each argument has some merit. By giving trophies only to those who excel, the effort that those children put forth is most definitely reinforced. If they remain on that path then there is a greater likelihood that they will pursue athletics at higher levels.
However, not everyone – in fact, just a tiny fraction of kids – will play sports formally beyond their youth leagues. As I’ve written about previously, the vast majority of children simply play sports for the fun of it, and frequently get burned out when things get too serious. These children can benefit from the benign reward of a participation trophy, adding to their fond memories of sports.
But maybe there are more than just two options when considering giving trophies?
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I believe that the goal of trophies should most definitely be to reward and recognize. The critical aspect is what you choose to emphasize in the process.
I routinely request that the parents of the children on the teams that I coach refrain from cheering for end results – goals, runs, etc. Instead, I suggest that they celebrate the successful implementation of the game’s fundamentals. Are they keeping the soccer ball in close control? Are they holding the bat properly? Are they focused on the game? When these skills, abilities and habits are reinforced on a regular basis and in a positive way, they will surely be repeated, leading to a long and enjoyable involvement in sports.
Trophies can be implemented in a similar fashion. Rather than maintaining them exclusively for the most talented athletes or blindly distributing them to every child in the league, find a way to craft trophies as recognition for specific achievements. In this model, every child can and should earn a trophy. Most importantly, they are measured only against themselves, as opposed to other children who are perhaps at different stages of their physical development.
For example: that girl who was perhaps shy and afraid of participating at the start of the season can be recognized for becoming more involved and competitive; that boy who was struggling to hit the ball early on can be recognized for his improved technique.
As a bonus, when these successes are rewarded in a public manner, such as in a trophy ceremony, there is the added benefit of the other children seeing what it is that you, as their leader, find worthy of praise. Before you know it, you will have an entire team of kids working their hardest, now that they know exactly what they have to do to earn commendation. And in the end, isn’t that all you can hope for as a coach or league administrator?
For more information:
http://parksandrecbusiness.com/
http://nays.org/
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