The Entitlement Generation

Rex smiling while getting his trophy from Coach Williams.

 I've been thinking about trophies a bit lately--I won't say a lot because it was really only for about 20 minutes while I drove home from Mutual one night while listening to a story about trophies and entitlement on NPR.  Rex's end of season banquet was coming up and he was super looking forward to getting his trophy.  And going to Chuck E Cheese, although he had never been that he could remember (we took him when he was about a year and half maybe two).  So I was wondering if I was ruining my child by giving him a trophy.

And I decided no.

Don't get me wrong: I hate trophies. But not because they are given out like candy to any kid who pays to play a sport--it's like the uniform,  you get it just for showing up the first day.  The fact that they wait until the end of the season to pass out the trophies is just a formality.  They may as well come in the mail with the flyer announcing sign ups for the sport.  I hate trophies because they are just one more piece of junk that I have to display, however tacky the trophy is, and dust and deal with.  I am so sick of crap.  And I know my mom has boxes and boxes of trophies from all five of her kids, except Amber who took a picture of hers and then donated them.  I do not want to store these plastic pieces of *&@!^% for the rest of my life!

Nevertheless, despite my hatred of storing trophies, I don't think they ruin kids.  Maybe Rex is just sheltered but he has no idea that trophies used to be reserved solely for the the winning team.  So the idea that he doesn't deserve a trophy because his team didn't win a single game (they don't keep score in tee ball), doesn't resonate.  To him, a trophy is his reward for standing, super bored, in the hot sun once a week for two months.  We reward kids for all sorts of stuff--really it's more like bribing.  So why hate on trophies so much?  Unless you are willing to cut all all bribes, including the "if you go to sleep I'll buy you a Slurpee in the morning" one, then give your kid a trophy.  It's just fun for them to be recognized for putting up with their parents' misremembered fondness of 5-year-old sports.

Besides, I bribe myself all the time--don't eat that cookie and I'll buy you a new shirt.  Unfortunately the cookies usually wins and I'm left with my spit up on nasty t shirt from 10 years ago.

One last side note: I asked Rex if he thought he'd like to play tee ball again next year.  His response: No.  There's too much running.  I want to play soccer instead.  Ummm....I don't you understand what soccer is, young man.