Alright I'll come out and admit it even before we get started. I sucked at Little League, as do most kids in America, I learned early in life that baseball wasn't my sport. But this issue shows the problem with the American psyche. This issue is the original reason that we started this blog, so I'm going to try to give it justice.
Everyone getting a trophy is leading our country into being a nation of pussies. Life is about winners and losers, there are people in this world that make a hell of a lot of money, people that do okay, people that slave for the man and get shitted on (me, Kevin, Josh), and people that live under bridges and have no teeth (hopefully this is never us, but life has no guarantees). This is the truth: winners in life, on the baseball field, in the classroom, making music etc. are motivated by several different things but perhaps the greatest is the fear or the lesson learned from failure.
Failure is the greatest lesson in life ask any great leader, business person, athlete, priest, anyone.....failure teaches us what we need to work on, what we need to improve etc. I know that these kids are only 9, 10, 11, and 12 years old, and I'm not advocating that the last place team should stand there as the winners through rocks at them. But the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, last place teams should have it explained to them that they didn't do well (aka they sucked, you don't tell a 9-12 year old this though you think it) and what they need to work on for next time, in a positive manner but you do not reward someone for losing or failing.
This bullshit pussy idea that everyone is a winner no matter how they act or what they do started in little league with this bullshit, but now is continuing slowly into our society. Now in some high schools they don't have a failing grade saying that rather students will move on at their own pace. This is a novel idea, but you can't tell a 14-17 year old that if they don't try at all they can't fail, it doesn't prepare them at all for life, not to mention that you aren't going to learn shit.
Take yourself back to when you where in high school imagine that your teacher tells you, that no matter what you do you cannot fail, would you ever learn anything or just try to hang out, and look cool.
Imagine Thomas Edison just giving up on making a fucking light bulb (it took him hundreds of failures) maybe we should have given him a trophy every time.
You wonder why our nation is heading toward a nation of obese, uneducated, slobs that can't move out of their mother's basement at the age of 30. I'll tell you because no one has kicked them in the ass and told them that if you want to survive in this world you have to succeed, and the only way you succeed is by learning from failures, correcting them and improving yourself.
Drew
Ok so I just had to comment on this. I totally agree with you on this issue. I have seen too many examples of kids that will settle for less than their best because the think that its ok I will get by. Why is it fair that the kids that work their buts off get a winning trophy get to watch someone they know didn't do anything get to have a trophy too? Its not fair at all. What then motivates a person to even try when in the end it doesn't really matter because everyone wins. Whats the point in giving a trophy if everyone gets one? What exactly does that prove...you have money to buy trophies...when in fact you probably don't but do it any way because everyone like to get a trophy. HAHA..well not me unless it means something because if not its probably just collecting dust somewhere or been thrown in the trash.
ReplyDeleteI coach and sometimes it hurts to make a good kid sit the bench but don't you play to win? So the best get starting positions( and the best is when they are doing what they are supposed to on and off the field or court, not just skill). Those that need work are told that and when they EARN their position on the court of field thats when they play. Just because you are on the team does not guarntee you any playing time. Its sooo annoying when I hear that as an argument. If they are on the team then they should play. Its just not always the case.
Kevin will tell you that this seems to be a lot of what goes on here at the school I teach and coach. Im sure its happening everywhere to a certain degree but I just will not be a coach that lets everyone play just because and I will also not give out meaningless awards. Those that want it will meet your expectations...its taken 5 yrs with volleyball to see some progress but I still stick to that you earn your playing time and your trophies will come because of hard work!