Preparing our children for their futures is a responsibility that falls on us as parents. From the time they are born, as they grow into toddlers, teens, to adults. We must instill in them that the real world is competitive and that they must be prepared to stand out. However, the prevailing practice of awarding participation trophies and ensuring equal playing time for all children, regardless of effort, sends a harmful message.

When everyone receives the same reward, regardless of their individual effort, it can lead to a sense of entitlement and diminish the motivation to work hard. This approach could inadvertently cultivate a generation of children who expect rewards without putting in the necessary effort, potentially leading to a lack of ambition and determination in various aspects of their lives.

Failing to recognize those who put in hard work and dedication while ensuring everyone receives that trophy, medal, or “fair” playing time may inadvertently instill a culture of entitlement and laziness among our children. We also tend to push out the good coaches/teachers because “everything needs to be fair” and it happens too often, especially during youth sports. We need to change that as parents/leaders/coaches and as parents and coaches, we build the future within our children, the current generation, and so forth.

It is essential to emphasize the value of hard work and dedication. To instill a strong work ethic and drive in our children we must teach them to work for what they want/have and to earn the trophy that sits on the shelf or the medal that hangs from their necks.

“Great players want to be driven and pushed to the edge. They don’t want to be cheated. Ordinary players want it to be easy.” — Pat Riley

JESSICA SPENCER,

Alpena County