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Health & Fitness

That's My View - Not Everyone Gets a Trophy

Last night I watched Olympic hopeful Hannah Kearney realize she had not received the gold medal in skiing.  Kearney had tried her best but during each of her three runs a small mistake caused a difference between gold and bronze.   Tears of disappointment streamed down her face as she told reporters this was her last Olympics.  It was heartbreaking to watch; the realization that despite all her hard work, she did not perform as hoped and did not earn the medal she desired.

A straight A’s party at a local middle school has sparked controversy on the subject of rewarding students for receiving straight A’s.  There is an outcry from parents that to reward those receiving all A’s, the school administrators are in essence punishing all other students because in fact any grade other than an A keeps them out of this party. 

I hate to point out the obvious, but the reality is not every one wins all the time.  Not everyone gets the trophy or gets the gold medal.  Those are reserved for those who have earned the right of the prize.  This is a tough lesson to learn but students need to learn it now because it’s a lesson they will need to learn throughout life. And what’s wrong with that lesson?  Don’t we want to teach our kids that when you work hard you will be rewarded for that hard work?  Isn’t that the way we want our kids and ourselves to get ahead in this world?  Because what’s the alternative lesson?  That everyone is rewarded regardless of their grades or their work or their time?  What lesson is that teaching?  Should we reward hard work that may not lead to straight A’s?  Of course, but that doesn’t mean that we do not reward hard work when it does succeed.

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Several years ago when I was a co-leader for a scouting program, our troop was earning a performance badge and decided to stand up during a school talent show and sing a song.  Several of the girls were very nervous and shy about performing in front of others but were encouraged to do so by their peers.  They were told they didn’t have to participate but they did if they wanted to earn the badge.  After the performance there was one girl who refused to participate.  She wasn’t particularly shy; she just didn’t want to do it.  The girl’s parent was outraged that her child did not get the badge even when I pointed out that girls who were shy and scared stood up and sang with the troop and that it would not be fair to those who tried to reward the girl who refused.  

Getting straight A’s is no easy feat for many kids and there are many who will never achieve that goal.  Although this does not make them any less of a success, it is also not a reason to not celebrate the successes.  And I refuse to believe that by rewarding those who do succeed, we are punishing everyone else.  It’s a lesson that we must learn for life, or should we change that too?  Should we begin to give the promotion not to the person who works the hardest or has the best ideas but rather give everyone a promotion, give everyone the gold medal?  Is it really in the best interest of our students to teach them that everyone gets the trophy whether they do well or not?  Students are in school to learn lessons, let’s make sure we are teaching the right ones. 

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That may not be your opinion, but it’s my view and that’s how I see it.

 

 

 

 

 

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