“I shall participate, I shall contribute, and in so doing, I shall be the gainer.”
Walter Annenberg
Participation trophies, or prizes, have a bad rep. These prizes, awards or accolades are given to everyone who takes part in an event, even if they don’t come in first, second, or third place. The concept isn’t new. The earliest mention we found was from an Ohio basketball tournament in 1922 (thanks, Wikipedia).
Critics say doling out awards just for participating in something encourages an attitude of entitlement and celebrates mediocrity. Defenders say such trophies help people realize that doing their own personal best at anything is valuable and praiseworthy.
Love ‘em or hate ‘em, participation prizes probably aren’t going away anytime soon.
From a community newspaper perspective, we’d love to dole out some participation trophies. All of you who submit photos, event information, stories and story ideas, birth announcements, wedding announcements, obituaries, and other news items are what makes independent, community journalism work. It creates a solid first draft of local history, told by multiple voices.
To all of you who remember to send those newsy bits to us, this is as close to a trophy as you’re gonna get, but we do appreciate you!
By NIKI TURNER | [email protected]
