1/7 I understand the angst against “participation trophies,” but I think the bigger issue is what we are repetitively giving kids weekend after weekend for “winning” or “placing” in weekend tournaments. The awards are getting more and more extravagant...

2/7 ...which is producing an entire generation of kids who are EXTRINSICALLY motivated. This creates a mindset that sport is played, not for the joy of the activity or the value it adds to our lives, but to get some sort of extrinsic reward.

3/7 The problem with extrinsic motivation, if that’s ALL we utilize, is that it’s a diminishing return. It always requires more and more to keep working, but delivers less and less.

4/7 In 1994 my HS FB team won a state championship and they gave us a medal (right)

In 2019 my 7 yo son’s team took 3rd place at a fall weekend tournament and they gave him a medal (left)

5/6 Later on in my college career, we won an NCAA national championship and we got very nice and BIG rings. We thought they were big at least... but now they seem to be dwarfed by the size of the youth tournament championship rings that are being handed out to kids every weekend.

6/7 These are examples of what Dr. Richard Swenson describes as “escalation of the norm.” While that first ring or medal may seem cool to a kid, over time they become more and more meaningless, so you’ve got to up the ante to have the same impact.

7/7 Meanwhile, the cost of youth sports continues to rise for parents, kids become more and more entitled, and the profiteers laugh all the way to the bank. We need to find better ways to motivate.