NFL Star Discovered His Kids Had Been Given Participation Trophies. He returns them.

[Revmitchell]

Pittsburgh Steelers star James Harrison came home to discover his two children had received participation trophies — but they don’t get to have them for long.

Harrison, a linebacker for the Steelers, posted a photo of the ”2015 Best of the Batch Next Level Athletics Student-Athlete Awards” on Instagram and announced that they will be given back to Next Level Athletics.

In his lengthy social media post, Harrison said he was proud of his sons, but participation trophies are not in line with the values he is teaching his children.

“I came home to find out that my boys received two trophies for nothing, participation trophies! While I am very proud of my boys for everything they do and will encourage them till the day I die, these trophies will be given back until they EARN a real trophy. I’m sorry I’m not sorry for believing that everything in life should be earned and I’m not about to raise two boys to be men by making them believe that they are entitled to something just because they tried their best…cause sometimes your best is not enough, and that should drive you to want to do better…not cry and whine until somebody gives you something to shut u up and keep you happy. #harrisonfamilyvalues”


http://www.theblaze.com/stories/201...-he-did-next-has-some-praising-his-parenting/

 

[InTheLight]

What a buffoon. How old are his kids?

I wonder what Harrison did with his Super Bowl ring he received for participating on the losing team in 2011? Betcha he still has it.

 

[Revmitchell]

I am not sure that calling him names is necessary. If we are going to be concerned for thread titles and how others might see this board then we should also be as concerned about name calling even people we do not know. I certainly understand his position.

 

[InTheLight]

I am not sure that calling him names is necessary but I certainly understand his position.

If his kids are over, say, 10 years old I can somewhat understand it. But he's basically saying unless you win you don't deserve any recognition.

Also, the article does not say whether or not the league champions got different trophies.

And I bet he kept his 2011 ring for losing the Super Bowl.

Sent from my Motorola Droid Turbo with Tapatalk Pro.

 

[Reformed]

I remember receiving a certificate of participation when I played minor league (one step below Little League) as a kid. But a certificate is a lot different than a trophy. I agree with the father referenced in the Blaze article. Trophies are for winners.

 

[Salty]

...And I bet he kept his 2011 ring for losing the Super Bowl...

The Steelers came in first and had a 12-4 record for the 2010-11 season. Nothing complain about.

In addition they won two hard fought playoff games, before loosing to the Packers in the Super Bowl 31-25.

If you made it to the Super Bowl, you are a winner. That year, Green Bay was just a bit better.

As far as the kids - its never too early to be a good looser. Remember its easy to be a good winner.

 

[JohnDeereFan]

And I bet he kept his 2011 ring for losing the Super Bowl..

He didn't get a ring for losing the Super Bowl. He got a ring for winning the AFC Championship.

 

[InTheLight]

He didn't get a ring for losing the Super Bowl. He got a ring for winning the AFC Championship.

5) The losing team in the Super Bowl gets a ring too. Commonly referred to as the AFC or NFC Championship Ring, it’s smaller and contains less bling than the winning ring, although these too seem to grow larger as the years go by. The NFL strongly suggests (some would say impose) that the winning and losing teams put the Super Bowl logo on each ring.

http://sports-rings.com/wordpress1/2013/05/31/ten-things-you-might-not-know-about-super-bowl-rings/

 

[Don]

ITL - I'm actually encouraged by this. Each year, the institution where I work has a scholastic meet; historically, they recognized 1st through 3rd places. The first year I was here, the VP for Academics decided that we would recognize 1st through 10th places, and all others would receive participation certificates. Naturally, this caused MUCH confusion with the participating educational groups--especially since we were the only institution doing it this way. All the others stuck with the 1st through 3rd paradigm.

Not to mention that it was an unplanned expansion on the program, and subsequently ate into the Academics budget, resulting in us not being able to procure/obtain some academic support items we had been hoping to get....

 

[InTheLight]

ITL - I'm actually encouraged by this.

The article was in The Blaze, not exactly the best news source. WHY do they give out trophies for participation? Could it be that the football program is in decline and they are trying to attract and keep players? Did Harrison's children want to keep the trophies? How old were the children? How big were the trophies? Were there also trophies for the league champions? There's not enough info to blanket condemn the actions by the league.

I coached baseball the past 7 years. All players age 10 and younger would get participation medallions. After league playoffs the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place teams would get trophies, the higher the placement, the bigger the trophy. This seems sensible to me.

Trophies for merely participating seems a bit much but it sounds as if Harrison would condemn any recognition for participation.

 

[Revmitchell]

If his kids are over, say, 10 years old I can somewhat understand it. But he's basically saying unless you win you don't deserve any recognition.

Why would you?

Also, the article does not say whether or not the league champions got different trophies.

For good reason, he did not talk about nor was it relevant to his point.

And I bet he kept his 2011 ring for losing the Super Bowl.

Again not relevant.

 

[InTheLight]

Why shouldn't children get recognized for participating in a sport?

Harrison is saying mere participation is not worthy of recognition, only winning is worthy. So since he participated in the Super Bowl and did not win it, he's a hypocrite if he keeps his ring.

 

[Revmitchell]

Why shouldn't children get recognized for participating in a sport?

Harrison is saying mere participation is not worthy of recognition, only winning is worthy. So since he participated in the Super Bowl and did not win it, he's a hypocrite if he keeps his ring.

Was his children on a championship team that won? If not your comparison falls apart. Honestly why is it we cannot disagree without calling names?

 

[Bro. Curtis]

The comparison fails because the kids didn't return a second place trophy.

 

[InTheLight]

Why shouldn't children get recognized for participating in a sport?

 

[InTheLight]

The comparison fails because the kids didn't return a second place trophy.

The kids didn't return any trophies, their Dad did.

 

[SovereignGrace]

When I grew up we got a blue ribbon for first place, then second was red and third was yellow, if I am remembering this correctly.


Now, if twenty kids participated, only the top-3 actually got ribbons.

In NASCAR, only the winner gets a trophy for winning a race.

In baseball, only one teams get the WS trophy.

In basketball, the same.


I really like what JH did. It instills an attitude that to get a trophy, one must earn it, not just participate.

 

[Use of Time]

The Confederate flag is a second place ribbon and people love to cling to that for some reason.

I received a "trophy" every year at the end of little league. It didn't say 1st, 2nd or 3rd place it just said something like "1991 Mustang Pirates." That's it. I see nothing wrong with that. It's just a keepsake to remember the season. Lighten up folks.

James Harrison should be more worried about teaching his kids why the police were at his house for a domestic than returning keepsake trophies.

 

[InTheLight]

I received a "trophy" every year at the end of little league. It didn't say 1st, 2nd or 3rd place it just said something like "1991 Mustang Pirates." That's it. I see nothing wrong with that. It's just a keepsake to remember the season. Lighten up folks.

Yes, and I'm still waiting for an answer as to why children should not get recognized for participating in a sport.

When I coached baseball at the end of the season we had a team party and we handed out personalized "trophies", typically ink-jet printed homemade posters backed with cardboard saying things like "Mr. Reliable--Highest batting average", or "the Sultan of Swat--Most extra base hits". The 10 and 11 year old kids ate it up. (We didn't do that when the kids were 12 year olds or older.)

James Harrison should be more worried about teaching his kids why the police were at his house for a domestic than returning keepsake trophies.

Ouch!

 

[Revmitchell]

The Confederate flag is a second place ribbon and people love to cling to that for some reason.

Red Herring fallacy

I received a "trophy" every year at the end of little league. It didn't say 1st, 2nd or 3rd place it just said something like "1991 Mustang Pirates." That's it. I see nothing wrong with that. It's just a keepsake to remember the season. Lighten up folks.

Ok great but that is not his view. Personally I believe it dumbs down achievement.

James Harrison should be more worried about teaching his kids why the police were at his house for a domestic than returning keepsake trophies.

Adhominem