--- title: "Awards Industry to Football Star: Participation Matters, Too" id: "29938" type: "post" slug: "awards-industry-to-football-star-participation-matters-too" published_at: "2015-08-26T19:25:45+00:00" modified_at: "2026-03-16T14:34:24+00:00" url: "https://associationsnow.com/2015/08/26/awards-industry-to-football-star-participation-matters-too/" markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2015/08/26/awards-industry-to-football-star-participation-matters-too.md" excerpt: "An NFL linebacker drew headlines recently when he took away his sons' sports participation awards. That personal decision has led to a debate about the value, or harm, in recognizing children's participation in activities. The Awards and Personalization Association has..." taxonomy_category: - "Advocacy" taxonomy_post_tag: - "AssociationsNow" - "Leadership" - "participation awards" - "sportsmanship" - "youth sports" taxonomy_content_format: - "Article" taxonomy_persona: - "Industry Professionals" --- [Home](https://associationsnow.com/) » [Articles](https://associationsnow.com/format/article/) » Awards Industry to Football Star: Participation Matters, Too When Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison stirred up a national conversation about when trophies should be awarded to kids—that is, not nearly as often as they are—the [Awards and Personalization Association (opens in a new tab)](http://awardspersonalization.org/) had a rebuttal ready. In fact, it was already posted on APA’s website. > These awards are a memento for being a part of a team or group. Earlier this month, APA [posted a press release (opens in a new tab)](http://awardspersonalization.org/DetailsPage/tabid/442/ArticleID/7/Youth-Sports-Awards-Have-Value-The-Case-for-Recognizing-Effort.aspx) making “the case for recognizing effort” in youth sports and highlighting the industry that makes all those participation trophies. “A participation award is just a moment in time,” APA President Greg Della Badia said in the release. “It’s a stretch to say not being able to handle losing can be caused by receiving a few awards during childhood years for playing on a team. No one is suggesting that participation awards be given out with the message that you don’t need to try. These awards are a memento for being a part of a team or group.” Apparently, Harrison didn’t get the message—or at least didn’t agree with it. “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,” [he wrote in an Instagram post (opens in a new tab)](https://instagram.com/p/6aXCJ2JFi5/) that included a photo of the two participation awards has sons had brought home. Harrison drew [praise from some (opens in a new tab)](http://www.news-sentinel.com/article/2015150829892) and [criticism from others (opens in a new tab)](http://www.hlntv.com/article/2015/08/21/participation-trophy-real-mom-opinion-harrison) , but the association that represents trophy suppliers says that Harrison’s message was off-base. “Recently it’s been rather trendy to be negative toward participation awards and to blame them for kids feeling entitled or not learning to be competitive,’’ APA Executive Director Louise Ristau [said to USA Today (opens in a new tab)](http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/2015/08/17/james-harrison-participation-trophy-kurt-warner/31864971/) . “But what’s really causing that? Is it really a participation award or the environment they’re living in?” She added that entitlement arguments that usually accompany complaints about participation awards don’t hold water. “You know, entitlement predates participation awards,” she said. Harrison does have supporters in the association world. The Positive Coaching Alliance [said the star linebacker had a point (opens in a new tab)](https://www.positivecoach.org/our-story/pca-in-the-news/news-detail/726/james-harrison-and-participation-trophies-%3E%3E) . “While wins and losses are not the be-all and end-all of sports, ‘participation trophies’ do undermine the opportunity for youth to learn through sports some important life lessons about competitiveness,” the PCA said. PCA cited other ways to honor players, such as offering sportsmanship and “most improved” awards. And Len Antonin, executive director of the Regina Minor Football Association, a sports league in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan, [suggested that positive feedback (opens in a new tab)](http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/regina-minor-football-talks-about-participation-trophy-1.3195343) was better than simply rewarding participation. “Verbal awards, saying, ‘That was a great tackle,’” he told the CBC. “Those mean more to kids and people than a trophy that everybody gets.” (iStock/Thinkstock) [Ernie Smith](https://associationsnow.com/author/ernie-smith/) Ernie Smith is a former senior editor for Associations Now. [More articles by this author](https://associationsnow.com/author/ernie-smith/) Tags: [#Leadership](https://associationsnow.com/tag/leadership/) [#participation awards](https://associationsnow.com/tag/participation-awards/) [#sportsmanship](https://associationsnow.com/tag/sportsmanship/) [#youth sports](https://associationsnow.com/tag/youth-sports/) **Stay Informed** [Subscribe to our free newsletter](https://associationsnow.com/newsletter/) , *Associations Now Daily News*, to find out what’s happening in the association world every business day. ## You Might Like - [VideoUrban Land Institute- Project Recovery: Rebuilding Los Angeles After the January 2025 WildfiresSeptember 24, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/09/24/urban-land-institute-project-recovery-rebuilding-los-angeles-after-the-january-2025-wildfires/) - [VideoThe Career Moves Every Association Leader Needs Right NowSeptember 24, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/09/24/the-career-moves-every-association-leader-needs-right-now/) - [VideoNCRA: Safeguarding Cancer Surveillance: An Advocacy Response to FY26 Budget ThreatsSeptember 24, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/09/24/ncra-safeguarding-cancer-surveillance-an-advocacy-response-to-fy26-budget-threats/) - [PodcastAssociations NOW Presents: All for the Love of Chicago: Rethinking the Destination ExperienceSeptember 10, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/09/10/associations-now-presents-all-for-the-love-of-chicago-rethinking-the-destination-experience/) ## Comments **Comments are for ASAE members.** [Learn more about comments on this site.](https://associationsnow.com/comments/) [Log in](https://associationsnow.com/login?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fassociationsnow.com%2F2015%2F08%2F26%2Fawards-industry-to-football-star-participation-matters-too%2F%23comments) to your member account or [join ASAE](https://my.asaecenter.org/select-a-membership-type/) !