James Harrison Isn't A Fan Of Participation Trophies
PITTSBURGH (AP/CBS) — Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison doesn't expect a trophy just for showing up. The same goes for his sons.
The 2008 NFL Defensive Player of the Year took to Instagram on Saturday to say he was returning two awards his sons James III and Henry received from a local athletics event run by former Steelers quarterback Charlie Batch.
Harrison wrote while he's very proud of his two boys — who are both in elementary school — "these trophies will be given back until they EARN a real trophy."
Daily Talker: When Participation Isn't Enough
The 37-year-old says he doesn't want his sons to feel entitled, adding "cause sometimes your best is not enough, and that should drive you to want to do better.
98.5 The Sports Hub's Toucher & Rich discussed Harrison's thoughts on Monday. Fred, who coaches his young son's baseball team, doesn't think giving out participation trophies is a big deal, because until the kids hit eight or nine, they don't even keep score.
"You know why they don't keep score in those little kid games? Because it's impossible. No one knows what they're doing; they're running around," said Fred. "It's anarchy. The best thing you can do as a coach at a certain age is have all the kids standing up at one time. It's corralling maniacs. That's all it is!
"So there is a team that wins the big trophy. There's an All-Star team. So these kids don't realize the All-Star team is better then them and the championship team was better than them?" asked Fred.
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