And the winner is...

Boomers love to complain about participation trophies, but they seem to forget they were the ones handing them out in the first place.

What’s even more ironic? Many of those trophies ended up in the trash or buried in closets within hours—hardly the life-changing accolades critics make them out to be.

The funny thing is, participation awards aren’t some modern invention. They’ve been around for over a century—early examples date back to the 1920s and 30s, meaning plenty of Boomers likely received them as kids too.

I get the reasoning behind them: rewarding effort matters, especially in an era where 59% of Americans admit to not even voting in local elections. If showing up is the bare minimum, at least it’s something. But let’s be real—no employer has ever hired someone because they had the right number of participation ribbons. These things don’t go on resumes or transcripts.

Honestly, the loudest critics often seem to be people who never even tried—the ones who sat on the sidelines and now resent anyone getting recognition, no matter how small. Meanwhile, the folks who actually earned top awards? They were too busy celebrating their own wins to police what others received.

Speaking from experience: I’ve won countless art competitions since childhood, to the point where it almost became routine. But when I was holding a first-place trophy, I never once cared what the kid next to me got. If someone else walked away with a participation ribbon, good for them—it didn’t diminish my achievement.

At the end of the day, participation trophies are harmless. The real issue isn’t the trophies—it’s the people who mistake acknowledgment for entitlement, as if recognizing effort somehow cheapens hard work. Spoiler: It doesn’t.

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