This is a topic that many people argue each and every day. I, as an educator of 14 years, totally understand it. But have we thought the measure of how we judge who should or should not receive recognition for what they have done. I understand there are winners and there are losers, but we should have an embedded urgency to do what is right for people. For example, my son Cass played up this year in T Ball with 6 year olds. He played WeeBall last year with another organization and he was what we believed #exceptional. Upon him playing this year, we realized that he was no longer the lil stand out that we field every ball. Cass struggled for the first part of the season. He was unable to catch, and could barely hit the ball that was thrown by the coach. As a parent, it is hard to see your child struggle, but we wanted to make sure he was learning. My wife spent countless hours with him on catching and hitting. I spent time with him as well. He did not like my bootcamp. It left him with a black eye... (I'm not that good at baseball either)
However, Cass persevered. He took ownership of his learning and improved dramatically. He began catching the ball better, and even hit the ball every time he went up to bat. He was proud of himself, and we were too. In the end, Cass did not make all stars, and we were not expecting him to make it. He has already talked about playing for next year. The picture is of Cass after he got his trophy from his Coach. The look on his face explains it all. This trophy sits beside his bed nightly. Was Cass the best player? No. Was Cass the best player he could be? Yes. I believe that he should have gotten his trophy because of what he endured throughout the season. It took a lot for him to make it to that level.
In closing, there will be times that everyone should "not" get a trophy, but for Tee Ball... the society got it right. Reward those kids for the work that they put in to provide entertainment for us adults.
