Should You Do Participation Trophies?

By Trophy.com | Updated October 29, 2026

We think participation trophies are fine when they are specific, and not worth much when they are identical. A trophy that says "Thanks for showing up" gets forgotten in a month. One that names a season, a skill or a contribution gets kept. The debate is real, so here are both sides, then how to make the award worth giving.

The Case for Participation Trophies

• They keep young players in the sport. A child who gets something at the end of the season has a reason to sign up again.
• They put the focus on effort and improvement, not only on the scoreboard.
• They include everyone. Every roster has players who rarely get in the game and still came to every practice.
• At work, they recognize the people who keep a project running, not only the one who closes the deal.

The Case Against Participation Trophies

• If everyone gets the same award, it says nothing about what anyone did.
• They can blunt the drive to improve when the reward is the same either way.
• They do not teach what to do with a loss, and learning to lose is part of sport.
• At work, equal recognition for unequal results can leave high performers feeling unseen.

How to Make Participation Trophies Meaningful

• Name what the person did. "Most Improved," "Outstanding Commitment," "Team Spirit." Engraved titles beat blank ones.
• Say something real when you hand it over. One specific sentence about each child or employee does more than the trophy.
• Keep the top awards separate. Give MVP and championship trophies their own moment so winning still counts, then give the rest of the team their recognition after.
• Do not give one for everything. A trophy at the end of a season is an event. A trophy after every game is a handout.

Choosing Participation Awards

For young athletes, participation trophies and medals are an affordable way to recognize the whole roster. Add the child's name, the team and the season, and the award becomes the keepsake. For adults, a small acrylic award with the person's name and one line about what they added to the team does the same job.

Ordering Participation Trophies

Engraving and sandblasting are included in the price of an engraved award. We email a proof for your approval before production, and a copy change after that carries a $6 charge on awards $100 and under. Orders over $99 ship free by UPS Ground to contiguous US addresses. Call 1-844-876-7494, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm ET.