Okay here's the deal: the idea that "everyone's a winner" is absolute crap. In competition, there are winners and there are losers, and that's just how the world works. For some reason, people have come to believe that if we're not handed a big, glistening trophy after every athletic event/intellectual battle/competition of any sort, our delicate, little hearts will crumble and we'll probably never be able to function again. Yeah, incorrect. Hear me out, though. I truly do think the people that go along with the "everyone's a winner" mentality have the best interests of the competitors in mind. I'd assume that their aim is to encourage everyone to continue the activity they competed in or build confidence or something along those lines. However, with this comes a huge issue, particularly for children.

Failing (and learning how to do so gracefully) is so, so vital in every aspect of life. When we're constantly told as children that we succeeded, even if we haven't, we never learn how to accept and grow from the failures we endure. I'm speaking from experience when I say that receiving constant praise, regardless of the result, will have a negative impact on the overall athletic experience. I remember as a kiddo being told that the score was "fun to fun." Okay, first of all, *eye roll*. Second of all, I really think that attitude that followed me throughout my little league athletic years is partially to blame for my obsessive perfectionism. I was never exposed to failure during some vital developmental stages so when I ran into it as I got older (and I did so often) I wasn't sure how to cope with it, and I think it's obvious that's not beneficial for any kid.

I definitely believe that we need to begin to drift away from the "everyone's a winner" mentality, but I'm not saying you should go tell your four-year-old he's trash because he lost his tee ball game, obviously. It's good to want to win, but the key to a successful athletic/competitive career is to recognize the vitality of the losses and how to bounce back and learn from them. You don't have to crush your kid's spirit, but just knock it off with the participation trophies already.