A participation trophy is a trophy given to children (usually) who participate in any sport event or contest without requiring their success in competition. The term may be used more generally as an example of the celebration of mediocrity or of emotional coddling. In this rhetorical context, it is frequently associated with millennials, those of Generation Y.
The use of participation trophies has caused some controversy:
Critics argue that they promote narcissism and entitlement among children to whom they are given, and are based on incorrect assumptions regarding supposed psychological benefits of self-esteem. Critics also note that some children also do not value them as much as they do "normal" trophies that are given to winners
Defenders of participation trophies argue that they teach children that trying their best is good enough, even if they do not win
A backlash against participation trophies intensified in the 1990s.
One of the earliest known mentions of the term "participation trophy" occurred on 8 February 1922, in a Massillon, Ohio newspaper, The Evening Independent, in an article announcing a high school basketball tournament.